On a recent trip to London, I had the pleasure of meeting Damien Moura-Delort of Bespoke Leather.
From his workshop in South London, Damien creates a number of bespoke leather products. Naturally, what most caught my eye were his cigar lighters though he also handcrafts a wide range of fantastic leather pieces.
In the following review, I’ll be taking a closer look at his pocket and desktop lighter offerings:
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Custom Cigar Lighters By Bespoke Leather
- Bespoke Leather Pocket Lighter
- £99-£165
- Various types of leather available
- Integrated punch cutter accessory
- Includes additional flint
- Bespoke Leather Desktop Lighter
- £150-£285
- Various types of leather available
- Includes additional flint
Previously, Damien’s leather expertise was leveraged by renowned fashion houses both in France and England. However, he has now established his own studio in London from where he creates all manner of custom leather goods.
What’s Included In The Box Of Bespoke Leather Lighters?
All of Bespoke Leather’s lighters are nicely presented in refined boxes that come wrapped with ribbons. I purchased these for myself, but I can easily see how the presentation lends itself to gifting these to the cigar aficionado in your life.
Within the felt-lined boxes, you’ll find the lighter itself along with some extra flint which will undoubtedly come in handy at some point in the future.
I’ll also point out that the pocket lighters include a small carry bag that does a proper job of protecting the leather if it were to come in contact with something that could damage it during travel. It also protects the polished finish, which, if tarnished, could easily cause the metal portion of the lighter to lose its luster.
Custom Leather Pocket Lighter by Bespoke Leather
Damien’s pocket lighters are offered in a wide range of different leathers. I enjoyed how the green stingray option looked as I’ve always been a fan of stingray leather watch straps. He also had a purple alligator scale version that caught my eye, and with purple being Bespoke Unit’s brand color, I couldn’t pass it up.
As you may assume, the different leather types will have a direct influence on the price of the lighter. Prices range from £99 on the standard calf leather options to £165 for more exotic leathers such as stingray.
Unique to these cool pocket lighters is the integrated punch cutter stored within the lighter itself. On the bottom of the piece, there are two small caps that screw on. One of these reveals the integrated cigar punch cutter while the other provides access to the butane refill valve as well as a screw that can be turned to adjust the flame height.
The punch cigar cutter is a nice detail, particularly for me, as I don’t have to worry about carrying an additional cutter if I have the Bespoke Leather lighter. It saves one from filling the pockets of a jacket or sportscoat with cigar accouterments when attending a more formal setting, which Damien’s lighters are certainly intended for.
Overall, these pocket lighters are exceptionally made, and the leather is fantastic as it seamlessly integrates into the lighter.
Custom Leather Desktop Lighter by Bespoke Leather
The other cigar lighter offering from Damien at Bespoke Leather is a custom desktop lighter.
The desktop lighter is significantly larger than the pocket lighter options and therefore commands a higher price. They range from £150 to £285 and, as the pocket lighters, will vary by price depending on the leather type.
The desktop lighter is also very well-designed and feels great in the hand. This is thanks at least in part to the slight curvature of the body which makes it very comfortable to hold.
Just like the pocket version, the desktop lighters are flint lighters that are refueled via a valve at the bottom. However, unlike the pocket lighter, the desktop lighter does not possess an integrated punch cutter as it’s assumed that elsewhere on your desktop, you’ll also have a cigar cutter.
Pros & Cons Of Bespoke Leather Lighters
While they’re two separate products, I’ll be covering the advantages & disadvantages of Bespoke Leather’s lighters as one given the similarities.
What I most enjoyed about Bespoke Leather’s lighters are their look, as the flint lighter design is very old school though here they’re presented in a very refined manner. Additionally, I was also attracted to these as the leather options make them unique, even from other lighters within the collection, given that leather patterns are always different.
Speaking of uniqueness, Damien can also emboss the leather on the lighters with logos and such to create a custom cigar lighter look. Along with some friends from Philadelphia, we commissioned a number of the small pocket lighters with the custom logo of our Philly whisky club, given that when we get together to enjoy whisky, we often enjoy cigars, too.
Paul Anthony with Damien Moura-Delort at the RAC Club in London, England.
Perhaps one of the biggest “pros” of Bespoke Leather’s lighters is the fact that you get to support an artisan such as Damien. I had the chance to meet him in person in London, and it’s easy to see how much passion he has for leatherworking and for his work.
I was very satisfied with these cigar lighters and after spending some time with the man himself, I’m sure he puts just as much effort and dedication into all of the other custom leather pieces he produces.
When it comes to the disadvantages of Bespoke Leather’s lighters, I really couldn’t think of many.
It’s easy to see that these lighters have very specific use cases; they’re not intended to be taken on the golf course. They perform very well, but you can’t expect them to take the beating that an ST Dupont Defy can, for example. I reserve mine for formal outings and take great care of them when I use them, unlike how I am with my everyday cigar lighter.
Additionally, after refueling, the flame on the lighter can become slightly unwieldy. When this happens, it’s just a matter of adjusting it via the screw at the bottom. Unfortunately, this will require a tool similar to a flathead screwdriver, but I’ve been able to achieve the same function with my Xikar Multitool.
Final Thoughts
Having owned Bespoke Leather’s cigar lighters for some months now, I’ve been very happy whenever I get the chance to use them, and, as you can see from the pictures in this review, my collection has only grown!
"Fantastic lighters with unique leather options and a decidedly old-school-cool look."
Further Reading
If you enjoyed reading this review of Bespoke Leather’s lighters, feel free to check out more related content:
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