Is a Zippo Pipe Insert Really Better?

[Ocam]

Also if you trim the wick right you can hold the hole right over the chamber and get a nearly perfect light with zero effort.

Can you elaborate on this? I like my pipe Zippo but sometimes I find lighting harder than with a regular butane lighter.

 

[instymp]

Have several Zippos. With the pipe insert & without it. Never saw benefit from the pipe insert.
One Zippo insert I really like it the dual flame butane for cigars.,

But mainly use Bics.

 

[jpmcwjr]

But mainly use Bics.

Me, too, at least at this point in time.

I thought the letters came from something, and should be capitalized. Anyway, the company itself writes it as "BIC".

 

[anotherbob]

Can you elaborate on this? I like my pipe Zippo but sometimes I find lighting harder than with a regular butane lighter.

if you cut the wick to about the middle of the ring you can sort of put the chimney hole right over the top of the chamber and sort of swirl it around a bit. Neat part is it really doesn't make a difference if it's a bit windy or anything. Takes some practice but not that much. If the wick is longer it will be too much flame to do that. But about half way and it's the easiest thing in the world.

 

[Ocam]

if you cut the wick to about the middle of the ring you can sort of put the chimney hole right over the top of the chamber and sort of swirl it around a bit. Neat part is it really doesn't make a difference if it's a bit windy or anything. Takes some practice but not that much. If the wick is longer it will be too much flame to do that. But about half way and it's the easiest thing in the world.

I tried it and it works much better. Thanks

 

[BobbyD]

I alternate between the standard insert Zippo and Bics. I would like to try a pipe insert. I prefer butane so I have been considering the butane "thunderbird" pipe insert, but the reviews on them don't seem overwhelmingly positive.

 

[Mr. Marsh]

No need for an insert

 

[AlanH]

I like the pipe insert.

 

[jpmcwjr]

No need for an insert View attachment 131383

Light it as you like, but this will guarantee sooting/lava-ing portions of the rim.

 

[timelord]

I have several zippos; a couple have regular inserts but I only ever use the ones with pipe inserts. I've never had any problems using the pipe insert to light a Peterson (or any other pipe for that matter).

 

[Epip Oc'Cabot]

Me, too, at least at this point in time.

I thought the letters came from something, and should be capitalized. Anyway, the company itself writes it as "BIC".

“Butane Incendiary Contraption” ???? ?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Me, too, at least at this point in time.

I thought the letters came from something, and should be capitalized. Anyway, the company itself writes it as "BIC".

“Butane Incendiary Contraption” ???? ?

Invented by Marcel Bich and manufactured/distributed by Société Bic.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yes. And the company writes "BIC", though some retailers and consumers write "Bic".

 

[RobNYC]

Yes. And the company writes "BIC", though some retailers and consumers write "Bic".

They actually spell it BiC.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

We are struggling here with spelling/grammar apparently.
Good thing we’re just pipe smokers. ?️

 

[anotherbob]

I tried it and it works much better. Thanks

took me a while to follow my own advice

 

[Commander McBragg]

Once at a Walmart near me they had a reduced price for pipe Zippos. $2 each. There were four available so I bought all of them. I really enjoy using the pipe Zippo. [Edited for caps.]

 

[aspiring_sage]

Following up after my initial question now that I have my own limited experience:

I received two Zippos, one regular and one pipe insert.
Both are very nice devices. I haven't had one of these in years. Very nostalgic.

I don't smoke indoors. Thanks to the MN winter, I'll haven't been smoking outdoors. The weather was above freezing this week, so I won't be waiting much longer.

Got a lot of experiential info, and I'm a curious guy so I got a new empty cob to test the following:
(categories of Fuel taste, scorching, standard vs pipe insert, overall experience)

• Will I really taste the fuel?
  • Wow, I can!
• Do I dislike the taste of fuel?
  • Not really a problem. It tastes sort of familiar...
• Does waiting ~1 second really make any difference?
  • Wow! It really does. Sometimes I can see fuel burning off the lighter for 2-3 seconds. Wait for the flame to stabilize and I can no longer detect fuel odor/taste.
• Can I pull visible flame into the bowl with the Zippo standard insert?
  • Yes, but I seem to need to tip the pipe and/or the lighter to make it work.
• Scorching the bowl with the regular insert?
  • Looks clean for now, but I am confident in continued practice I will be careless and scorch the rim eventually.
• Anything else contribute to the fuel taste?
  • Tipping the standard insert causes the flame to die down. The resulting smaller flame definitely gives off more fuel odor/taste.
  • The fuel taste seems to be strong at the blue flame, nonexistent on the yellow flame.
• Is the pipe insert easier to use than the standard?
  • Seems to be a little more brain-dead simple.
  • After waiting the allotted 3-5 sec to see the flame stabilize, I can't figure a way to easily taste fuel or scorch the rim.
  • Just as windproof when tilted sideways. Not as windproof when upright.
• Do these tests with an empty pipe count for anything?
  • Yes, but not everything.
  • Seeing a flame travel down a pipe is not the same as lighting tobacco.

Conclusions:

• Zippo lighter's are fun. No regrets even if neither insert becomes my "lifetime lighting method".
• I don't mind the fuel taste.
• The fuel taste is not guaranteed if exercising the proper technique.

Inconclusive:

• Waiting for some nice weather to make a fair comparison of the inserts actually burning leaves. This will probably take all summer. I'm up for the challenge.
• Am I possibly over-analyzing this?
  • (Probably not.)

Hope this report saves someone some heartache in the future.
To the one or two people that want this info in the future: You probably will want to experience it every way for yourself anyway.

 

[SpyHill]

Is that a new thing? There are few Zippo models that come with a pipe insert.

Zippo lighters have a lifetime warranty, if you send yours for repair they will replace the insert, you may ask for a pipe insert.

I called Zippo a few weeks ago and requested a new insert. I asked if they could send a pipe insert, and they said they no longer send out pipe inserts, only regular. That was April 2022, for anyone who reads this.

 

[fireground_piper]

Did you ask them to replace the insert or just send you a different one? My understanding was they would change the insert if you shipped it to them, they would keep the one being replaced and would ship it back to you with the new insert. Only cost was shipping.