Hand held lighter

Abstract: In order to provide a hand held lighter which is difficult to operate accidentally and which is difficult for children to operate, the hand held lighter comprises a fuel container 1 a fuel valve 9 for allowing fuel to be fed from the fuel container to an ignition point, a lever 4 for operating the fuel valve 9, a flint 5, a rotatably mounted sparking wheel 6 contacting the flint 5 and for generating sparks when the sparking wheel 6 is rotated, the sparks being projected to the ignition point. The lever has an operating surface, 10 for contacting a user's thumb or finger. The lighter defines an operating axis A passing tangentially to the sparking wheel at X and passing through the operating surface of the lever 4 at a point Y, at least part of the operating surface 10 of lever being inclined outwardly with respect to the axis A.