Zippo Question for the taste sensitive individual

[shotokun16]

I understand that a lot of people claim that lighting your pipe tobacco with zippo can leave a gassy taste. After smoking 2 bowls of pipe tobacco with my new Zippo Pipe Lighter i've noticed and tasted maybe 2-3 seconds of Zippo "gassiness". After that duration i taste the tobacco that i've always enjoyed.
Are there any techniques in avoiding the gassy taste? Should i pinch my nose and refrain from smelling the gas?

 

[bubbadreier]

I get the same effect my friend. What seems to work is lighting the Zippo waiting a few seconds then lighting your pipe. Now it doesn't completely solve the problem but it does help me a bunch!

 

[collindow]

I've never noticed anything, but I think even if I did the style and utility of a Zippo would more than make up for it.

 

[buckeye]

let the zippo burn a couple seconds before lighting your pipe and use zippo lighter fluid. use mine everyday.

 

[strongirish]

Use a quality fluid as well, some over the counter fluids are quite nasty. I like Zippos own fluid and I rarely get the gassy effect. Or maybe i am used to it as I have used a Zippo for my pipes for over 40 years.

 

[python]

I use a Zippo sometimes and I have never tasted any gassy flavor. Another thing that you can do, along with using quality fluid and letting it burn for a few seconds, to try and cut it back if you are tasting it is to hold the lighter a little bit above the bowl and draw the flame down to the tobacco. Do not hold the lighter directly to the rim of the bowl.
By allowing it to burn for a few seconds before lighting helps to burn off excess fluid and by holding the lighter slightly above the rim, you are only drawing the flame and keeping the fumes away from the tobacco.

 

[cortezattic]

I recently bought a flint operated soft flame butane Zippo insert. So far it works very nicely.

 

[menckenite]

Cortez, that looks very tempting. Thanks for the link. How easy is it to refill compared to other butane lighters you've had?

 

[shotokun16]

Very easy to fill. What i like about zippos are the lifetime guarantee.

 

[cortezattic]

William, its fill fitting matches the Zippo butane nozzle perfectly, so there's no mess at all.

 

[lordnoble]

I have one of those, cortezattic. I love it. The butane that was came in it was crap, but once I got it out and replaced with Lava butane which, sadly, is no longer available. It works great and there is something satisfying about the click-flint sound of a Zippo.
-Jason

 

[cortezattic]

I really couldn't comment on the quality of the butane that came with it

because I lit it a few times, then topped it off with Zippo brand fluid.

No problems so far, but I've only had it a few weeks.

 

[wallbright]

I recently bought a flint operated soft flame butane Zippo insert. So far it works very nicely.

You can actually send off your zippo to their service department with a note saying you want a pipe insert and they will put one in free of charge and even include your old instert and some extra flints. They pay return shipping but you pay shipping to them. For me it was like $4 with insurance (which they recommend). Takes a few weeks though so hopefully you will be okay with out it for a while.

 

[echopipe]

I love zippo's. I have three brass ingraved zippos..one with a pipe insert..that butane soft flame looks very tempting indeed..they do make a new(er) zippo fluid that is "LOW ODOR" make sure your can says that on the front.

 

[juni]

I just yesterday got this:

and it works really well! It comes with a built-in tamper.
I could never really get my Peterson Zippo to work properly, and when it did I got the nasty gasoline taste (even when using the so called "flavorless" fuel).

 

[shotokun16]

I love zippo's. I have three brass ingraved zippos..one with a pipe insert..that butane soft flame looks very tempting indeed..they do make a new(er) zippo fluid that is "LOW ODOR" make sure your can says that on the front.

You mean this one?

I know that was probably a stupid thing to do lighting up my zippo near the gas container.

 

[juni]

Btw. I can highly recommend Dave from The Virtual Smoking Lounge. Excellent customer service (in getting that Old Boy).

 

[maduroman]

i have a zippo that has been my companion since 1976. it has lit thousands of ciggeretts, cigars and pipes. i broke down and put a pipe insert in it last year. just light it, wait a few seconds and light what you want to light.
btw, when i'm gone it goes in my pocket and goes with me along with a corncob pipe and a tin of tobacco.... just in case G_d forgot to include that in heaven.

 

[simpledesign]

I have a Xikar Pipeworks (Old Boy style) and a Zippo....I only use the Zippo when the wind is blowing like crazy but I have never noticed a gas flavor until it's near the bottom of a bowl and I relight.

 

[cortezattic]

I have a cheap inexpensive "Old Boy knock-off", a Nibo, that looks and works just fine;

but I'm glad I didn't spend much for it because I discovered that the entire

mechanism -- the design, I mean -- should be a mirror image of itself. As it is,

those lighters are far more convenient for left-handed people, IMO.