New, Cheap "ST Dupont"

[mechanic]

Oh i see i was gonna say they have a very wide price range lol

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I have one of the knockoffs that Dan posted about recently - it works really well.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Knockoffs, huh?? Know, Sir, these are "tribute" lighters.
Difference you say? Probably none, but they seem well made, whereas knockoffs may imply shoddy workmanship.

 

[wyfbane]

They are handsome, these tribute lighters. I got one. I like it.

 

[donjgiles]

I just received one today and I am very pleased. Heavy, solid and quite beautiful. Mine was filled which kind of surprised me. For 30 bucks, you can't go wrong.

 

[jpmcwjr]

The first one I got was filled, but came with nothing else. The next two weren't filled, but had extra flints, striker and fill nozzle. The last one was filled and had the extras. I think these are the steal of the century.
And I wouldn't have tried even one had it not been for Dan's report on his experience. The ping noise when the lid is flipped is worth the price of admission alone.

 

[donjgiles]

The one I received is a simple silver model. It also included the bag of extras along with a very nicely printed manual. I am not usually a fan of reproductions but, wow... this is really nice.

 

[woodsroad]

I’m still loving mine. Like John, I’ve bought four.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Forgot about the manual, and especially the plastic card that guarantees authenticity (or something.) I thought, "Why bother?" Also I worry about the poor chap who sends his lighter to DuPont for repair....

 

[donjgiles]

There certainly is a lot of effort put into this piece.

 

[woodsroad]

Take note that you can also buy the S.T. DuPont red box on eBay.

 

[ashdigger]

Dan, who would put a $29 lighter in a $99 box.....probably the same person who puts perfume on a turd.

 

[judcasper]

Me, too, but is it a good, cheap fake? [] Semi-serious with that question.

It's always a tricky one, isn't it? In my opinion many of the knock-off Zippos work just as well as the real deal, and we're talking less than £5.
I know it's all relative, and I have no idea how much a real one of these things would cost, but $30 is a lot of money to me at any rate, let alone for a knock-off product.

 

[coyja]

If anyone is in need of one of these and doesn't want to wait for the slow boat from China, PM me.

 

[woodsroad]

Tim, the box cost me $5 shipped.

I’m going to keep turds in it.

 

[ashdigger]

Poo-pourri?

 

[raevans]

Ahhh, the Chinese Dupont. It could be that part of the lighter is indeed authentic. Back when Dupont was purchased by Dickson Concepts, they had the internal workings of the lighter assembled in China and then sent back to France for completion. (Not sure if they still do this today) The lighters from China work very well and if you don't mind a "clang" instead of the trademark "ping" when you open it, it's well worth the money. Just don't expect Dupont to service the lighter if it needs repair. (But for thirty bucks, who cares, you can just buy another one). The two that I picked up back in the mid nineties still work just fine.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Did not know they've been around that long. Are they the same as today's knockoffs?

 

[raevans]

Are they the same as today's knockoffs?

Not sure, but the pictures posted sure look like the same thing.

 

[armonts]

These Dupont are fake obvious, but to repair or revise an authentic in France is already about $ 200 ... :roll:

(The "real" Dupont is very heavy, and works well until the day it is dropped and fake the hood crooked, there ends the "kling" of origin. :evil
For the Zippo I have a gas adapter insert, but the tank is small and must be recharged every 8 days, I do 2 or 3 times longer with the original gasoline.