We didn't start the fire, zippo did. (Zippo Lighters)

Member Name: hewhoisme

Product:	Zippo Lighters
Date:	25/05/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Incredibly durable and simple to refill and maintain

Disadvantages: Expensive and easily lost

Although using disposable lighters to ignite your smoke of choice is cheap, I have to admit they aren't particularly classy, and whether we want to admit it or not, there is an image to smoking.

I myself have three zippo lighters, a silver one, a Jack Daniels brass one, and another silver one with a black widow façade on the front: an ancient travelling buddy from my days in Poland. The first thing that strikes you about a zippo is the quality of the construction, despite being made from three simple parts: the outer casing, inner casing, and lid. They are perfectly weighted and fit comfortably in your hand, and the lid and sparking mechanisms are a work of genius. They are sturdy, windproof, and give you a 'I may die of cancer, but I'm damn well gonna look good doing it' look when you light up. And of course, there's the infamous zippo tricks. The only one I ever mastered was the 'finger click trick,' where you snap your fingers close enough to the flint-wheel ignition to spark the lighter. Unfortunately I have the hand-eye coordination of a lobotomised goldfish, so that's probably as far as I'll get.

Zippo lighters are incredibly durable and long lasting. You often hear tales of old navy recruits who've had the same lighter for several decades, and to be honest I completely believe it. Apart from occasionally having to change the flint, the petrol and wick, all of which are easy tasks, the lighter needs no other maintenance. On the downside they are quite expensive, usually settling between £20-30, but you certainly get what you pay for. Refilling them, something that has to be done about every fortnight depending upon how much you use your lighter, can also be quite a performance. Although putting the fuel in is easy, it can be quite messy, so be sure to wipe any excess fluid from the lighter or your hands before you use the zippo again. To be honest I've lost count of the amount of times I've set my hand on fire.

All in all a zippo lighter is a must have for any smoker. They're windproof, long lasting, and dare I say it, cool as hell.

Summary: One of the best lighters on the market