IPCPR 2016: Colibri

Colibri has been making a big push to regain its place in the hands and humidors of retailers and consumer across the country, reinventing many of its products and looking to develop lighters, cutters and humidors that deliver performance, value and design.

The company rolled out a number of new products and line extensions at this year’s trade show under its flagship brand, while also adding to its value-oriented Firebird line.

Colibri Boss

One of—if not the—company’s iconic lighters, the Boss gets four new finishes: gold, chrome, white and brushed gunmetal, each $150.

Colibri Cut

This butterfly design cutter gets three new design options, all wood handles in light burl, dark burl and redwood; $49 each.

Colibri Enterprise

A pair of new colors for this side-squeeze triple flame, as bright red and blue join the line, both with black body accents. $100 each.

Colibri Julius

Three new finishes for this flint soft flame lighter: black rose, polished gold and polished gunmetal, each $125.

Colibri S-Cut

The company added a closed back version, known as the EZ-Cut, which offers a consistent cutting depth of just 3 mm. Three colors: red, black and blue, each $39.

Colibri Slide

Quite possibly my nominee for accessory innovation of the year, this is a lighter you push up on to ignite. Instead of pulling down on the ignition button, you push up and the inner body slides up and partially out of the shell, with a dual jet torch flame igniting and the lid retracting clear out of the way, giving you effectively completely unobstructed access to the flame. There’s also a slide out and locking punch cutter built in. Five finishes: black with red; silver with blue; red with black; blue with black and matte black with chrome, each $59.

Colibri Talon

The Talon has been a staple of Colibri’s lighter offerings for several years, but manufacturing costs were driving it out of the range of most single jet torches. Instead of scrapping it, Colibri redesigned it, moved production to a new factory, and reinvigorated the overall presentation. It now features a single-action ignition system and a pachmayr-pattern body for a secure grip. Additionally, the lighter offers an extra large, 1.5 gram translucent fuel tank, approximately three times the standard single jet tank size, with a large flame adjustment knob on the bottom of the lighter. The burner is also tighter and the chamber larger, resulting in a bigger flame than the previous version.

It’s due out in November and will come in seven finishes: black, red, orange, blue, chrome, gold and rose, with a suggested retail price of $49.

Colibri V-Cut

One of the company’s newer innovations and one that has been very well received, it gets four new finishes in a carbon fiber print: red, black, blue and silver, each $49. It’s a bit more than the $39 price tag of the original finishes, but being stylish isn’t cheap.

Firebird Ascent

A lighter designed to be used at higher altitudes, it features a durable plastic body, single jet torch and attached lanyard for safekeeping. $9.99.

Firebird Fusion

A single jet torch light with a big fuel window and large flame adjustment knob; this is the lighter you buy several of to stash in all your favorite smoking spots. $9.99.

Firebird Hookah

An angled single jet torch lighter, the name may suggest it is limited to a specific use but it will work just fine on cigars. $9.99.

Firebird Illume

A triple torch with a big, visible fuel tank and easy ignition and keychain loop at the bottom. $19.99.

Firebird Quad Burner

A familiar form gets an extra burner for when you need to make quick work out of toasting your cigars. Several color options, each just $12.99.

Firebird Saber 70rg Cutter

The first serrated blade cutter in Colibri’s portfolio, it’s a wallet-friendly option at just $14.99 and can handle cigars up to 70 ring gauge.

Firebird Sidewinder

New camouflage color options for this single jet lighter, each $9.99.

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.