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The Zippo Butane Insert
The Zippo Butane Insert
By Rami Karaman
Nothing says Americana quite like a Zippo lighter! I mean it’s up there along with baseball, apple pie, and the M16. The only thing that screams ‘Merica more would be the red, white and blue of the American flag, and as long as I can remember I saw the Zippo lighter in the hands of family members, celebrities and everything in between.
If an inanimate object can have a personality the Zippo would be the “Bad Boy.” It’s been in war movies, musicals, and mob movies. Whenever someone needed fire to light something the character would always go with their trusty zippo. I remember watching movies like Platoon and right on the side of the helmet you’d find a pack of smokes and a zippo. Danny Zuko in Grease used one, and who can forget John McClane using it to navigate his way through the vents to kill off the bad guys in Die Hard! So why aren’t more people using it today?
I know it’s still popular, It might be one of the most counterfeited products in the world! Just walk into any souvenir shop or corner store anywhere in the world, and you will find a Zippo clone with the city/country you are visiting or a pot leaf on it. So why don’t people use it, in particular Cigar smokers? It’s because of the lighter fuel. Cigars will absorb any smells or flavours that it comes in contact with, and nothing will ruin a good cigar faster than lighter fluid. However there is a solution. So pull out that old Zippo you have stashed in your drawer, wipe off the dust and start using it again.
But first you will need a new insert for it, and Zippo has made an insert that uses butane. I ordered a double flame version in the spring, and used it all summer. However I think the single flame would have been a better option especially when it comes to touch ups on a cigar. But I will go over the pro’s and con’s of the lighter that I gained from my experience.
The Pros
If you already have a Zippo lighter sitting around, it’s a cost effective way to get a decent lighter for your hobby. It works very well even in windy conditions, and this is important for a cigar smoker. It made toasting the cigar easy in almost all conditions. It is not too big or awkwardly shaped, and fits comfortably in my pocket.
The Cons
If you don’t already have a Zippo lying around, you cannot buy one with the butane insert in it. You would need to buy a Zippo and the insert separately. This will no longer be cost effective, but rather expensive for a lighter. To adjust the flame, you need a small flathead screwdriver. It’s not a big deal, because once you set it, you can forget it. I feel like there should have been a way to see the level of butane in the lighter. I felt like it ran out of fuel rather quickly. After comparing it with a similar dollar store lighter that has both a plastic see-through base, a quick adjust on the top of the lighter, and the cheap lighter seems to use less fuel and lasts longer before needing a refill.
At the end of the day, it’s still part of my EDC, and I will always keep matches or another lighter on hand as backup but it is still my go-to lighter. I just make sure to top if off once a week or so, and I don’t have many problems. So If you have an old Zippo sitting around, this might be a good option for you.
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