tell us about your zippo

[Sir_Substance]

i just got a zippo today, had an extraneous $40, and id never had one, so i thought what the hell. now, there is something interesting about zippos, and i could put in a poll, but im not going to.

zippos have a class. if you look on the underside, ther eis a letter.

"A" class zippos are effectivly made from cardboard and spit, while a "Z" class zippos is basically made from 24 carat gold with a diamond flint mechanism.

so, tell us the letter of your zippo and then describe it.

mine was a cheap one, "D" class. has a silver finish, probably aluminum construction, and its a matte finish, rather then shiny.

[Cureless_Poison]

I'll use anything that saves me 3 hours of rubbing sticks together. Gold plated or not.

[spartanhelmet]

I don't smoke or have marshmallow bonfire nights... therefore, I have no need for a Zipo.

But the fact a brand can convince people to buy a lighter for that much money is a testament to marketing.

[Lyinginbedmon]

Unless I happen upon a working replica of the grenade zippo from Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door, I will likely never own a lighter of any kind.

[Sir_Substance]

Unless I happen upon a working replica of the grenade zippo from Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door, I will likely never own a lighter of any kind.

really, why is that?

a lighter can be useful for a lot more then lighting cigarettes. i use mine for shrinking heatshrink, for example, and with the aid of a twig, for lighting the barbie.

[Lyinginbedmon]

True, but I don't often need to light anything on fire. And when I do, a match or a flaming torch is generally the best method, rather than a lighter.

[Joshua]

It has a c on the bottom, its a small one has purple green blue gold shiny.

[Sir_Substance]

nice one, kinda holographic/oilstain?

i think that effect is made by doing something to titanium.

also, ive just been informed that my original information on the letters meaning was inaccurate, and that it indicates which month it was manufactured in.

eg one with a C was made in march, one with a D april.

[Joshua]

ah, thats pretty neat, I saw a full size one with the same color but I couldn't get it at the time.

[Metcarfre]

I have owned two Zippos and have found them unreliable at best. The don't light in wind, sometimes don't light at all, and consume fuel at a prodigious rate. Instead, I recently bought this from MEC;




Only $15, cheaper than most Zippos. Windproof, lights like a charm, and actually burns at 13000 C, so if need be I can burn through a lock. It uses a capacitor to build a charge and spark. None of this flint business - what am I, in the stone age?

I recently took it on a hiking trip and it worked great for starting fires Other applications include occasionally lighting a cigar and getting barbeques going.

[TheRocket]

BIC! O' memories!

[wilson_x1999]

picture

BIC! O' memories!

Same here, I don't smoke, but I always bring with me a few tools and a lighter, for no apparent reason.

[ptitqui]

I bought this one from MEC. I go camping alot in the wind and the rain, so this works when nothing else will. It WAS 60.00 tho. So it's had better work. I bought it after the supposedly 'windproof' lighter I had wouldn't work in 40km winds. This lighter will stay lit upto 130km/hr winds!

[Metcarfre]

I had that one before. It, too, did not work. It is VERY picky about what kind of fuel it uses, so make sure to get the right kind.

In my opinion and experience the one I posted is superior because it is cheaper and more reliable, as well as smaller.

[Bob The Magic Camel]

Lots of people mentioned times when a lighter could come in handy, and in all but one case it is vastly outclassed by firesteel. The only thing lighters are better for lighting cigarettes/cigars, but only because you probably aren't manly enough to light-up with a firesteel.

Other than that, I agree with spartan helmet: why would one pay an extortionate amount for something with serves the same purpose equally as well as something very cheap?

[Metcarfre]

Have you ever tried getting a fire going in the rain? This task is immeasurably easier using a lighter such as the one I pictured. As well, when hiking, I use it to light my stove. I can't imagine that working with a firesteel. Or how about lanterns and candles?

I use the lighter a lot when camping; for this reason I usually have two or three of them (the rest are cheap-os). In a true survival situation, I have flares I can use.

I've never used a firesteel, though, so I'd have to make a comparison. I am satisfied with the performance of my lighter, so I see no need to change.

[ptitqui]

I had that one before. It, too, did not work. It is VERY picky about what kind of fuel it uses, so make sure to get the right kind.

In my opinion and experience the one I posted is superior because it is cheaper and more reliable, as well as smaller.

I was just tired of being stuck in the wet and cold, so I went all out and bought the nicest one they had. I'm really happy with it actually, I haven't tried the smaller one tho, I may pick one up just as a back up for this coming season (which starts on April 3rd for me!Going down to Olympic national park in WA) The size of the lighter is my only real complaint about the one I have, but it DOES make it easier to grab when it's buried in my stuff.

[Joshua]

I like to have my zippo because its more sturdy than a bic, refillable, I know bics are too, zippos smell good, add a taste I rather enjoy. Is wind proof too a degree witch is fine since I only do short hikes into nature and never have a need to build a fire. Makes a big enough flame that large cigars are easy to light. It also in my experience strikes better than a disposable light, also its fun to play with.

[Evil Jim]

Figure A
Figure B
It's not actually mine. I'm trying to find the real owner or his next of kin. My dad found it in '67 or '68 while he was in the army in Germany just before he went to Vietnam.

[Elomin Sha]

I prefer combing matches to petrol.

[The R]

I used to have a camouflage zippo with a thick leather belt pouch but it was stolen 2 years back. I didn't know about the letters.

But my pocket blowtorch is still king:



Sure I need another lighter to spark it but, I can easily melt glass and even metal stuff with it, and set off fireworks at further range from my hand (lighter is 5 inches, max flame is around 4.5 inches). Owned it for years; best 11$ Ive spent.

[Alja-Markir]

~Alja~

[Citin]

Don't forget this:

[Alja-Markir]

I actually kinda prefer the standard axe. Most of the time the Axtinguisher is just too situational. If you're close enough to melee someone, but they need to be on fire, you might as well just Backburn them instead of switching weapons.

~Alja~

[Lyinginbedmon]

I keep the Axtinguisher handy, but I don't melee much unless I'm playing Engineer or Spy anyways.

I'm having trouble finding a picture of Rashid's lighter from the Bebop movie, but it basically looks like a moderately-sized grenade and produces a flame the better part of a foot high.

You could freakin' weld with that lighter.