Author: Joseph

While lighters designed to enkindle cigarettes, cigars and pipes predated the twentieth century, the advent of ferrocerium in the early 1900s gave birth to what is typically now known as the pocket lighter, a convenient source of flame that can be carried on one’s person. Naphtha based petroleum formulations(petrol) were the standard fuel used in such mechanisms until the 1950s when compressed butane began to steal the spotlight. This article will highlight some of the differences between the two, along with pros and cons that come along with using each cigarette lighter fuel.

What’s The Difference?

At the basest level cigarette lighter fuel that’s available on the market today can be seen as liquid(petrol) which is poured into or otherwise used to saturate the absorbent wadding of a lighter or gas(butane) which is pumped into an inlet valve from a pressurized can. These are the two main kinds of fuel that one must consider when deciding which system of igniting a smoke to employ.

Petrol lighters will typically have a fuel chamber that is filled with rayon, cotton, sawdust or other absorbent material that is saturated with liquid Continue reading “The Great Cigarette Lighter Fuel Debate: Petrol Vs Butane”

As I reflect on my own entrance into the vintage cigarette lighter hobby, at first as a repairman and seller of old flame producing mechanisms before settling in as a collector of them, I ponder the reasons I was drawn to begin accumulating some of these fabulous little devices. For sure, there are many good and valid reasons to start a vintage lighter collection and this article will endeavor to enumerate a handful of them.

You Are A Handy Individual

If you enjoy taking old mechanical devices apart just to reassemble them in proper working order then the vintage cigarette lighter hobby might be appealing to you. Of the piles of old lighters out there waiting to be snatched up, you won’t find many that only need fuel in order to work but the vast majority will require some maintenance or repair work to function properly.

Old flints degrade and obstruct tubes over time, especially if stored in moist conditions, just as wicks and wadding can disintegrate and become Continue reading “Five Reasons To Start A Vintage Lighter Collection”

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While there were other methods of producing a spark employed to achieve ignition, most vintage petrol lighters use flint to accomplish this goal. There is a good deal of confusion surrounding what flint should be used in which lighter and has caused many vintage lighter enthusiasts to ask, “what is the proper flint to use in my vintage petrol lighter?” This article will sort through some of the differences in flint available and help you determine the most appropriate option to use in your petrol lighter.

What Is Flint?

The material that we in the vintage cigarette lighter hobby call “flint” is actually a misnomer. Flint is a naturally occurring form of sedimentary rock that was used throughout history to make tools and start fires because of the hardened nature of its composition. Another form of rock or steel once it was developed, were struck against the flint to achieve a spark.

The cylindrical little pellets that we drop into the tube of our petrol lighters Continue reading “What Is The Proper Flint To Use In My Vintage Petrol Lighter?”

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A few years ago, the Zippo Manufacturing Company in Bradford Pennsylvania began marketing a line of butane fueled lighter inserts meant to be an upgrade to the company’s typical and historical petrol fueled mechanisms. Reaction to these butane inserts was mixed as an upgrade to the limitations of a petrol setup are clearly desired by consumers though the function of the electric arc and single and double torch models met much criticism. The addition of the Zippo Refillable Butane Soft Yellow Flame Insert however, has finally provided the industry and hobby with an upgrade suitable to the iconic Zippo brand.

Do We Really Need This?

There are many limitations inherent in the design of just about any petrol fueled lighter. Insert style lighters even more so as they are prone to Continue reading “Zippo Refillable Butane Soft Yellow Flame Insert Review: The Best Upgrade So Far”

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If there’s one thing that every vintage petrol lighter enthusiast needs it’s an ample supply of petrol lighter fluid to keep their lighters fueled and running properly. With misinformation and strong opinions on both sides of the debate one might ask, “which brand of fuel should I use in my vintage petrol lighter, Zippo or Ronsonol?” In this article, we will endeavor to explain any differences we have perceived and give the reader a solid grasp of which brand of fuel is best for petrol lighters to function most efficiently.

Is There A Difference?

First off, there are other brands and options out there to use for petrol fuel, I’ve just never used them. I have conversed through email and in the comments section of YouTube videos with folks who inquire about a specific Continue reading “Which Brand Of Fuel Should I Use In My Vintage Petrol Lighter, Zippo or Ronsonol?”

I get questions on a daily basis asking for instructions on how to properly replace the wick in a particular, specific petrol lighter. While I have published a great number of instructional repair videos to our YouTube channel where I demonstrate this project on a specific lighter, I haven’t had time yet to get to them all. There are simple principles that can be followed, however, which will lead you step by step through the intuitive process and teach you how to change the wick in a petrol lighter.

Pull Wadding Out Of The Big Hole

Removing the old wick and absorbent wadding are going to be your first step regardless of any unique nuances inherent in the specific lighter you are working on. Your focus at this point should be the removal of both wick and wadding from the tank and the basic principles will not change regardless of the shape, layout or appearance of your lighter.

Inferences can be made to follow along with a video demonstrating this Continue reading “How To Change The Wick In A Petrol Lighter”

With the exception of Zippo lighters and possibly a few other notable brands, the vast majority of vintage lighters are no longer being manufactured. With plenty of them still being carried for everyday use and others seeking repair so that working examples can be displayed in lighter collections, many lighter enthusiasts find themselves asking, “Where can I find replacement parts to repair my vintage petrol lighter?” This article will discuss proven methods for sourcing replacement parts and perhaps suggest a couple others.

What You Need?

It would be nice if anytime an old petrol lighter quit working correctly, the owner could simply package up the lighter and send it back to the manufacturer who would put the lighter back into working order(per their product warranty) and get it back to the owner ASAP. This is exactly the way that the Zippo Manufacturing Company continues to operate just as they have since they established their “It Works Or We Fix It Free” slogan way back in the 1930s.

While there may still be another company or two that can currently uphold their product warranty or supply replacement parts to those needing parts Continue reading “Where Can I Find Replacement Parts To Repair My Vintage Petrol Lighter?”