IPCPR 2017: Colibri
Colibri came to the trade show with a number of products aimed squarely at the mid-range price points of cigar accessories, namely the $50 – $60 range. The company feels that its portfolio needed updating in this segment, and a number of advancements in the internal components of its lighters enabled it to update some products as well as release some new selections.
Beyond lighters and cutters, the company is introducing a portable cigar case that bucks the typical plastic case approach as well as a refreshed classic ashtray design.
Colibri Allure
This single action soft flame lighter is geared towards women and is the same size as an Yves Saint Laurent lipstick tube. The bottom of the lighter serves as an oversized flame adjustment knob. It will be available in September in five colors, each priced at just $29.
Colibri Daytona
This single flame, side squeeze lighter features a large fuel tank that offers about 20 percent more capacity than a standard single flame, while a large fuel window on the side lets you see just how much is left. It comes in eight colors–black, orange, green, red, silver, blue, yellow, and gunmetal, and will be priced at $59 when it arrives in October.
Colibri EVO
A new lighter whose name is short for evolution, it builds off the Julius lighter and offers a single action ignition, with the lid lifting up from the Roman column design to shield your finger from the single torch, which is pointed away from the lid at about a 35 degree angle. It features the textured pachmayr pattern for enhanced grip and will come in a number of color options, each priced at $49.
In the realm of travel humidors, most of the time it’s a hard plastic case that can hold some multiple of five cigars cradled in foam trays inside an airtight container with some humidification. While that’s by no means a bad option, Colibri is introducing a new product that brings a slightly different approach.
The Colibri Explorer is a premium leather travel case and humidor that can carry up to a dozen Churchill-size cigars (7 x 54), holding six in each fabric mesh pocket, which encourages air flow. The two sides of the black Saffiano leather case are joined by an innovative, protective tight-seal zipper.
There is also a pocket integrated in the front exterior of the Explorer that provides space for a lighter and cigar cutter. The Explorer will ship in mid-August and comes with a suggested retail price of $250.
Colibri Falcon
Four new carbon fiber finishes are in store for the Falcon, which also gets an upgraded piezo ignition and venting for better ignition and burn. It will come in red, silver, black, blue, each priced at $45 and arriving in August.
The new Colibri Gotham starts with the company’s existing high performance triple-jet flame system and adds the company’s V-Cut on the back, using the exact same blade as the stand-alone version. Additionally, the lighter has been tested to be functional at elevations up to 12,000 feet above sea level.
It’s taken Colibri nearly three years to bring the two pieces together, and the result is quite impressive. The cutter is deployed by squeezing a pair of buttons on the sides of the lighter, which slides the cutter’s assembly out to its locked position. From there, the cutting process is pretty much like normal, other than you have a lighter attached to one end. To slide the cutter back, just press the buttons again to unlock the assembly.
The Gotham will begin shipping in mid-August and comes in six finishes: black, red, blue, polished chrome, polished gold, and brushed gunmetal, each with black accents and an MSRP of $175.
Colibri Monaco
Four new carbon fiber color ways will soon be available for this triple flame lighter, including black, silver, deep red and royal blue, each $69. It’s shown with the Colibri V-Cut that got the same treatment last year.
Colibri Pacific Air
A new soft flame pipe lighter that builds on some existing designs, it features a reengineered combustion system, new open vents, and a stronger piezo ignition to ensure more reliable lights. It will ship in September in five colors: black and chrome, black and gunmetal, black and rose gold, gunmetal and black, and solid chrome, each priced at $49.
Dual-option cutters are a bit of a theme this year for Colibri, and this year the company adds one to its Quasar line, which already has a humidor and ashtray.
Continuing the Quasar’s four-sided pyramidal peak motif, the Quasar cutter houses both a Colibri V-Cut and S-Cut on opposing faces. To open it, just push down on the top peak and both cutters become available. The Quasar is made from solid metal, with the blades running on oiled quad pistons for smooth operation. The V-Cut can handle up to a 60 ring gauge cigar, while the S-Cut can handle up to a 70 ring gauge.
It’s available in four finishes, matte black, matte red, metallic chrome, and metallic gunmetal, each priced at $125. Expect to see it in the fall.
Image courtesy of Colibri
Unfortunately this wasn’t in the booth due to shipping issues, but the Colibri Rally “embodies the spirit of modern F1 racing” according to the company. It includes a single action trigger on its side that lifts the trap-door lid on the top, while allowing for the butane to flow and firing the initial spark.
One of the more distinctive features of the pocket-friendly Rally is a vertically-oriented fuel tank that the company says increases overall fuel capacity by 50 percent above the average single-jet lighter. It’s also tinted blue to make it easy to see how much fuel is remaining.
The Colibri Rally comes in six finishes: black, brushed chrome and black, brushed gunmetal, black and red, black and blue, and black and rose, each priced at $59. The collection will begin shipping in mid-July.
While you can’t generally give one cigar two types of cuts, you can now get two types of cuts from one cutter, thanks to the Colibri SV-Cut.
This new cutter merges Colibri’s S-Cut and V-Cut cutters into one unit. On one side of the SV-Cut is the company’s V-Cut, the same style that was released in 2013 and can handle up to a 60 ring gauge cigar, but works equally as well on lanceros and other small ring gauge cigars. On the other side is the S-Cut, a single guillotine blade that can slice through the caps of cigars up to 70 ring gauge, with each slice governed to 3mm in thickness.
One button releases both blades, while a textured pachmayr pattern provides grip to the body. It’s available in five finishes: all black, black and chrome, chrome and black, gunmetal, and rose and black. Each option comes with a suggested retail price of $75. The SV-Cut will ship to stores this fall.
Colibri Windsor
An updated design for a classic ashtray, this is available in both black and brown wood patterns and comes priced at $125. Two compartments hold your cutter and lighter, while the main cigar rest is magnetic and can be removed, allowing you to rest your cigar above the ground wherever you wish. A pair of additional cigar rests make it a shareable ashtray as well. Expect it in August.
Patrick Lagreid
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
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