Lighters

[MikeLA]

Never got on with the peanut lighter (mine broke). had and still own zippos But like some have said already they dry out too quickly when not used enough. So keep them for memories where and when bought only.

Thats why asking about the Clipper, Swan and Bic. Looks like the Clipper coming out as the most reliable.

 

[Zingmo]

I think the Zippo is the Landrover of lighters:- Built to withstand armageddon but needs constant attention to keep it working. Someone else's always looks and works better than yours. The old ones are better than the new ones; and when you finally get the one you want, some scrote steals it.

Z

 

[Ogri the trog]

The fuel evaporation issue with Zippo's & Peanut lighters can be (mostly) addressed by cutting a length of bicycle inner tube and covering the gap between the body and cap.

The racing cycle tubes - which are about the size of a finger are great for peanut lighters and normal road tubes fine for Zippo's.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Joel_m]

I used to carry one of those "everlasting matches" on my keyring. As they have a gasket on the top so that the fuels doesn't evaporate like a Zippo and they are waterproof. I have opened it after a year and it has still ignited the lighter fluid in it.

Plus if the Fuel does run out you are left with a rather handy ferro rod and striker to create sparks and all for less than £4 (although I have never tried to light a fire from just the sparks)!

 

[munkiboi182]

im a big fan of the mini clippers, as a smoker and for fire lighting purposes. they fit in my pocket or pack so much easier. over the years i have amassed a huge collection of lighters of all different shapes and sizes but always end up using the mini clippers

 

[MikeLA]

The fuel evaporation issue with Zippo's & Peanut lighters can be (mostly) addressed by cutting a length of bicycle inner tube and covering the gap between the body and cap.

The racing cycle tubes - which are about the size of a finger are great for peanut lighters and normal road tubes fine for Zippo's.

Good Tip will try that

 

[mountainm]

My peanut lighter last for months before a refill is needed. It has a rubber o-ring on it which all but stops evaporation. Way better than my old IMCO.

 

[Paul_B]

There's 3 brand new ones sat on a rock at NY418144 if you're ever up there :togo:

I tried to get free for an overnighter at the weekend and that was the very location I would have gone to. I didn't and I am not the proud owner of 3 new lighters. Missed out there.

 

[santaman2000]

I think the Zippo is the Landrover of lighters:- Built to withstand armageddon but needs constant attention to keep it working. Someone else's always looks and works better than yours. The old ones are better than the new ones; and when you finally get the one you want, some scrote steals it.

Z

TBH I've never owned a Zippo. But most of the ones I've seen in the last 30 years or so have been engraved; usually with the owner's initials or name as well as whatever log they wanted. I would have thought something that highly personalized would be an unlikely target for a thief. Apparently I was wrong. LOL.

 

[HarrogateTobias]

The bull brand electric lighters in 3 packs from pound shop are brilliant. Ive refilled one four times

 

[Samon]

Clipper are hands down the best lighters out there. I have a steel one and it's superb, the chrome finish is rubbing off now as it lives in my pocket with an old coin and it looks like copper underneath!



Swan are a cheaper imitation of clipper and bic aren't much better, so clipper all the way.

Zippo lighters are nice collectables, but they are unreliable and more of a novelty than a reliable source of a flame. The peanut lighters are decent, hard to make fires int he wind as the flame is very small but they hold there fuel for years if screwed on right and are very handy sized. One lives on my keys, and I've found the 'true utility' brand to be the best budget peanut lighter too.

I also bought my mother a metal clipper, but they sent me a mini clipper with a steel body case, nice in it's own way and alot smaller!

 

[Dunx]

Usually have a zippo with a clipper backup

 

[leon-1]

I like the metal clippers for a couple of reasons, the gas is adjustable and the sparker comes out. Normal clipper isn't adjustable and it's one of it's few faults as they're cheap and actually quite good. They're not windproof in any way shape or form.

If the gas isn't adjustable on a lighter in cold conditions they can be as much use as a chocolate fire guard.

Zippos are alright unless you're in a hot environment and of course there's the problem of the hinge. They aren't cheap. If you lose it it's like losing a friend.

The IMCO jungle match is quite good but suffers the same problem of fuel evaporation. It does have some novel aspects to it that makes it a good lighter.

The Elfa Tank is a great little lighter as far as petrol lighters go. Not only does it not need re-filling every five seconds, but it also has a small refill tank in the base so that when you need to re-fill it you have the fuel there at hand. The windshiled is hinged so you can use the sparker on cotton wool if you so desire and it makes it easier to replace the wick when you have to. Only issue is getting hold of one. If you lose it you'll spend an age trying to get another one.

Peanut lighters aren't too bad for the evaporation side of life either if you have the original one with the little rubber seal, but they are not overly wind resistant and they're expensive in the UK.

Cheap jet flame lighter from cheapy shop. Cost 79p, windproof, refillable and light, does the job and I don't care if I lose it or break it.

 

[santaman2000]

.....Zippos are alright unless you're in a hot environment and of course there's the problem of the hinge. They aren't cheap. If you lose it it's like losing a friend.....

What's the problem in a hot environment?

 

[Goatboy]

What's the problem in a hot environment?

They fuel evaporates even quicker. So saying I didn't smoke much in the desert - too hot.

 

[demographic]

The fuel evaporation issue with Zippo's & Peanut lighters can be (mostly) addressed by cutting a length of bicycle inner tube and covering the gap between the body and cap.

The racing cycle tubes - which are about the size of a finger are great for peanut lighters and normal road tubes fine for Zippo's.

Hmm, just a shame that Zippo haven't thought of something to lessen evaporation though, maybe they will get round to it at some point.
I mean, they've only been making them for eighty or so years.

Thinking on, one this that irritated me about them was buying the fuel, tiny containers that mostly evaporated away.
I now have fast panel wipe (5 litre tin) for my stove and have never even tried it in my lighter.

 

[Gray]

I own a couple of turbo flames and my metal clipper is virtually copper coloured now. I’ve got that many rat pack storm matches that I hardly ever use a lighter though.

 

[santaman2000]

Hmm, just a shame that Zippo haven't thought of something to lessen evaporation though, maybe they will get round to it at some point.
I mean, they've only been making them for eighty or so years.

Thinking on, one this that irritated me about them was buying the fuel, tiny containers that mostly evaporated away.
I now have fast panel wipe (5 litre tin) for my stove and have never even tried it in my lighter.

You don't have to buy the tiny containers. The fuel is mostly the same as in the larger cans of charcoal starter fluid.

 

[rik_uk3]

Hmm, just a shame that Zippo haven't thought of something to lessen evaporation though, maybe they will get round to it at some point.
I mean, they've only been making them for eighty or so years.

Thinking on, one this that irritated me about them was buying the fuel, tiny containers that mostly evaporated away.
I now have fast panel wipe (5 litre tin) for my stove and have never even tried it in my lighter.

Panel wipe works fine, take a little eye dropper with you to top up your Zippo.

 

[Samon]

You can buy zippo inserts to replace the liquid fuel ones with either a jet flame or standard bic type!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/THUNDERBIRD...8&qid=1369863023&sr=8-3&keywords=zippo+insert

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Z-Plus-Buta...8&qid=1369863023&sr=8-2&keywords=zippo+insert

Good excuse to salvage any busted zippos you may have laying around!