The Sound of a Zippo

[Searock Fan]

I never gave any thought to the sound of a Zippo, but back when I had a store I used to sell Dupont lighters. I would sometimes have a customer come in who would want to examine all the Duponts. He would stand the flick open each one carefully listening to the sound of each and then, sometimes, buy the one that sounded the best to him. I wondered what this was all about but never asked in case I might blow a several hundred dollar sale.

One day I mentioned this to another customer/friend and he explained that in certain cultures the sound of a Dupont in a bar was like a flag going up saying "Hey, I have money." This was supposed to attract the ladies. It's a crazy world.

 

[mickeyg]

I remember my Uncle Ray would light up his Lucky Strikes with a Zippo. The clink, the voom! sound of the sparks hitting the wick, then the sweet smell of a freshly lit Lucky...well, they smelled good in the 50s from what I remember.

 

[cranseiron]

Zippo is definitely a piece of Americanna. Most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten... these go to eleven.

 

[sparker69]

Zippo is definitely a piece of Americanna. Most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten... these go to eleven.



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Can't question Nigel. But can I touch them? Look at them? Does it "still got the tagger on it."?

 

[sparker69]

Just arrived in the mail - my new Zippo Vintage Brushed Brass pipe lighter! I like the diagonal lines and the squarer case. Can't wait to try it!

 

[nolan613]

Still have my first Zippo from high school (1960) though the belt clip is new (1980's). In high school we would mix English Leather with the Zippo fuel to make it smell better to the girls. I can not count the number of times that this lighter has been sent back to the factory of rebuilding.
I remember when standing around in a group after freshly filling the lighter that I would flip the top open while in my pocket and accidentally striking the lighter. The "poof" coming from your pocket was unmistakable ...

 

[dog_park_piper]

All this Zippo chat has me wondering something else: That little hole in the bottom of the pad underneath: is that meant to hold an extra flint? I've heard of guys keeping an extra flint in the bottom and I was wondering if this hole was meant for it?View attachment 154587

extra flint!

 

[Wellington]

Love my Zippo. It's the only Zippo I've ever owned and i dont need any others, it's my pipe lighter. The sound of the open, light and close are emblazoned in me.