Tatuaje Table Lighter by Lotus
Name: Tatuaje Table Lighter by Lotus (Lotus T3 Table Lighter)
Made by: Integral Systems
MSRP: $60.00; it can easily be found for $49.95 on the Internet.
Warranty: 2 years
The Tatuaje Table Lighter by Lotus is a Tatuaje-branded Lotus T3 Table Lighter, a triple-flame, butane fueled lighter of great heft and sleek design made by Integral Systems (the maker of Lotus, Bugatti, and Porsche Design lighters).
Service
I purchased mine in September 2008. Unfortunately, it had issues when it arrived. I bled the tank, filled it with butane, let it sit for a while to warm up to room temperature. I went outside to light up a smoke, and I wasn’t able to get 1 cigar lit before the butane ran out. I went to bleed it again, and it sprayed gas all over me. I tried filling it up again, and wouldn’t spark right. I set it aside for awhile, meaning to send it to Lotus to take advantage of the two-year warranty. I went online, and tried looking for the Lotus Web site for return information. No dice. I could not find it. So, I forgot about it. About a month later, I was at a B&M near me who carried Lotus, and I asked him if he knew what their Web site was. He told me to search for Integral Systems, their parent company, instead. He gave me a little warranty booklet from one of the lighters he had in the shop, and I had the info I needed. Finally, on Halloween, I shipped it down to Florida, where Integral is located, along with a description of my problem and a check for $9 to cover return shipping. November came and went with no word on my lighter. On December 5th, I called their offices to check on the status. The very pleasant woman who answered the phone looked up my return, said it had yet to be serviced as a few of their technicians had been out because of family emergencies. She told me my lighter was scheduled to be serviced the following week, and would probably ship the following Friday. I thanked her, and hung up. On Wednesday, December 17 it arrived at my door via UPS. I pulled it out, filled it up, and sparked and burned like a champ. So, now after 3 weeks of use, I’m ready to review it.
Form
The elliptical body of the lighter is covered in a shiny, brushed metal with a chrome ring where the hinged cap meets the tank. A small indent in the chrome is inscribed with the Lotus logo. The front of the lighter is adorned with the word Tatuaje in black, flanked by two black fleur de lis above and below it. The back is blank, giving plenty of room for engraving. The hinge for lid is well integrated into the body, and barely sticks out, making for a sleek look. Opening the lid reveals 3 flames arranged in a triangle, and large ignition button. On the bottom of the lighter is the fuel nozzle and flame adjustment. The lighter is very heavy, and when the lid is closed it gives a satisfying click.
Function
The large ignition button is easy to operate, even in glove-clad fingers. The triple-flame makes quick work of even 58-60 ring gauge cigars, yet rarely overheats the cigar. The flame adjustment requires a small screwdriver or knife tip to adjust. Even a dime is too large. Refilling with butane takes quite a bit of fuel, but it lasts a long while. I’ve been using the lighter for three weeks, through a couple of herfs, holiday parties, and my normal smoking, and it’s still on the initial fuel up after what I’d estimate to be 30-40 light-ups, touch-ups, and holiday candles needing to be lit.
Final Thoughts
A well designed table lighter, it has performed well after the intial issues. I would definitely like to see Integral make an effort to have their Web site come up when searching for Lotus. Any of the T3 lighters would be a good choice if you are in need of a table lighter. In addition to the Tatuaje branded version, there are a satin chrome, black, and black-and-red striped versions.
Recommendation: Buy, if you need (or want) a table lighter.
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Comments
You know, I’ve been looking into getting another lighter. I think you definitely narrowed down my options. Thanks, Charlie.
Great review. It lookded so good I started carying the T3 Table Lighter (now in 3 styles) on my website at a disocunt price:
http://www.robertocigars.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=80_91&products_id=248
Appreciate these reviews. They help me determien what the best items are to stock for folks and what to recommend.
Bob
I have one of these defective lighters. The valve failed after 3 months and it just spews butane. I no longer have the warranty booklet. Would you please send me and/or post the warranty service center here.
Thanks,
Bob
Hey Charlie,
Funny, I bought the “Dress Version” the tri color that You mentioned at the end of Your review. The reason is that I too had an ignition problem right after the first tank of fuel. I followed the instructions closely, but no go. I returned it to the B & M that I purchased it from and they replaced it with a Clear brushed stainless model. (was all that They had in stock)
That lighter lasted 3 months, before having an issue. I took it back to the Shop and they had just received my original lighter back from service. So I gladly accepted it back with the understanding that if this unit failed again I wanted to trade it in on an Extend Product.
4 months of service and several refills later, all is Great!
I too like the Heft and solid feel of this Lighter. It feels like a Zippo on Steroids.
Also, when I last spoke to the Shop Manager about the service concern, He said that the Company reported a batch issue and that all of those lighters were returned and the “issue part” was replaced and all is well with Lotus.
What else could He say. But in fairness, Mine is still working like a Champ!
Thanks for the review!
slack