I like my old boy, cause it works great and it's fancy and expensive. It always stays in my pipe pouch. But as a cigarette smoker as well, I ALWAYS have my Zippo on me. Haven't carried a bic or any other lighter in atleast 5 years now.
I have a few pipe inserts, but found it troublesome trying to explain to cig smokers how the flame comes out the side, and laughing at them try to use it. Then a few years ago,I heard many people on here just use the regular inserts, and I now prefer it. Just pull the wick up to the top of the windscreen.
I go through a flint every 2 or 3 months, and I replace the stock wicks on all my zippos atleast once each so far. (Wonder if they are shorter than the ones you buy, but I got a great deal on boxes of wicks and flints at a rummage sale lol). I think
@Chasing Embers said he's never replaced a wick, but when I replaced the one in my Zippo I have now, it was about 1 1/2 inches long at this point. Compared to the new one at about 4 inches.