The Search For a Good Zippo

by Chris Vegvary

When I look for a Zippo lighter, I never look for the right things. There’s plenty of imitations out there, and I’ve been suckered a couple of times. Admittedly, I look for a good design that’s appealing to my eye without paying attention to the little details. For instance, does the flame stay lit in the wind? As in, if I were dropping it from a certain height into a crowd of zombies standing in a pool of gasoline, should I be worried the flame is going to go out before it reaches its intended target? These are the things I should be thinking about when searching for a Zippo.

Design is still important, but the finer details make all the difference. The imitations that would have you believe they’re real Zippos look the same, but they don’t function exactly the same. The lighter fluid runs out faster, and the wick seems almost flame-resistant. That should not be. At some point, the flint will probably snap off, too, and then it becomes completely useless to me, because I’m lost when it comes to replacing part for a lighter. After all, it’s just a lighter.

However, Zippos aren’t just lighters. They can be your best friend if you end up in a completely dark place with no other source of light, like a flashlight. They can help you start a fire in the wilderness when you don’t have survival tools. It’s hard to tell the difference between the fakers and the real thing sometimes, but if you follow the links throughout the article, you’ll find the real deal available for purchase.