The humble Zippo

[Daveho]

Hey guys,
Personally I quit smoking many years ago now however recently I have felt the need to pick myself up a zippo.. I used to have one in my pocket before the term EDC was coined and was constantly fidgeting with it. in my eyes there is something special about these lighters and I'm very much looking forward to carrying one again even if it's just in my bag (I'm well awair of their short comings).

Recently I saw one from 69-70 which was milatary issue from Vietnam with the inscription
"in life we often have to do things that just aren't our bag"
in the context of the Vietnam war I found this statement to be intriguingly powerful and just packed with subtext like many of the inscribed zippos of that era.

 

[hotwheels]

Biggest problem with Zippos is the not-sealed fuel tank. Evaporation rate is high and constant refueling is required. The second drawback is the relatively fragile hinge.

My favorite lighters are vintage Thorens, IMCO, Ronson Banjo and Bowers gasoline lighters. I also have a few old flameless rope (slow match) lighters and a couple methanol-powered catalytic lighters.

No, I don't smoke. I still carry a lighter at all times, because I don't know when I might need one. Some call it arson, I call it unwarranted, spontaneous combustion.

 

[sfeile]

I live 17 minutes from Zippo. What kind do you want?

 

[AnotherChef]

I still have the one I carried for almost 20 years, my fathers from Vietnam and my grandfathers from WWII.

 

[oc_in_fw]

There is only one sound more distinctive than popping open a Zippo- racking a round into a Remington 870. I know someone said the hinges are fragile- I have never broke one. If you do, however, Zippo will still replace it free of charge.

 

[Raissermesser]

I don't smoke and carry one. Unlike a butane lighter, you can use a Zippo hands free. Perfect for tasks such as melting the ends of synthetic fiber rope or twine to prevent unraveling.

 

[doofus]

Every man should have a zippo. Oc_in_fw is totally right. There is something about that sound.

 

[john parker]

Quite smoking myself. But quite carrying a Zippo even before that. The evaporation of the fuel while the lighter was in my pocket irritated the skin on my leg something terrible. Went with Bic. Don't carry either now. But, if you're not going to smoke, just carry it unfueled and you should have no problem.

 

[hotwheels]

If I knew there's interest in cigarette lighters, I'd start a thread. Since I don't know, I'll just use this thread.

This is my favorite lighter. It's a Swiss-made Thorens Single Claw lighter, which was patented in 1918. Mine was made in the '20s, making it over 90 years old. It's the first automatic lighter. When you push the little locking button on the case, the top flips open, the wheel, which is cocked by closing the top, strikes the flint and you got a flame. The fuel tank bolt contains a spare flint. Oh, and it's quite the flamethrower!

 

[hotwheels]

A few more of my daily carry lighters:

Top left: IMCO Triplex Super 6700 (made till a few years ago, Made in Austria)
Top Right: Thorens Single Claw (1920s, Swiss-Made)
Bottom left: Ronson Banjo (1920s, Made in USA)
Bottom middle and right: Bowers (1939s - 1940s. Made in USA)

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

There is only one sound more distinctive than popping open a Zippo- racking a round into a Remington 870. I know someone said the hinges are fragile- I have never broke one. If you do, however, Zippo will still replace it free of charge.

+1

 

[Ad Astra]

Dave- be careful. Virtually all "Vietnam Zippos" on the bay are fake (or $700, if real).

Some fakes are good, I have a few examples ...




AA

 

[Daveho]

I live 17 minutes from Zippo. What kind do you want?

Be a dear and just grab me a solid brass one haha just kidding..unless you would do it in which case you should PM me 😜

Dave- be careful. Virtually all "Vietnam Zippos" on the bay are fake (or $700, if real).

Some fakes are good, I have a few examples ...




AA

Wow! That's a few zippos! I personally wouldn't feel right carrying something marked with a military devision that I or one of my family members didn't have an affiliation with, it's just the inscriptions I found fascinating, some are quite dark, some clever and witty and others where inspiring I found it an interesting place to find such an accurate cross section of the feelings of that era (from what I have come to understand).
I have ordered myself a satin chrome standard of the bay, and now wait patiently. For my EDC I'll probably keep it with me in my day pack with spare fluid rather than in my pockets but for doing heat shrink, melting parra cord etc a zippo with its flat base is hard to beat.
I'm a big believer in redundancy, for me 2 is 1 and 1 is none so I have a BiC in a ziplock bag in my pack aswell just in case, oh and a couple of knives

 

[Daveho]

A few more of my daily carry lighters:

Top left: IMCO Triplex Super 6700 (made till a few years ago, Made in Austria)
Top Right: Thorens Single Claw (1920s, Swiss-Made)
Bottom left: Ronson Banjo (1920s, Made in USA)
Bottom middle and right: Bowers (1939s - 1940s. Made in USA)

Very cool, I think here on B&B anything old and interesting has a place. Absolutely fascinating some of those

 

[sfeile]

Be a dear and just grab me a solid brass one haha just kidding..unless you would do it in which case you should PM me 

Sent you a PM.

 

[StuMcB]

My brother bought me one after I'd given up smoking a few years back but I sold it on. I do however have a brass one that an old girl friend bought me in 1987 that I've kept for sentimental reasons it still works as far as I know. So that's nearly 30yrs old.

 

[Daveho]

Sent you a PM.

haha this is why I love this forum..

 

[sub vet]

I used a Zippo all the years I smoked, quit about 25 years ago. The only bad experience I had was a chemical burn on my leg from the fumes on a really hot day.

 

[Daveho]

Sent you a PM.

I used a Zippo all the years I smoked, quit about 25 years ago. The only bad experience I had was a chemical burn on my leg from the fumes on a really hot day.

Yeah I have hear this abit, I'd be partial to carry if it in my pack, I'm not big on stuff In my pockets so usually it is just the spyderco and a phone. Keys and wallet go in the pack aswell but since my pack is never more than a few feet from me this work out fine.

 

[Ad Astra]

And if you want a gallon of Zippo fuel for $7, just buy Coleman camp stove fuel. Google this.


AA