Zippo Fluid

[Indygrap]

Is it me, or has Zippo/Ronsonol fluid gotten less potent? When I first started using a Zippo, about 30 yrs ago, I filled it once a week or 5 days. And that was when I bartended, so I was lighting all my smokes plus the odd customers cigs. Now it’s just me lighting my pipe & it seems I have to fill it every 3-4 days.
Is it just me, or is this other people’s experience?
Beg pardon if this has been discussed in an older thread.

 

[Piping Abe]

It depends how the cotton is packed and the way your wick is laid throughout the cotton. It has nothing to do with the fluid.

 

[DanWil84]

Disclaimer: ive only been buying zippo fluids for 2 years, so I can not asses your statement of fluid being less potent.

But I dont think you can compare the amount of fuel you use for lighting X pipes and the amounts of relights you do against lighting X cigarettes. I refill mine each 3 days or so, not because I have to, but because I dont want to sit with a empty lighter and I generally dont know if I need a bit more relights. You could have an issue with your lighter leaking more because a tiny dent somewhere in the tophalf of it

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Is it me, or has Zippo/Ronsonol fluid gotten less potent? When I first started using a Zippo, about 30 yrs ago, I filled it once a week or 5 days. And that was when I bartended, so I was lighting all my smokes plus the odd customers cigs. Now it’s just me lighting my pipe & it seems I have to fill it every 3-4 days.
Is it just me, or is this other people’s experience?
Beg pardon if this has been discussed in an older thread.

Highly recommend you buy these from Amazon for $7. Will extend your fluid life SIGNIFICANTLY.

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[Old Smokey]

I've never noticed. I smoke between 10-12 bowls a day so I fi up once a week and I'm good.

 

[anotherbob]

In general lighting a pipe uses more lighter fluid then lighting a bunch of cigs. I've noticed that when I used a bic that it seemed to cash out a lot quicker when used for lighting pipes then lighting cigs.
Also like has been pointed out the wick and how it's trimmed makes a significant difference with how much fluid gets burnt off during use.

 

[jpmcwjr]

With Zippos, most fluid escapes through the wick, and then the gap between the lid and the body.

 

[kcghost]

I wouldn't worry about it. Just light up and enjoy!!

 

[thesmokindragon]

I just purchased a Zippo Yellow flame pipe insert, should be here Monday - I will post my results when I fire it up


It is going right into this one when it arrives;

 

[thesmokindragon]

Update on Zippo Yellow flame pipe insert ..... love it

Also had to snag a solid brass tamper by Baker's ( Tamping end measures 5/8" (16mm) in diameter )

 

[Briar Lee]

Is it me, or has Zippo/Ronsonol fluid gotten less potent? When I first started using a Zippo, about 30 yrs ago, I filled it once a week or 5 days. And that was when I bartended, so I was lighting all my smokes plus the odd customers cigs. Now it’s just me lighting my pipe & it seems I have to fill it every 3-4 days.
Is it just me, or is this other people’s experience?
Beg pardon if this has been discussed in an older thread.

Years ago there was Red Devil lighter fluid, and Zippo, and Ronsonol.

-It was all naphtha, maybe different scents added. Now Zippo owns Ronson and I’ve not seen any Red Devil in years.

If there’s any difference in potency I’ve not noticed it, but if there really is it would have to be from using a more volatile and more expensive and easier to light grade of naphtha.

Which the do gooders, would surely die if they did that.

I’d say it’s those fond memories of youth, you know?.

 

[FurCoat]

I wouldn't know. Last time bought Zippo fluid it was less than 4 bucks for a 12 oz can. I still have around 60 cans so I won't be getting any in the near future.

 

[Briar Lee]

Naphtha is a fractional distillate of refining petroleum. The current market price is somewhere about $635 a ton, and a ton of naphtha varies in weight, but the lighter naphtha weighs 5.5 pounds per gallon.

If my math is right, Zippo buys 360 gallons of naphtha for $635 and then sells two dollar a gallon naphtha for a whole lot of markup.

When I was a kid I heard of people fueling their Zippos with gasoline, but I never tried it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I've never run across a ton of anything not being a ton. Really?

Most naphtha sold as lighter fluid is sold in cans measured in ounces, not gallons. Regardless, the markup is mind boggling.

 

[VDL_Piper]

a ton of naphtha varies in weight

You lost me here??!!

 

[Michigan_Bill]

Naphtha is not a uniform product, it is a mixture of different chemicals. The density will vary depending on the mixture.I believe Briar Lee was referring to volume instead of weight.

 

[Coreios]

Zippos are suppose to function at their best with the wick in a zig zag pattern through out the cotton. They don't always come that way. That might be the issue.

 

[Briar Lee]

You lost me here??!!

Different distillates, in the refinery process.

The ocean tankers run on raw crude, straight from the well.

To use crude oil it has to be cracked in a big refinery, into different levels of distillates.

Benzene (gasoline) is what they want the most of, out of a barrel. In recent years that’s the most from a barrel.

And below benzene is jet fuel (kerosene) and diesel 1 and 2.

But above benzene are the naphthas, usually lighter, and some are for industrial cleaners and some for your Zippo.


For whatever reason it sells by the ton, likely because years ago it was considered waste.

There’s a huge markup if it weighs 5.5 pounds a gallon or 6.

https://petroleumservicecompany.com/blog/oil-barrel-42-gallon-breakdown/#:~:text=Let's%20break%20it%20down%20for%20you%3A&text=About%20nine%20percent%20is%20used,keep%20our%20world%20running%20smoothly.

 

[Briar Lee]

Naphtha is not a uniform product, it is a mixture of different chemicals. The density will vary depending on the mixture.I believe Briar Lee was referring to volume instead of weight.

Naphtha is priced by the ton.

Some sources say 5.5 pounds per gallon others say 6.

They want more gasoline.

Then they want more diesel.

Then more jet fuel.

What’s left over some is naphtha, and all manner of other products.

And the refineries are different and the crude oil varies a lot too.

 

[VDL_Piper]

Different distillates, in the refinery process.

The ocean tankers run on raw crude, straight from the well.

To use crude oil it has to be cracked in a big refinery, into different levels of distillates.

Benzene (gasoline) is what they want the most of, out of a barrel. In recent years that’s the most from a barrel.

And below benzene is jet fuel (kerosene) and diesel 1 and 2.

But above benzene are the naphthas, usually lighter, and some are for industrial cleaners and some for your Zippo.


For whatever reason it sells by the ton, likely because years ago it was considered waste.

There’s a huge markup if it weighs 5.5 pounds a gallon or 6.

https://petroleumservicecompany.com/blog/oil-barrel-42-gallon-breakdown/#:~:text=Let's%20break%20it%20down%20for%20you%3A&text=About%20nine%20percent%20is%20used,keep%20our%20world%20running%20smoothly.

But you said a ton of naphtha varies in weight, HOW???. Excuse my ignorance but isn’t a ton of feathers or a ton of naphtha a ton. Now if you said that weight might vary in a volumetric measure like bushel, cord or barrel then I would understand.