How to maintain your Zippo lighter

ZIPPO MAINTENANCE:

HOW DO I ADD FUEL TO MY ZIPPO LIGHTER?
Remove the inside unit from the case. Lift the corner of the felt pad on the bottom of the insert to reveal the packing material in the fuel chamber. Saturate the packing with Zippo lighter fluid. Fill slowly, taking care to never overfill. Avoid getting the lighter fluid on your skin as it can be a skin irritant. If contact with skin does occur, wash the effected area with mild soap and water.

Insert the inside unit back into the case, making sure to wipe the lighter and your hands dry before igniting. Be sure the fuel can is closed and there is no spilled fuel in the vicinity before igniting. This is a flammable fluid. If the Zippo lighter is kept in your pocket, Zippo suggests that it be placed bottom down, especially when first re-fueled.

WHY DOES THE ZIPPO LIGHTER FUEL EVAPORATE SO QUICKLY?
Zippo lighter fluid, by its very nature, will evaporate, even when the Zippo lighter is not used. We recommend you fill your Zippo lighter before you leave on a trip or outdoor excursion. Infrequently lit Zippo lighters should be filled before using.

HOW DO I CHANGE THE FLINT IN MY ZIPPO LIGHTER?
Remove the inside unit from the case. Unscrew the flint spring from the bottom of the inside unit. Remove screw and attached spring. Be sure the remainder of the old flint has been removed from the flint tube. Place new flint in tube, replace spring and screw lightly. Make sure screw is turned as far as it will go, otherwise the cover will not close completely.

HOW DO I CHANGE THE WICK IN MY ZIPPO LIGHTER?
Remove the inside unit from the case. Unscrew the flint spring from the bottom of the inside unit. Remove screw and attached spring. Remove felt pad. Use tweezers to remove all packing from fuel chamber. Insert new wick downward through chimney, pulling through with tweezers. Replace packing in small pieces, interweaving the wick between the padding pieces. Replace felt pad. Be sure the remainder of the old flint has been removed from the flint tube. Place new flint in tube, replace flint spring and screw lightly. Make sure screw is turned as far as it will go, otherwise the cover will not close completely. Be sure to trim wick even with chimney height.

View the Basic Zippo Maintenance video below:

Zippo lighter tricks

WANT TO LEARN SOME EASY ZIPPO TRICKS?
Love playing with your Zippo? Tricks with Zippo lighters have been a past-time practically since the Zippo Manufacturing company began producing their unique brand of lighters. Zippo trick experts have been known to travel around the world displaying their Zippo lighter tricks at Zippo lighter trade shows, conventions and conferences. There are a wide range of Zippo tricks from easy to difficult.

Here is a selection below to help you amaze your friends and maybe earn yourself a beer or two in your local bar. If you're a new Zippo lighter user, check out these videos below for easy-to-master Zippo lighter tricks and some funny things to avoid.

ZIPPO VIDEO ADVERT


ZIPPO TRICKS VIDEO CLIP


EASY LIGHTER ZIPPO HACK


TRICK VIDEO CLIP TUTORIAL


VERY FUNNY - DON'T TRY THIS...

ZippoBlu butane gas cigarette lighter

ZIPPOBLU
In 2007 Zippo released a butane gas cigarette lighter called the Zippo BLU™, the next step in the evolution of the perfect flame. The wind-resistant Zippo BLU lighter is like no other in delivering a consistent, clean-burning blue flame with no odor or aftertaste. Although it still uses a flint wheel, there is a difference in case design and the lighter has no internal user-serviceable parts. Unlike the classic Zippo, the Zippo BLU uses butane.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: SMOOTH • COMFORTABLE SHAPE • FAMOUS ZIPPO CLICK • ONE-HANDED OPERATION • TWO-STAGE BURNER, DISTINCTIVE "Z" PATTERNED CHIMNEY • PATENTED TECHNOLOGY • LARGE FUEL TANK • LIFETIME GUARANTEE • DATE CODE & UNIQUE BOTTOM STAMP ENHANCE COLLECTIBILITY.

How to: tips and tricks: How to fix a Zippo Lighter

If you are wondering how you go about getting your zippo lighter fixed, the following link contains the information you need: How to: tips and tricks: How to fix a Zippo Lighter

Hope it is of help to you.

Zippo history and background information

ZIPPO HISTORY
A Zippo is a refillable, metal lighter that gained popularity for being windproof and able to stay lit in harsh weather.

The creator of the Zippo lighter, George G. Blaisdell, founded the Zippo Manufacturing Company (located in Bradford, Pennsylvania) in 1932, and produced the first Zippo lighter in 1933, being inspired by an Austrian cigarette lighter of similar design. Zippo was given its name as a derivative of the word "zipper". George G. Blaisdell liked the sound of the word "zipper", which had been patented in nearby Meadville, Pennsylvania. On March 3, 1936, patent was granted for the Zippo lighter.

The basic mechanism of the Zippo lighter has remained unchanged since 1932. Since then Zippo has produced over 400 million windproof lighters. More interesting Zippo facts can be found by following the link.

In 1955 Zippo started coding their lighters by year with the use of dots. From 1966 until 1973 the year code was represented by combinations of vertical lines. From 1974 to 1981 the coding comprised of combinations of forward slashes, and from 1982 to June 1986 the coding was by backslashes.
In 1986, Zippo began to date all lighters by including a lot code showing the month and year of production. On the left of the underside was stamped a letter A–L, representing the month (A = January, B = February, etc). On the right was a Roman numeral which denoted the year, beginning with II in 1986. In 2000, Zippo changes this system, changing the Roman numerals to more conventional Arabic numerals.

Every Zippo lighters holds a lifetime guarantee. The finish, however, is not guaranteed.

Zippo: The Great American Lighter:(Schiffer Book for Collectors) by David Poore

Zippo: The Great American Lighter by David Poore contains 217 pages packed with photos, history, price guide and dating information for both the lighter cases and inserts. Quite rightly considered by many to be the Bible of Zippo collecting.

BOOK DESCRIPTION
With todays interest in lighters soaring, the vast majority of new lighter collectors are avidly seeking Zippo lighters. This makes the market for Zippo lighters stronger today than ever before. Zippo-mania is not only sweeping the United States, but the world as well. This book is a must for all collectors and lovers of Americana. It contains a sequential history of Zippo series, cases, inserts, lighter fluid, flint packages, and sundries. It is richly illustrated in full color with many of the most highly prized Zippo lighters that people collect. Information was based on original Zippo salesman's catalogs, leaflets, advertising brochures, and the study of thousands of Zippo lighters. Prices are provided with each picture, and a complete price guide is located in the back of the book. This is the book the lighter collectors have awaited for years and years.

If you wish to own a copy of Zippo: The Great American Lighter, you can purchase it from AMAZON by following the link below.

Zippo Blu Review

In 2007 Zippo released a very cool butane cigarette lighter called the Zippo BLU. Although it still uses a flint wheel, there is a difference in case design and the lighter has no internal user-serviceable parts. It does however retain the same characteristic Zippo click as the classic lighter. Unlike the classic Zippo, the Zippo BLU uses naphtha/butane.
It is a really useful lighter. The only problem is it's harder to light than a regular lighter because the flint wheel is exposed. You also need to use Zippo premium gas otherwise it might not light first time. Check out the video review below: