Most lighters are disposable plastic tubes you lose at a barbecue. The Craighill Swingtop is the opposite: a chunk of stainless steel built around one very satisfying move. Press the little ball-tipped swingarm and the lid swings open. Let go and the arm snaps back, spins the flint and the wick lights. Close the lid and the flame goes out. Brooklyn design shop Craighill says it spent two years on this thing, and its launch video racked up more than 13 million views. We get it. We watched it six times and we do not even smoke.
What it is
The Swingtop is a refillable flint-and-wick lighter that runs on naphtha, the same lighter fluid a Zippo drinks. It measures about 2.5 x 1.4 x 0.78 inches and weighs around 5 ounces, so it has real pocket heft. The wick and flint are replaceable, and the fuel cap comes off without tools. Craighill makes it in two finishes, natural stainless and black. Craighill pitches it as a fix for modern lighters that “lost the magic” of vintage ones, and the swingarm is pure vintage magic: a one-thumb open, spark and light routine borrowed from old swing-top lighters, then machined like a piece of jewelry.
What reviewers say
The Wall Street Journal’s Buy Side called it clearly Zippo-influenced, a bit narrower and taller than a Zippo and about an ounce heavier, with a ball-tipped lever that frees the cap and sparks the flint in one go. Over on r/lighters, one buyer who “bought that Craighill lighter so you don’t have to” put it side by side with a $5 AliExpress swing top. The verdict: the Craighill is far nicer to hold and use, fuel lasts longer than in a Zippo and there is no tool needed for refills. The catch: there is no spare flint storage and it is less wind resistant than a Zippo. EDC fans say about the same thing. Not a storm lighter, but the mechanism is very fun.
Now the honest part. Some owners report inconsistent sparking. Others say fuel evaporates through the cutouts under the snuffer, so a lighter you filled last month may be dry today. Craighill says as much in its own care notes. One commenter says it seeps a little if stored on its side. Another Reddit owner reported the wick area flaring up after a run of rapid-fire relights with fuel pooling. That is the price of a wick lighter. Fill it with naphtha only, wipe off spills, and stop playing with it when it gets hot.
Price and where to buy
The stainless Swingtop was $78 and in stock on Amazon when we checked, shipped by Amazon. That is the same $78 Craighill charges on its own site, so no markup games. It had a 4.2-star rating from a small batch of early Amazon reviewers, while Craighill’s own site shows 4.9 stars from more than 100 reviews. Buy the Craighill Swingtop Lighter on Amazon. The black version is also $78 on Craighill’s site.
Fire safety, the short version
It is a real flame in a fidget toy body, so treat it like one. Keep it away from kids. Store it upright and refuel right before you need it. Use naphtha lighter fluid only, never butane. Fuel lighters are not allowed in checked bags, so carry-on rules apply when you fly. Craighill also limits where it can ship. And yes, it carries a California Prop 65 warning, like a lot of metal gear.
GadgetKing take
Is $78 a lot for a lighter? Absolutely. A gas station Bic does the job for two bucks. But nobody buys the Swingtop to do the job. You buy it for the click, the swing and the snuff, and for something that will still be in your drawer in 20 years with a new wick in it. If you light candles, grills, campfires or the occasional wax seal and want one beautiful tool for it, this is the lighter. If you need a windproof camping lighter that holds fuel for months, grab a Zippo with a butane insert and keep the Craighill on the desk where it looks great.
Sources: Craighill, The Wall Street Journal Buy Side, r/lighters and r/EDC owner reports, where to buy. Video and images: Craighill.
More fire and EDC gear: the TekFire fuel-free lighter, the Electric Arc Lighter, the James Brand Halifax and the Hammersmith Carnival Pocket Roulette.
