Vintage ad for Tiki brand torches.

Vintage ad for Tiki brand torches.

Khan Tiki Mon with torches at the Mai Kai.

Hawaiian Tourism Ad - 1964

Love the torches!

2012/07/14 I missed the party. The Fireworks Extravaganza 2012 which was held on Cayuga Lake. I was unable to attend the party (yes, I was invited) - my torches went in my stead. My torches seem to have had a wonderful time. I'm glad.

Kate, posing with Khan Tiki Mon's torches.

In recent years the Tiki brand has switched from the black metal canisters to clear plastic canisters. This is a fantastic improvement. The metal cans were always rusting and springing leaks. You could never see how much fuel was in them. On a night before a party I would be filling 20 or so canisters and my procedure was just to pour until I spilled fuel on my hands. I was always afraid I was going to light myself up like a torch.

When you say the word "Tiki" to most people I wouldn't be surprised if the first thing that came to their mind was the torch. Tiki torches were an important part of the Tiki designs of the 1950s and 60s. As Sven Kirsten, aka bigbrotiki on Tiki Central, has said, "Tiki Torches were the only product through which the term 'Tiki' survived the period of Tiki devolution in the 80s, and 90s". The word "Tiki" is now most closely associated with the torch; more so than the stone or wooden idols, the Tiki cocktail, or the Tiki bar."Tiki Torch" was a brand name, made by the Tiki Torch Corp. of Torrance, California. For me, in a true Tiki design, the lighting should always be by open flame whenever practical. I love torches. I think I have at least a hundred torches. I have never had that many lit at one time but I have had enough going on a Saturday night to be accused by the neighbors of hosting "tribal council". I have all kinds of torches but the vast majority are the "bamboo" variety and the vast majority of those are 'Tiki' brand torches. I get new ones every year and I love all the different styles. When I'm lighting up my Tiki torches I think of myself as painting with fire.

Torches

Khan Tiki Mon’s collection of torches and torch stuff. Does any man have as many torches as Khan Tiki Mon? Are they as hot?