I have taken a liking to Zippo lighters. I haven't smoked in over 3 decades, but I find them cool. They are pure Americana & Canadiana, as they were, at one time, also made in Niagara Falls Ontario Canada, a 30 minute drive from our home. They can be inexpensive, don't take up much space (yet) and look good mixed in with my watch cases & winders. I don't use mine, I have for display only. Only 2 so far, so not yet a collection.
If you have a Zippo, post a pic. Perhaps alongside a watch. Cheers
Zippo lighters and watches are great! I've used many Zippo's over the years and they are tough and reliable. I quit smoking almost 30 years ago but would love to collect the lighters they make and I will keep a lookout for them at the swaps I go to.
I smoke the occasional cigar (long fillers) but my lighters are never used, even never filled with fluid. The vapours of lighter fluid would ruin a cigar in an instance.
I too do not smoke any more baring the occasional cigar, I prefer to use a vaporizer.
But here is my massive Zippo collection. A standard stainless steel, a brass poker themed one and also a miniature brass Zippo. And an incredibly well made Zippo case.
All the lighters in need of a bit of TLC not used them for over a decade.
I love to watch the Zippo tricks on YouTube, but I don't dexterity to perform even a basic trick. Damn my Mars bar fingers.
I had a couple in my late teens and early twenties. Never smoked though. Not sure what ever happened to mine. My brother stole one, scraped off the 8 ball (I played a lot of billiards back then) and later replaced it with one engraved "Uncle Jeff" from his boys... That one is somewhere packed away I'm sure.
Had a couple when i was too young to smoke, & my beloved gave me one when we were young married; in retrospect that was odd of her and it's long gone.
Do You guys impress Yourselves by snapping Your fingers to pop it open lit?
i used to impress the ladies with that one...yeah, probably didn't impress.
This collection of Vietnam War lighters was assembled and sourced by Bradford Edwards for his book "Vietnam Zippos" and the 282 lighters were recently available
Here's a rough early 1950s model. Thought I might clean it up but its pocket-worn finish is remarkably stubborn and I haven't made a dent. Worn by the US 20th Engineer Battalion.
"Condite Et Pugnate" = "Build and Fight". I clipped the burnt out wick and pulled out more length, then added fluid and it fired right up.
The great thing about Zippo lighters is their reliability, but they're only good for cigarettes. Cigar and pipe smokers don't like 'em because of the nasty flavor from the fuel.
Roarry:
What no luv for Ronson lighters?
The WW2 era Sherman tanks were called "Ronsons"
Because if they were hit by a German 88mm round
they became a Ronson lighter. Being a "Tread Head"
in my Nam days was my greatest fear! But the U S A
Security Agency allayed that fear. Trained at Ft Devins
When my father still smoked a pack a day, his Ronson (with a leather cover) was his most prized possession as it cost a month's wages back in the day. Build like a Swiss watch.
Ugh! I took care of some. Mostly, I just wait until I wear a particular watch again. I took care of just about half my collection. The ones on the winder and the quartz movements.
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