Zippo lighter tips and accumulated knowledge

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Anyone else carry a Zippo lighter?

I do, but not because I smoke. I just think they're awesome.

When I was in high school, I'd never even heard of them until a friend and I were in the mall and he was looking to get one because he had recently heard of them. "They're cool, they're like windproof and reliable," he said.

So we found a kiosk that sold them, and after he made his purchase he looked at me as if I were nuts, because I was not also getting one. So, since we were both working and flushed with cash (high school seniors with no bills but with good jobs) I laid out for one of my own. Soon I loved it, and was never without it, and then went on to buy other models. (That first one was a black matte finish regular sized lighter.)

Over time I've found out more about them, and learned some tips about using them.

- Carry extra flints under the pad, between the pad and the cotton wadding. I keep two spares there, so I have a replacement for my own lighter, and I can spot one for someone else if need be.

- To get the lighter to light reliably on the first flick of the flint wheel, open the lighter low, like at your waist, and briskly raise it up to chest level before sparking it. You will clear out the chimney and get a good fuel-air mixture, instead of a flooded mixture that won't ignite but will instead just puff.
(There was an old episode of some creepy show where a guy bets someone that he can't light a Zippo ten times in a row without a failure. This technique will make it work, and you can win the bet. They re-did this wager in the film "Four Rooms.")

- If you have overfilled your Zippo lighter with fuel, it may seep out of the lighter in your pocket and give your leg a very uncomfortable, itchy, irritated chemical burn rash -- "Zippo burn," we called it. Try not to overfill your lighter. If it is overfilled, light it, and hold it away from you and fan it quite vigorously. Careful -- the lighter will FLARE UP! You will burn off excess fuel more quickly.

- If your lighter fails to light even though the flint sparks well and there is plenty of fluid, it may be because the wick is coated with carbon from burning. It's simply dirty. You need to trim the wick.
Open the lighter, remove the screw that holds the flint and flint spring/follower. Remove the pad. Use a tweezer and remove the wadding. (It is in several pieces. Place them on a table in sort of the same shape/order they come out and they will be easier to fit back in.)
Use the tweezer to pull the wick up through the hole to the top of the lighter. Do not pull it entirely out. Cut it about a half inch down, where the burned-looking part ends. Pull back down into the lighter so that the normal amount of wick shows out the top. Stick your finger into the chimney and hold the wick against the side of it, to keep it from receding or pulling out any farther, while you stuff the cotton wadding back inside the cavity.
Make sure to put some wadding right against the top of the inside of the cavity, then lay the wick (use the tweezer) between pieces of cotton so that it will always be kept moist with fluid, and also will not be so kinked. Lay the cotton back in more or less the same way it was before. Place the pad back, insert the flint, screw in the spring, and top off with fuel and reassemble the lighter.


If anyone else knows stuff to help with Zippo ownership, please feel free to append to this thread.

Zippo stories are also invited.


P.S. Marks on the bottom of a Zippo's case indicate, using various codes, the month and year of manufacture of that lighter.


Blue skies, red flames,
-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[Zep 0]

Hey Jeffery have you masterd the trick of opening and lighting the Zippo all in
one smooth movement , with just the one hand of course.


I tried off an on for years but could never get it right


Edit: spelling, When the hell is some one going to market a keyboard with man sized keys
I can hit ER&T with just one finger tip.

Gone fishing

[Brian425 0]

There are other lighters?

I carry a zippo for everyday use. I also have a Dunhill that was a gift. The Zippo is my first choice. For me, the zippo is a plain brushed finish. Nothing fancy, pure function.

I have a friend who collects Zippos. (Well he collects everything matchbox cars, GI Joe, etc) He has about 80 some very valuable and some "special" new ones that will never be lit. To each his own.

B

The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand.

[Rebecca 0]

That was an awesome post.

I always loved Zippos for the smell they made when lit - my dad always used one when he still smoked, so that smell reminds me of him a bit.

When I still smoked though, Colibris were my favorite.

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[mnealtx 0]

Quote

Hey Jeffery have you masterd the trick of opening and lighting the Zippo all in
one smooth movement , with just the one hand of course.


I tried off an on for years but could never get it right


Edit: spelling, When the hell is some one going to market a keyboard with man sized keys
I can hit ER&T with just one finger tip.

The only way I've seen it done is flipping the lid up and reversing your thumb down in one smooth motion to strike.... I can do it usually, but mine has been a bit temperamental lately.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Superman32 0]

I think the Zippo site has a bunch of one hand tricks

Inveniam Viam aut Faciam
I'm back biatches!

[Kris 0]

Here's a great trick video....warning, this is about 6MB but it's SuperHellaCoolio(tm).

Crazy Zippo tricks

Taken from Lightertricks.com

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[bobsled92 0]

Lotta great info.
I met a client of ours who was married to one of the owner's daughters. He holds the rights for making all the custom/special Edition lighters(stuff/emblems attached,etc.)
He divorced her and kept the rights.
Zippo is here in Bradford, PA

_______________________________
If I could be a Super Hero,
I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year.
http://www.hangout.no/speednews/

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Quote

Lotta great info.
I met a client of ours who was married to one of the owner's daughters. He holds the rights for making all the custom/special Edition lighters(stuff/emblems attached,etc.)
He divorced her and kept the rights.
Zippo is here in Bradford, PA

Yep, Bradford, PA! Cool! I'd love to take a tour of their facility some day if I could.

I don't know any crazy tricks (can't watch that video on my dial-up connection but I do know how to do the "one-hand-squeeze-and-it-pops-open" one), and of course the brush it against your thigh to open, then the other way to spark trick. Those aren't bad but they're not crazy impressive.

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[mnealtx 0]

Quote

Quote

Lotta great info.
I met a client of ours who was married to one of the owner's daughters. He holds the rights for making all the custom/special Edition lighters(stuff/emblems attached,etc.)
He divorced her and kept the rights.
Zippo is here in Bradford, PA

Yep, Bradford, PA! Cool! I'd love to take a tour of their facility some day if I could.

I don't know any crazy tricks (can't watch that video on my dial-up connection but I do know how to do the "one-hand-squeeze-and-it-pops-open" one), and of course the brush it against your thigh to open, then the other way to spark trick. Those aren't bad but they're not crazy impressive.

-Jeffrey

The "one handed pop it open" trick and the "snap the lighter backwards to close the lid" trick is why the hinge on my zippo is messed up... the tricks are cool and all, but remember it all puts stress on the hinge...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706