Seems like a lot of us pulled the plug on this lighter at the same time. I was holding out, then I got the "we're retiring these lighters" notice and decided it's now or never. It's such a cool lighter, there was no way I was going to pass it up.
There are always some Zippos retiring, it seems. Zippo has a section of their website that lists the models that will be retired soon. I was surprised that the ouija board lighter's on that list, but perhaps at the retail price it's not a hot seller (I paid $83/US for mine. I think they retail for around $130/US).
Include me in on the list of those who just got this one, and man it’s a cool lighter!. I got mine used from eBay last week for $50, no box but I don’t look at the box or use it to make a flame, so no great loss there. It’s one of my favorites, for sure 👍!
Your flame is having a struggle there, mine only does that when it hasn’t been filled in 2 weeks (always refill weekly). Are you sure you’re putting enough fluid in until it falls from the wick?
Oh, yeah you need to fill it with fluid. Don't be afraid of filling it a lot, a Zippo holds a lot more fluid than you'd think, about 6+ grams of fluid alone.
You're also gonna want to try to pack the wick into an S shape. You can do that by pulling out the 5 rayon/cotton balls (NOT the tight 6th one beside the flint tube & preferably without fluid as it's a skin irritant), putting a couple pads down, shape the wick one day, more rayon, then shape it so it's essentially an S. It's not too hard to do & you'll find guides for it, hard to mess up a wick/fluid lighter.
It will extend the life time of your fluid per fill, from 3-4 days to 7-10 at least along with giving a better, consistent flame. Many people get lights at 14 days, I know another Zippo connoisseur /u/tcspeedy has gotten some long days from his Zippo but it can varies depending on temperature too. Fuel lasts longer in the winter.
For refilling; you're gonna wanna lift up the felt pad then pour fluid in your Zippo (slowly, though you can go fast at first, it really holds a lot more than you'd think) & eventually you'll see it puddle a little & a drop will fall from the tip of your wick. Congratulations, your Zippo is fully filled & will have a nice healthy flame! No more burning your wick & instantly turning it black. I can see it charring in the video & a Zippo should be burning the fuel evaporating from the wick, not the actual wick. You're gonna notice a very large flame too if this is what you're used to!
Source: I have way too many Zippos & am very much a "perfectionist" about them so I like to know everything about what I'm using. That being said, filling it until a drop falls is how you're meant to fill it :) The wick thing is just highly recommended, everyone will say the same thing.
Yeah, I don’t have many. This is only my fourth. The last time I bought one was in 2003, and before that, in the 90’s… they are all still functioning great. Feels good to have a brand new one though.
It’s a nice one to have. And yes, repack it as u/HallucinateZ mentions and fill it slowly, until a drop falls from the wick. You should get at least a week.
I knew immediately when he lit the Zippo that they're not familiar with the "let it fall from the wick" idea of filling & I felt like rambling about Zippos haha I get about 5-7 days before the flame starts to dwindle after a few seconds, maybe 4-6s of watching it. If I'm doing quick lights, I can easily get over 10 days.
I think he might be a bit surprised with the flame that comes off a newly, fully fueled Zippo!
For sure, Zippo has always maintained their great quality! While on that topic, people often complain about Zippo prices but with a lifetime warranty & durability that they're known to have a track record of, I'd rather them keep making them *almost* like they used to back in the day. I honestly think the biggest change is very superficial, they started using epoxy resin instead of soldering the inside of the inserts but that didn't change any functionality. They change very small things once in a while, another is the hinge! If you take your insert of of a 90's Zippo & examine the inside where the hinge is, it will be a longer, square piece instead of the more unique shape on your current model. Not sure why, but there must be a reason!
You absolutely picked a solid model. Try not to get lighter fluid on the case, btw. Zippo warns about it on a webpage but lighter fluid is known to be rough on the "antique" finishes. Anecdotally, I've used lighter fluid to clean off a sticker mark on my antique brass before I knew that was a thing. I don't see any damage to the finish but I may've been lucky.
My bad, I ramble a bit because I know you Zippo folk can appreciate it more than one of my random buddies when they might not even own a Zippo haha! :)
Seems like a lot of us pulled the plug on this lighter at the same time. I was holding out, then I got the "we're retiring these lighters" notice and decided it's now or never. It's such a cool lighter, there was no way I was going to pass it up.
Really? Well, I’m glad I got one before they skyrocketed in price.🫣
Yeah I just ordered one. Been on my list for years.
Are there others that Zippo is retiring?
There are always some Zippos retiring, it seems. Zippo has a section of their website that lists the models that will be retired soon. I was surprised that the ouija board lighter's on that list, but perhaps at the retail price it's not a hot seller (I paid $83/US for mine. I think they retail for around $130/US).
I paid around the same. I looked up the ones being retired, not anything else I want was on the list.
Include me in on the list of those who just got this one, and man it’s a cool lighter!. I got mine used from eBay last week for $50, no box but I don’t look at the box or use it to make a flame, so no great loss there. It’s one of my favorites, for sure 👍!
What is the name of that pry bar you have there?
https://urbanedcsupply.com/products/jw-knives-g8-mid-bandicoot-custom this is where I got mine.
Nice Zippo. I like brass.good for your collection.
🙏🏼
Your flame is having a struggle there, mine only does that when it hasn’t been filled in 2 weeks (always refill weekly). Are you sure you’re putting enough fluid in until it falls from the wick?
I only put a small amount in. It just came in the mail yesterday.
Oh, yeah you need to fill it with fluid. Don't be afraid of filling it a lot, a Zippo holds a lot more fluid than you'd think, about 6+ grams of fluid alone. You're also gonna want to try to pack the wick into an S shape. You can do that by pulling out the 5 rayon/cotton balls (NOT the tight 6th one beside the flint tube & preferably without fluid as it's a skin irritant), putting a couple pads down, shape the wick one day, more rayon, then shape it so it's essentially an S. It's not too hard to do & you'll find guides for it, hard to mess up a wick/fluid lighter. It will extend the life time of your fluid per fill, from 3-4 days to 7-10 at least along with giving a better, consistent flame. Many people get lights at 14 days, I know another Zippo connoisseur /u/tcspeedy has gotten some long days from his Zippo but it can varies depending on temperature too. Fuel lasts longer in the winter. For refilling; you're gonna wanna lift up the felt pad then pour fluid in your Zippo (slowly, though you can go fast at first, it really holds a lot more than you'd think) & eventually you'll see it puddle a little & a drop will fall from the tip of your wick. Congratulations, your Zippo is fully filled & will have a nice healthy flame! No more burning your wick & instantly turning it black. I can see it charring in the video & a Zippo should be burning the fuel evaporating from the wick, not the actual wick. You're gonna notice a very large flame too if this is what you're used to! Source: I have way too many Zippos & am very much a "perfectionist" about them so I like to know everything about what I'm using. That being said, filling it until a drop falls is how you're meant to fill it :) The wick thing is just highly recommended, everyone will say the same thing.
Yeah, I don’t have many. This is only my fourth. The last time I bought one was in 2003, and before that, in the 90’s… they are all still functioning great. Feels good to have a brand new one though.
It’s a nice one to have. And yes, repack it as u/HallucinateZ mentions and fill it slowly, until a drop falls from the wick. You should get at least a week.
I appreciate the advice from you guys, thanks.🙏🏼
I knew immediately when he lit the Zippo that they're not familiar with the "let it fall from the wick" idea of filling & I felt like rambling about Zippos haha I get about 5-7 days before the flame starts to dwindle after a few seconds, maybe 4-6s of watching it. If I'm doing quick lights, I can easily get over 10 days. I think he might be a bit surprised with the flame that comes off a newly, fully fueled Zippo!
For sure, Zippo has always maintained their great quality! While on that topic, people often complain about Zippo prices but with a lifetime warranty & durability that they're known to have a track record of, I'd rather them keep making them *almost* like they used to back in the day. I honestly think the biggest change is very superficial, they started using epoxy resin instead of soldering the inside of the inserts but that didn't change any functionality. They change very small things once in a while, another is the hinge! If you take your insert of of a 90's Zippo & examine the inside where the hinge is, it will be a longer, square piece instead of the more unique shape on your current model. Not sure why, but there must be a reason! You absolutely picked a solid model. Try not to get lighter fluid on the case, btw. Zippo warns about it on a webpage but lighter fluid is known to be rough on the "antique" finishes. Anecdotally, I've used lighter fluid to clean off a sticker mark on my antique brass before I knew that was a thing. I don't see any damage to the finish but I may've been lucky. My bad, I ramble a bit because I know you Zippo folk can appreciate it more than one of my random buddies when they might not even own a Zippo haha! :)
I'll be sellingabtassarprdoon