Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Zippo lighters

Just watched a video Rep Causer posted on FB on how Zippo lighters are made.(his way of promoting local business in his area) Got me to thinkin. How many of you own one? Are they popular where youre from? Being from PA, theyve always been popular here, but ive never owned one.

I own three or four. They are good for lighting up a campfire or a stogie.

The fuel evaporates pretty fast. If your not using it every day they are not that practical IMO. I do have 3 of them. A standard sized classic, a slimline and my grandfathers slimline from the '70s.

I never bought one because I heard they leak. Not sure how true that is though.

I've accumulated about half a dozen Zippos... used 'em all quite a bit over the years and sent 'em back to Zippo for refurbishing at "no charge". Got 'em back in top condition once again... good job, Zippo !~!~!

Use 'em to light my many pipes... they do a fine job, but really "eat-up" the lighter fluid !


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

i bought one at the Syracuse gun show years ago for 3 reasons - I had always wanted one, they were $5 used, and it a'ready had my initials MLP engraved on it.

But I spend more time adding fuel than using it.

Maybe somebody here knows. I bought my first one, years ago...probably 1984. I bought it in a cigar store and the old due filled it with lighter fluid for the first time. Over the years, it really held lighter fluid good and lasted a long time. Then it got dunked in the water. Afterwards it seemed like the fluid would run out a lot quicker. I bought a new one a few years back but it sure doesn't seem to hold lighter fluid like the old one did when I first got it. Made me think it was the lighter fluid itself and not the dunk that did it.

You need to let them set for awhile before putting one in your pocket. That lighter fluid will blister your leg.

My Dad always had one on him, he died of lung cancer in 2006.

Mike

I have one laying here in the drawer. Used to use it regularly when I smoked, but I quit 55 years ago. I think if I filled it and added a fresh flint it would still work.

In my hunting packs I carry the disposable $1 lighters that are sold in hardware and dollar stores and they work fine.

Jim

They temp people to smoke.

I don't smoke. I used to have a cigar once in a great while, but haven't had one in probably twenty years or more.

Not if you slip a "ranger" rubber band over the opening. (I cut my bands from a bicycle tube.) I've run experiments with my three Zippos several times, and one filling of fuel will last for about ten weeks. For the experiments, I've fired the Zippo up twice daily for about seven to ten seconds, about what it would take to light a handful of tinder for my campfire. As I said, ten weeks and it still burns.

Obviously leaving the "ranger" band on the Zippo would be inconvenient for a smoker who knocks off a pack or two of cigarettes a day .... but I don't smoke.

Also a major advantage of a Zippo is I don't have to keep holding down a button for it to stay burning, and it is windproof, too. I also carry a couple 1/8 oz. cleaned Tabasco bottle filled with fuel, in my daypack.

I would not be without my filled-with-fuel Zippo when I am going out in the boonies, etc.

L.W.

I have 2 Zippos and 2 Zippo knockoffs. I use them rarely though.

Even empty there is something to be said for having a reliable spark source in the woods.

I was born in 1951.

My mom's father was a wildcatter and worked in the oil fields.


What's the old saying " don't tell my mom I work in the oil patch, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse.

In fact the "Daisy B" of Spindletop fame is named after Daisy Bradford IIRC.

Well WR would come see us now an then and stay for a week. He was a unfiltered Chesterfield guy.

I think I was six the first time my mom busted me an my brother (who was 4 at the time) hiding out in the garage and trying to light his Chesterfields we had light-fingered, along with his Zippo.

Course we got our azz busted.

I've loved the smell of Ronson lighter fluid in a Zippo since I was a wee tyke. Still do.




So here is a story about a $1300 Zippo Lighter.

I've had the pleasure of hunting in several states and here in Texas in numerous locals. It's kinda fun of an evening, sitting around a campfire, after dinner and everyone is starting to get "lubricated" to tell this story.

I'll pull out my Zippo and ask if they've ever seen a $1300 Zippo. Someone will invariably ask to fondle my Zippo and when they do they say. Bullspit, no way that cost $1,300.

I proceed to tell them that I have rental trailers. I had rented a trailer to this guy for $650 per month and let him get out two months without paying rent. When he took off, he stole the refrigerator, the stove, the hot water heater and even rolled up the 7 year old used carpet, and took it also.
The only thing left of value in the trailer was a Zippo lighter. I then inquire. Wouldn't you say this is a $1,300 ligher. This happened around 2002. I have kept it till this day.
Never fails to get a chuckle.




I do luv me some Zippos.

Best,

GWB

You wouldn't happen to have a photo detailing the ranger band, would you? I'm having trouble picturing where it would go. Not enough left brain synapse firing. Thx.

you just put it over the seem of the lighter.....makes it more or less air tight so the fluid has no where to evaporate to.....no its not perfect but does vastly improve life per filling

Thank you. I'm a little slow on the uptake Monday evenings!

no problem.....i have the same issue in the mornings before the caffeine kicks in

Ain't that the truth. Been there done that.

And it kinda goes along with your other question. I get less leakage and less evaporation with higher end fluids. So I this k it makes a difference.

Also, not all zippos are created equal. The cheaper ones tend to fit loser in the case. Might add to evapration.

Dunking in water? No clue how that would effect one.

I still have the one I carried in Vietnam 45 yrs ago. Lighter fluid was sometimes hard come by so we used gasoline instead, worked fine except for the black smoke. Adapt and overcome.

that is one benefit of a zippo over say a butane lighter.....in theory you should be able to get it to work with any flammable fluidso long as you have flints.....gasoline, kerosene, high proof alcohol out of the liquor cabinet....some of course work better than others

I love Zippos myself, but if I was going in the woods and had a choice, I'd grab the BIC.

my old standbye

Carried one and used it for 40 years now.

Playing outside in subzero temps is where a zippo trumps butane lighters.

JFC. Have you no imagination and possess a total lack of recognizing a golden moment? You should have posted pics of a Zippo with a band that wrapped around the striker wheel and your ear, or ankle and called it good. CFT would've been unable to sleep puzzling that one out...

I'm a non smoker but when I night fish or fish the river in the summer I puff (don't inhale) on a black n mild to keep the bugs away. I carry a zippo when I hike or night fish. I always have to fuel it up first and mine does evaporate rather quickly. In an emergency one could start a fire with the cotton out of a zippo and only the spark from the flint if it was empty. A bic is way more practicle but it isn't nearly as windproof or versitile.

Not if you slip a "ranger" rubber band over the opening. (I cut my bands from a bicycle tube.) I've run experiments with my three Zippos several times, and one filling of fuel will last for about ten weeks. For the experiments, I've fired the Zippo up twice daily for about seven to ten seconds, about what it would take to light a handful of tinder for my campfire. As I said, ten weeks and it still burns.

Obviously leaving the "ranger" band on the Zippo would be inconvenient for a smoker who knocks off a pack or two of cigarettes a day .... but I don't smoke.

Also a major advantage of a Zippo is I don't have to keep holding down a button for it to stay burning, and it is windproof, too. I also carry a couple 1/8 oz. cleaned Tabasco bottle filled with fuel, in my daypack.

I would not be without my filled-with-fuel Zippo when I am going out in the boonies, etc.

L.W.


I too ALWAYS carry a Zippo lighter in my pack while in the woods, or in the Mountain backcountry! Absolutely nothing better for starting a fire in adverse conditions if you need to.......in cold, windy weather at altitude, you'll have a hell of a time with a Bic lighter. I put mine in a heavy zip-lock bag and seal it up after filling, before placing it in my pack.

I've never been a smoker, but I used to carry a zippo when I went to clubs and bars to light women's cigarettes when they asked me for a light.

Over fill it and put it in your shirt pocket. It will eventually leak and blister you. When I smoked it was a constant source of irritation to me until I discovered BIC lighters. Now a BIC lighter is considered a possible source of barter due to what I read what the guy from Bosnia wrote about their period of unrest. He recommended buying a thousand but I only bought a hundred.

Still use one to light my Kaywoodie!

Mickey! Always said if I was going to the rendezvous in days of old,2 things I'd take and barter with all would be Bic lighters and sharpie markers in multiple colors!

Smoked about 45yr. I have 6-7 Zippos.

I've had one for about 20 years now, never smoked but it's always in my pocket when I hunt..

I've never smoked but have a collection of old Zippos. You never know when you might need to make a fire.

i keep one in my hunting gear. i also use one of the zippo handwarmers. it is iffy at best though. sometimes works great. other times, not so great. but the zippo lighter will lite in the coldest, wettest conditions unlike a bic. the bic will not light reliably in sub freezing temps.

I have one. I don't smoke, I bought it because the sound of a Zippo opening and closing and the smell of it reminds me of my childhood when my Dad used one to light his pipe.

Just bought a Zippo to try for lighting campfires, to see if I like it better than the Bics I've formerly used.

I'm going to do the ranger band thing, for sure. That's a neat idea.

My dad had a Zippo that I used to play with when I was a kid. It disappeared when he quit smoking in the late 80's.

I have a slew (ever wonder what a slew is?) of Zippo lighters, they haven't been used in decades. Totally obsolete but nice curios. When I was smoking cigars and pipes I wanted a really hot concentrated flame, so I bought a Blazer Micro Torch. Little tiny refillable butane torch with a pinpoint jet flame. It would warm a cigar and then light it in no time. Better still, I could use it in the close confines of electrical boxes to solder contacts too big for a solder gun, or to loosen thread locker on screws - especially gun screws. Now they also sell a wide flame torch too, so there's a choice. The butane reservoir is clear so the fuel level is no mystery and they refill with a standard can of butane lighter fuel. They use a piezo-electric spark for ignition, no flints to wear out.

Get 'em here: http://www.blazerproducts.com/lighters/details.php?prodId=33

And like everything else in the world, Amazon sells them and the refill canisters: http://www.amazon.com/Blazer-PB207C...p;sr=8-5&keywords=blazer+micro+torch

Now don't get burned.

I use to smoke and still have a couple of Zippos. I think they are the best and certainly the coolest lighters out there. It's fun to flip open the lid and light them with one hand in one non-stop motion.

But as already mentioned, if you don't use them and refill them constantly, they dry out and are useless. They have been retired to the depths of a dark drawer and I use disposable butane lighters for starting camp stoves and campfires.

KC

I was a diesel mechanic back in '63 when Kennedy was killed. Pretty close to that time, the Mack truck rep stopped in and gave a few of us Zippos with a 14k gold bulldog on them. I quit smoking in '74 but still have the Zippo.

You fellers that use them Bics to start fires with will learn the first time you try to use one at high altitude, especially when it's cool, that they just will not work unless you keep them in a warm pocket and put 'em to use quickly.

Dad used to travel the midwest selling baler twine for a company headquartered in The Cities. For large orders, the company gave away a token of its appreciation. This was either a Zippo lighter or a tape measure that looked just like a Zippo lighter.

We used to have a big doings at our church on the Fourth of July. Part of the fun was setting off firecrackers that had made their way from South Dakota to our little slice of Heaven. I was using one of Dad's Zippos when it ran out of fuel. Since we lived not far from the church grounds, Dad went home with me to refill it. I can still picture him holding it over the kitchen sink, squirting the fluid from the yellow and blue can into the felt until it overflowed and ran down his arm. This was followed by him flicking the roller and the flame appearing above the lighter and instantly sweeping down his arm. This happened so quickly that he was not harmed, and we went back to the festivities, me with my lighter and Dad with one very hirsute arm and one arm that looked like an ad for Nair. The adventure continued that evening when we returned home and Mom wondered why the house smelled like the aftermath of a fire in a barber shop.

That's the only trick to a BIC. In cold locales, keep it close to your body and you'll be good to go.

I inherited a dozen, or more, of them. Always wondered if they are worth anything.

I'm not a smoker, but have carried a Zippo lighter for years.

Carry one all the time.

If you over fill them that's when you get the fuel burn.
As for lighting when wet or dropped in water-no problem for the Zippo but you will wear a hole in your thumb trying to light a BIC when it is wet.

I usually have 3 or more around just in case as well as Zippo and Rosonal fuel.
The Zippo fluid does not last as long in dry climate as does Rosonal fuel.

Zippo also has butane torch type lighters with the classic Zippo look.

I tried the Blu1 but it was somewhat unreliable and a PITA to bleed and refill on occasion. No idea if the Blu2 is any better.



They also have an emergency fire kit...

CF, I saw that Rattler posted a picture of his but here is a picture of mine when I ran the experiments. With a couple of those small Tabasco bottles with fuel, I never worry about not having a flame.



L.W.

Well, I guess if Tabasco sauce won't damage the seal under the cap of that little bottle, lighter fluid won't either.

lol was watching something on how they make Tabasco one time.....forget what the life of a forklift on the "factory floor" is but its not long....the air in the building is hard on metal and they start deteriorating fast the moment you drive it into the building....think it was measured in months before they started falling apart

Surprised that nobody has mentioned the fact that Zippo owns Case Cutlery since 1993.......

I stopped at the Zippo/Case museum a few years ago and saw a video about how Case knives are made.

I then bought a Case Sodbuster Jr. as a momento of the trip.

Nicely done. I could like checking that out......

Thanks just same L.W.! I appreciate you taking the time to post those.

Nice to know someone has my back.

KG, you...you're trouble. I'm going to have to keep my eye on you.

Well said .... I also do not smoke. Have several zippo lighters which I keep just because they remind me of my granddad and happier days.

I always got one engraved with the command or ship during my Navy days. Last one was brass with the Trident Refit Facility Bangor emblem. They are all long gone now since we downsized so much. I kind of wish I still Had the Bangor lighter.

I live in Colorado and camp at high elevation all the time. I use disposable butane lighters. I carry the lighters in my cook kit in my pack. The only time that I have trouble with them is when I carry one in my pocket and it gets filled with lint.

KC

Zippo trick.

know all about the overfull Zippo/jeans pocket thing, learned the hard way as a teen! When I started carrying a pipe lighter again, ordered one of these - was pleased to see it's well made, and made in USA

an old retired one, gift from a friend back in the day

My dad has a little side business and is a zippo rep. He's probably got 200-300 in his personal collection.

Sells a lot or used to at least overseas.

For a run of 50 he can do a custom order.

24hourcampfire custom lighter, someone come up with the design and I can get an estimate.

chit that would be neat as hell......im in for one if others are....

Get it together and im in for one!

I'm in too

+1

I'm down

The story I always heard growing up was that the "inventors" of the Zippo lighters used to sell them out of the trunk of their car in the 1930's.

They would go into a bar and place themselves at opposite ends of the bar. Then one would take out a cigarette and ask if anyone had a "light". His partner, at the opposite end of the bar would take out his "Zippo", light it and toss it to he other end of the bar....still burning. His partner would light his smoke and toss it back....still burning. He would close it and the questions would begin. Lighters of the day were NOT windproof so this was an impressive demonstration. They would then sell lighters to all the bar customers. Afew years later the milirary picked up on the Zippo and the rest is history....

A good Zippo or three was necessary if you were a boiler tech in the Navy before they went to Gas turbines for propulsion. The scene in the movie "Battleship" where they light off a boiler with the torch on the Missouri, probably the only real thing in that movie. It was a hoot to do it.

For a 24 HC design, how about a picture of somebody butt-shooting a dink.

+1

As long as we dont wind up with a Bricktop edition im good to go

How 'bout the logo that's at the top of the page? The campfire on one side, 24HR on the other.

You guys design a logo/design and I'll do my part. Prices are pretty reasonably I believe, probably 30-35.00 ish?

I'm not very creative some someone else that is, put the design together and we can get the ball rolling. I'll try to remember to call my old man tomorrow afternoon to get a better idea.

[img]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n29/birddown/IMG_20140417_011710_828_zps77c9n5hv.jpg[/img]

Your collection Leighton? I've got two-both my dads. The one he carried across Africa and Europe under Patton, and one he got from a contractor he worked for. My son has one of them which I gave him to remember his grandfather, and the other one's around here somewhere. Haven't run across it in a while.

LW

Did you ever test how long they lasted w/o the ranger rubber band?

Mike

Yes. Inherited. I have a dozen-odd others floating around here somewhere...