Do you all have lighters that you like? I have a beautiful Zippo that I inherited from my grandfather when he died two years ago. It bears the insignia of the USS Monticello, a ship he served on as Captain in the Navy for quite a while. It's one of my favorite things, and I just refilled the fluid.
EDIT: These pictures are going to come out sideways, but I hope you get the idea.
Did you know that if that lighter, old as it is, ever breaks, malfunctions, etc you can send it back to Zippo and they will fix it FREE. About the only thing they will not replace free would be the emblem on the lighter and any inscriptions on it.
I have had several Zippos over the years and had the cap break off on one of them. Was ready to just pitch it until a friend told me about the Zippo guarantee. Sent it back to Zippo and they not only fixed the cap but also completely refurbished the lighter including repacking the stuff that holds the fluid, new wick, and flint and a great shining of the out side of the lighter. Looked brand new when I got it back.
Hope you enjoy the memories of your grandfather that looking at that lighter will bring back to you.
Did you know that if that lighter, old as it is, ever breaks, malfunctions, etc you can send it back to Zippo and they will fix it FREE. About the only thing they will not replace free would be the emblem on the lighter and any inscriptions on it.
I have had several Zippos over the years and had the cap break off on one of them. Was ready to just pitch it until a friend told me about the Zippo guarantee. Sent it back to Zippo and they not only fixed the cap but also completely refurbished the lighter including repacking the stuff that holds the fluid, new wick, and flint and a great shining of the out side of the lighter. Looked brand new when I got it back.
Hope you enjoy the memories of your grandfather that looking at that lighter will bring back to you.
That's awesome! I will look into that if it ever wears out. It is circa the Vietnam War, so when I first tried to strike it, the flint had corroded and just gave off a puff of dust. I had to clear the hole with a paper clip. I had to buy new fluid and new flints, to say the least.
GA Russell wrote:Bryce, are you sure that they didn't just send you a new replacement? I thought that's what they did.
No they didn't. The lighter was engraved and it came back that way. But who knows, they could have sent a new one but did the engraving. What matters though is that I got a great working lighter back from Zippo and it didn't cost me a cent.
One thing that I did not mention in my original post. The lighter was about 10 yrs old when it broke. Some warranty for sure.
Bit of trivia regarding Zippo. They are now the parent company of the WR Case Company, makers of the most collected brand of pocket knives in the world.
My one, single complaint about Zippos: that type of lighter fluid makes a cigar taste awful. No complaint about the hardware, but a new formula would be great!
maskaggs wrote:My one, single complaint about Zippos: that type of lighter fluid makes a cigar taste awful. No complaint about the hardware, but a new formula would be great!
I use my Zippo to light cigars also. I usually swap the original inner mechanism for a Z-Torch insert. This gives me a butane Zippo without the excessive cost of Zippo's own butane.
BTW, my favorite Zippo is the Armor with its double gauge brass case. Not a pretty lighter, to be sure, but a good working man's lighter which I've used for years.