Anyone have an "old fashioned" silver zippo lighter?

MrMatt

Banned
Mar 3, 2009
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I have one that has the cotton inside it to hold the lighter fluid....how the FUCK do you guys keep it from not evaporating every couple days? I don't even smoke but have the lighter just in case I should need an open flame, or a cute girl asks for a light. But it seems like every 4 or 5 days the lighter fluid has completely evaporated from the cotton and I have to refill it again. wtf? :colbert:
 

mizzou

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2008
9,734
54
91
this is precisely why zippos are now out of date.

You can try pulling the wick out and re-cutting it if it's too burnt, then make sure you have quality lighter fluid

I also dont' believe they last longer then a few days regardless
 

MrMatt

Banned
Mar 3, 2009
3,905
7
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meh...not a fan of those things. Plus what if I ever get in some badass fight and gasoline ends up trailing out of some warehouse where we were fighting? When I walk out of it in slow motion I won't be able to flick my lighter and throw it at the puddle of gas; those bic's are self extinguishing.
 

HamburgerBoy

Lifer
Apr 12, 2004
27,111
318
126
meh...not a fan of those things. Plus what if I ever get in some badass fight and gasoline ends up trailing out of some warehouse where we were fighting? When I walk out of it in slow motion I won't be able to flick my lighter and throw it at the puddle of gas; those bic's are self extinguishing.

Shit, then buy a matchbox.
 

Heller

Diamond Member
Jul 10, 2006
6,551
0
0
meh...not a fan of those things. Plus what if I ever get in some badass fight and gasoline ends up trailing out of some warehouse where we were fighting? When I walk out of it in slow motion I won't be able to flick my lighter and throw it at the puddle of gas; those bic's are self extinguishing.

hahahaha , you have to be fucking kidding me right?:rolleyes:
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
meh...not a fan of those things. Plus what if I ever get in some badass fight and gasoline ends up trailing out of some warehouse where we were fighting? When I walk out of it in slow motion I won't be able to flick my lighter and throw it at the puddle of gas; those bic's are self extinguishing.

Keep one of these in your pocket then. It's the old school way to light fires.

9-magfire-fire-starter.jpg
 

alfa147x

Lifer
Jul 14, 2005
29,307
106
106
Well it's a good thing I didn't get a zippo :D
I ended up getting a colibri lighter
 

surfsatwerk

Lifer
Mar 6, 2008
10,110
5
81
Silly humans with your primitive flame devices. I simply harness the awesome power of my will to bring flame forth whenever I desire it.
 

Mike Gayner

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2007
6,175
3
0
You're not doing anything wrong OP - this is exactly right, and why Zippos suck 99.99% of the time. I experience exactly the same problem (also dont smoke, like to have a lighter around, etc).
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,998
126
When I smoked I carried a Zippo and it didn't evaporate that quickly. I got two to three weeks out of one fill and a small bottle of fluid would last a year.
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
yeah I think my zippo empties itself in about two weeks or so. I lost my last bottle of Ronsonol (think someone stole it) and haven't bothered to pick up another one because honestly, Zippos are awesome, but they're really not useful at all.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,849
11,188
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You don't keep it from evaporating. Zippos are really only appropriate for regular smokers, or I guess someone that needs fire regularly. I carried a Zippo for 25 years, and they're the best at what they do. They not only light cigarettes under harsh conditions, they make a good emergency lantern, that you don't have to worry about exploding, or blistering your thumb on.
 

insect9

Senior member
Jun 19, 2004
954
0
76
I have a Zippo, but don't fill much any more. I have an Imco that I fill regularly for my pipes, and a butane lighter for cigars.
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,998
126
Then your the exception to the rule.

I'm the exception to the rule that states that every ATOT denizen has the grammar skills of a retarded dyslexic chimpanzee, but not to any Zippo rules. If a person needs to fill their Zippo every 4 to 5 days it's user error and not a design deficiency.
 

mizzou

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2008
9,734
54
91
you should always impress a lady with a modified butane torch lighter with a 6 inch arc
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,677
15,078
146
I've carried zippo lighters for close to 40 years. I agree with those who say they're a PITA...They need to be refilled at least every couple of weeks...and if you overfill them, then stick them in your pocket....OUCH! The fluid always leaks and you get a chemical burn from the naptha.
However, I prefer them to a butane lighter. Nearly windproof, and they work well, even at sub-zero temps when a butane lighter won't.

We went to Hawaii 5 or so years ago...right after they decided that you couldn't carry lighters on planes anymore...and lost a zippo that I'd carried for 20+ years. the "We'll ship it for you" place at the airport was closed, and we had parked in an off-site parking facility. They wouldn't allow me to remove the wick and wadding, thus rendering safe...my only choice was to toss it. :(
 

Born2bwire

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 2005
9,840
6
71
Yeah, you gotta keep refilling them. But when it comes to any kind of wind, the Zippo works wonders.