The lighter holds a fuel reservoir which keeps the “wick” in the wand (striker) saturated. The steel tip of the wand is scratched against a flint strip causing small sparks which ignite the wick.

A typical form of lighter is the permanent match or everlasting match, consisting of a naphtha fuel-filled metal shell and a separate threaded metal rod assembly—the “match“—serving as the striker and wick. This “metal match” is stored screwed into the fuel storage compartment: the shell.

The flame is extinguished by blowing it out before screwing the “match” back into the shell, where it absorbs fuel for the next use. An advantage over other naphtha lighters is that the fuel compartment is sealed shut with a rubber o-ring, which slows or stops fuel evaporation.^{[citation needed]}