Outdated info, sadly. Colibri, once upon a time, had a lifetime warranty. Then they either got bought out or went bankrupt and got taken over (I forget which), and the lifetime warranty went bye-bye, to be replaced by a 1-2 year warranty. I have no experience with it because I don't buy Colibri (except for the one V-cut I bought which hasn't broken yet), but from all I hear, nowadays if you're outside the warranty, they do nothing for you. I've also heard that even in-warranty service can be a slow hassle, and it can be like pulling teeth to get them to respond and actually do something.

Xikar's eternal warranty, on the other hand, is so good, all-encompassing and hassle-free that it's ridiculous. Awhile back they switched to an all-replacement model, meaning they don't fix your item anymore... so if you have dull blades or a bad sparker, but also scuffs scratches from carrying/drops/accidents? New item, bye-bye to those imperfections. You can also simply return it BECAUSE OF those scuffs and scratches with nothing functionally wrong, and they'll still give you a new one.

Oh, and each time, you get the latest version of the model, with all the latest upgrades. I've returned original Stratospheres and gotten the redesigned, improved Stratosphere II. I've returned the original Enigma and gotten the redesigned, improved Enigma II, then returned that and got an even newer Enigma II with even more design improvements.

Also, if your model isn't made anymore, they'll present you with a list of similar models to choose from, and they'll send you that. And of course, all the replacements they send are ALSO covered by the same eternal crazy-good warranty.

Most of my returns have been over-the-counter at CI brick and mortar stores, although most other Xikar dealers will do it too. No proof of purchase, no ID, nothing. They take it, and hand you a brand-new one off the shelf. Nice way to avoid even the small shipping fee and wait involved in mailing it to Xikar!
.

Even with that good warranty, they are still vulnerable to flying out of the golf cart.

Can't fix stupid! 🤦





[sarcasm]

J/K Ben!

I've never lost a cutter or lighter (...knock on wood...) but I leave my Xikars at home and only take the cheapie ones to herfs / smoking events / golfing tournaments.

Ya, learned my lesson after I lost an Xikar one day... now I just keep a couple plastic junkers in the golf bag.

Did lose a cheap torch my last time out... that kinda sucked. Hopefully it's under my seat.

I use the keychain Xikar for smaller ring gauges as its more shallow (and seems wider to me than Colibri) and a very portable size. Overall however, especially with 50RG and above, I do prefer the Colibri for it's solid heft and the depth and super clean precise cut. I didn't notice any mention of this but my version has serrated blades that grip perfectly without any drag like regular blades - perfect when bouncing around on bad NYC streets. As a result, I've since gotten other serrated cutters, like the Lotus Jaws straight cut, as I find them to provide far superior cuts. I haven't yet tried the new Xikar version that's supposed to be deeper like the Colibri.