Welcome to the board . I've heard several different ways to light correctly . I've used stick matches , strips of cedar , zippo lighters and torch lighters . If using matches do as nhcigarfan says - let the sulfur burn completely off to avoid a nasty taste . When I use cedar strips I usually get an audience - kind of a eye catcher - works great . I no longer use a zippo because I didn't like the taste it gave at the beginning of a good smoke , mostly I use a torch lighter . When you start to light it - lightly toast the foot - then begin to draw on it but don't let the flame touch the foot but keep it pretty close to touching , while you are drawing in - rotate it and keep drawing in - check it and if it needs more go ahead and finish lighting it . That is the way I do it . At first I didn't know how to light up either . I read this technique somewhere either on the net or in a magazine . Good luck and smoke what you want . The Fuente line is nice .