How to Light Zippo Lighters

Zippo lighters feature a flint wheel for the purpose of lighting.

George Blaisdell produced the first Zippo lighter in 1933. In the years since, the Zippo lighter has become an icon of American cool, and these lighters are treasured by collectors the world over. Despite their collector status, Zippo lighters are designed first and foremost to be functional. As such, one may wonder just how these lighters actually light. Whether the model is the classic windproof or the more recent BLU, lighting a Zippo time and again, remains inexplicably satisfying.

Instructions

1. Open your Zippo lighter lid. The rear of the lid is hinged, so there's no danger of it coming loose.

2. Hold the lighter in either hand, with your thumb resting on top of the flint wheel. If using a BLU lighter, press down on the flint wheel for one second, before proceeding to the next step.

3. Use your thumb to rotate the flint wheel toward you, in one quick motion. If using a BLU lighter, finish the motion by rolling your thumb onto the butane release button at the base of the wheel. The windproof lighter has no such button: A roll of the the flint wheel is sufficient.

4. Extinguish the flame in one of two ways, depending on the model. For a windproof lighter, close the lid to suffocate the flame. For BLU lighters, release the butane release button, to cut off the supply of butane.

References

• Zippo: Zippo History
• Zippo: BLU Lighter Instruction Sheet