I’m generally not one to place much stock in conspiracy theories, but when an American institution comes under senseless attack from within, it gives me pause to reconsider my cherished beliefs. Events I’ve encountered over the past several weeks have left me no choice but to conclude there’s a conspiracy of hydra-like proportions slithering unnoticed through our country. It’s so far-reaching, it’s almost impossible to unearth its roots. And so insidious, it goes largely unnoticed.
One of the last testaments to American ingenuity, the venerable Zippo lighter, is systematically being dismantled by agents working under the auspices of homogenization. The network is vast, and so sublime that even its agents are unaware of its power. The average Joe — citizens like you and me — never sees the effects of homogenization — until it strikes us on an immediate level.
At first, I had no reason to suspect there were forces working in concert to undermine the proud tradition of the Zippo lighter. Thinking that the corner convenience store might stock flints or lighter fluid was a shot in the dark at best, even though this particular location carried every brand of cigarette known to man. Not surprisingly, I fared no better at the liquor store across the street. But I couldn’t help but note both locations offered a variety of refillable butane lighters alongside the obligatory disposable Bics and Scriptos. Undaunted, I went to a nearby drug store where I had purchased flints before, only to be met with a vacant stare from the post-pubescent clerk. Finally, I visited the tobacco bar at my newly remodeled neighborhood grocery store. In the course of the store’s makeover, photo processing and DVD rentals had been eliminated, but the floral section had been expanded as a freestanding kiosk within the store. The tobacco bar had been redone, too. Flints and lighter fluid had fallen victim to the consolidation process, but the selection of butane lighters and disposable lighters had been expanded.
Clearly, this was no mere coincidence. Only weeks before, I was able to purchase Zippo flints and lighter fluid with ease. Now, wherever I went, clerks extolled the virtues of disposables and butane. As tempting as it was to surrender to the inevitable, something I couldn’t explain — something innate, something American — spurred me to not forsake the Zippo. Bic lighters, and their imitators, lure unsuspecting consumers with promises of convenience. They neglect to mention how they’re actually little explosive devices. Only a few days ago here in Dallas, a disposable lighter was responsible for the decimation of an SUV. It had been left in the vehicle for hours in the Texas heat, and when the owner tried to use it, it exploded in his hand. Of course, he dropped the lighter immediately, but the little Chinese-assembled IED completely torched his vehicle.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Charles Mongomery
Mythbusters found that it would require an in car temperature of 350 degrees to blow up a butane lighter and a car left in Death Valley could never get that hot, so your story about the exploding Texas lighter must be untrue.
2 - Ray Ellis
Sorry, but Mythbusters is not infallible. Temperatures in Dallas were over 100 degrees that day, and the SUV had been left in the heat all day long. I've seen the videos. and NBC news is not in the habit of making these things up.
3 - Ray Ellis
In fact,
here's the link.
I don't make these things up.
4 - anon
too bad you can't light a bong or a bowl with a zippo and not taste gas. then indeed, it would be perfect.
5 - Ray Ellis
You're right-- nothing the lingering taste of sulphur. You pays your money and you takes your chances.
6 - Otis B. Driftwood
"NBC news is not in the habit of making these things up."
Sorry, but NBC News is not infallible either. They were caught using rigged footage about the dangers of GM's sidesaddle gas tanks.
7 - Alex
Taste gas? There's no gas in a Zippo. The fuel is naptha, and it doesn't really have an odor when it's burned.
8 - Ray Ellis
I've already provided you with the link, Otis. This was a local story. By the way, it wasn't a butane lighter-- it was a cheap little disposable.
9 - eric
I would blame camel, they're passing out worthless butane lighters everywhere AND taking your name and address.
10 - telos
Mr. Montgomery, the Mythbusters episode you are referring to was about spontaneous combustion in the car. The incident in Dallas was not a case of spontaneous combustion. He lit a spark. The superheated gas spread extremely quickly which is what heated gas does. Kaboom. End of story.
11 - Ray Ellis
thanks, telos. Very succinct!
12 - Mary K. Williams
There is something about a Zippo - you just can't get from a Bic.
Keep fighting Ray!
13 - Zippy McBurnalot
Oh good, I'm not going crazy. My last trip to the local drug store that had kept my supplied with Zippo supplies for years concluded with a clerk giving me a confused dog look. I managed to score some fluid at the grocery store but I've drawn a blank on flints.
14 - Reality
One time back in the summer of 1999 my car was parked all day in Canoga Park, CA. This is the San Fernando Valley where temperatures reach well over 100 degrees in the summer. When I finished work and returned to my car my lighter was in little bits and pieces all over the two front seats. No it didn't cause a fire but it sure as hell blew up. It wasn't a Bic but it still blew up...
15 - SuperKiller
Zippo makes a butane lighter now. It's very similar to the traditional Zippo, and has a lifetime warranty. Called "Zippo Blu". Check it out, maybe it is the answer you are looking for.
16 - Zippo Lover/Bic tolerator
I do love Zippo lighters. Flint shortages are common. What I do is have my co-workers give me their expired Bic lighters. Bic lighters are very high quality and they always use over sized flints so that the gas runs out before the flint. Since the Bic flint is so long, by the time the lighter runs out of gas, it is just the right length to fit in the Zippo. The Bic flint is just a little harder to strike as it is a denser metal, but it does work. Though it does leave a little bit more flint dust in the chamber resulting in more frequent cleaning.
Back to the Bic lighters being high quality. I've found that Bic lighters almost always ignite on first strike (right up until they are almost out of gas). It has been rare when I had one go bad, but it did happen. I sent them an email I found on the Bic website and asked if they wanted the lighter for quality control inspection and was promptly mailed a special box to mail it back to them (postage paid) and a coupon for five free lighters. I didn't even ask for the coupons, I was just trying to help out as I hadn't ever had a Bic that took five or six strikes to get a flame (and the lighter was full.)
I still love my Zippo and use it all the time, but a Zippo usually can not be stored for long periods of time in survival kits, glove boxes, or other areas without drying out (short of vacuum sealing it). Nor can they be submerged under water for anything but a brief moment. So sealed propane/butane lighters do have their place. I'm not knocking the Zippo, I love them, but they do have their drawbacks as I just mentioned.
I prefer my Zippo but have no problem keeping Bic lighters around either. I hate the cheap disposables, they never last past a pack of cigarettes.
17 - Darth Tater
i live in seagoville texas right outside of dallas and it was on the news so.... as for lighters explodeing i had a friend who had one burst no flame just pressure damn near took his hand off we never could figure out why it burst
18 - Zippo Lover/Bic tolerator
Zippo Blu
Looks like Zippo is addressing my concerns about dryout/water/etc... They are going butane with a new model.
19 - bubba
Naphtha is obtained in petroleum refineries as one of the intermediate products from the distillation of crude oil. Of couse naphtha has an odor. I've used my Zippo for 30 years and "yes" there is a taste and odor that it lends to cigarettes.
20 - Zippy McBurnalot
ZL/Bt - interesting thought on the flints, I hadn't considered checking a Bic or something similar for a replacement.
If you're making a survival kit/emergency pack kinda thing, I suggest having both a butane and a Zippo. After you fill the Zip, run a ribbon of electrical tape around the lid to seal it. Stays good for years, although you should be checking your kit yearly and replacing those things that degrade with time.
That way if you accidentally submerge the Zippo you can use the Bic/whatever to dry it out ;)
21 - Zippo Lover/Bic tolerator
Zippy,
Good point about the tape. The only problem with electrical tape is that the glue dries out in less than a year, especially in high heat.
You did point out to check your survival kits yearly, that is a good point. Though my kits will always have Bic lighters in them. Like you pointed out, the plastic will be around for 10,000 years. The flint and everything else will rust away, but the plastic container of fuel will be around forever. A Zippo would never survive that.
Like I stated earlier, I am a Zippo lover and user, I have used my Zippo to light a room during blackouts, hunting through caves, etc.. , but the Zippo is not the only tool in the box for fire. Bic lighters have their place and are also an awesome source for flints. The Bic lighter flints also last ten times longer than "yellow packet red flints" since they are denser though they do cause more dust.
22 - Zippo Lover/Bic tolerator
To clean the chimney of the dust from the Bic flint all I do is use the cheap yellow bottle Ronsnol fuel on a Q-Tip and swipe the chimney. Once I am satisfied that it is clean I strike it once to burn the fuel off and I am done.
Once in awhile I will pull the wick and hit it with an old tooth brush soaked in fuel.
In a pinch I have also used alcohol, cologne, gasoline, diesel, and kerosene as replacement fuels and they all worked. Just don't use cologne for lighting anything tobacco, it totally ruins the taste and will stick with you forever.
23 - Valarius
Last I checked, Wal-Mart sold lots and lots of Zippos and wick replacements. Don't know about the flints, though.
24 - BicUser
Zippos... meh. The reason it's going away is because they are a PITA all the time. Refillable butanes are the way to go... wind resistant, very hot, long lasting (besides the fuel).
That of course is in our convenient society. Take away access to convienent stores and the like and neither is the way to go. That's why a good box of waterproof matches is always great to have handy.
25 - Ray Ellis
With around 450 million Zippos out there, I hardly think they're going away.
#23-- You're right. I finally found fluid and flints at Wal-Mart.But living as large as Dallas, you wouldn't think it would be that hard to find lighter fluid.
I'm learning a lot of DIY tips here. Thanks, all.