I can puff on my zippo and it blows out...from what I understand, this isn't supposed to happen, is there a quick fix for this? Pardon my ignorance, my parents didn't let me get out much as a kid and I'm still learning.

Skunk,<br><br>A Zippo will do that. It should, however, require a fairly stiff breeze to blow it out. If you feel it is extinguishing too easily, you can try trimming the wick. I've found that trimming it about an 1/8" below the wind screen works best for mine. Also, make sure it is fueled correctly, just follow the instructions. Also, if your Zippo is brand new, you should wait awhile before trying anything. New Zippos sometimes take awhile to "settle" in. I had one once that didn't work correctly until I had been using it for a month.<br><br>Take care,<br><br>Andy

Andy! Where ya been lately? Escaping to the woods, I hope... good to hear from you.<br><br>Tom

Tom,<br><br>Actually, I have been laid up for awhile. I sprained my shoulder at work and had my left arm in a sling for a week or so. The arm works again (still hurts, though). I'm going to be on light duty for awhile yet, but I can type again (sort of). The woods will still be there when I'm better (I hope).<br><br>Take care,<br><br>Andy

My Zippo will stay lit when 12 inches or so in front of a box fan on medium speed, which is a pretty strong breeze. Don't mean to overstate the obvious, but the chimney is a windscreen and is what shields the wick. Blowing down into the top will cause a flameout, as the flame is only protected from wind coming from the side. <br><br>I think the windscreen/chimney is what set the Zippo apart from other lighters of the 1930s, when the Zippo was born. <br><br>According to the Zippo website, the wick should be even with the top of the chimney: <br><br>http://www.zippo.com/about/faqs/index.html<br><br>(click on Changing wick)<br><br>The wick does burn away after a lot of use. It can be pulled out with a pair of needle nosed pliers. You can also adjust the flame by trimming the end of the wick, making sure it is centered in the chimney, or flaring out the end of the wick with a straight pin, etc. Experiment and see what works. The above knowledge was gained in my younger days when I had too much time on my hands :-) <br><br>Page for asking repair questions:<br><br>http://www.zippo.com/about/cservice/repairkit.html<br><br>If none of the above helps, there are Zippo lighter collector groups here- they may have some suggestions:<br><br>http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/Hobbies___Crafts/Collecting/Lighters<br><br>Hope this helps!<br>

Skunk,<br><br>Something occured to me today about Zippos. Zippos are generally not reccomended as survival lighters because the fluid evaporates whether you use the lighter or not. They can't be counted on to light on demand. Also, they're not particularly water/weatherproof. These are excellent points, but... they are packed with cotton that has presumably been repeatedly soaked in fuel (this may or may not be a help), and they contain a sparking device. Sounds a bit like the stuff many people (including myself) carry in their PSK's for fire-starting. I HAVE'NT TRIED THIS, but I'm thinking it's probably possible to use an empty Zippo to start a fire. I have several Zippos and will experiment with them, probably this weekend. I'll let you know if it works or not.<br><br>Also, if you're going to carry a Zippo, here are some things you should know.<br><br>1. Zippos will work with a variety of fuel. Kerosene, gasoline, diesel (but just barely), alcohol...anything liquid and flammable. Be careful when using anything other than lighter fluid. I'm not reccomending the practice, just say that it can be done. BTW, the alternate fuels will make cigarettes taste funny.<br><br>2. Be sure to carry extra flints. These are easily stored under the felt pad in the insert. If you have no tools, the edge of the case lid will turn the flint holder screw.<br><br>3. The flashy Zippo tricks (snapping the lid open, etc...) will reduce the life of the lighter significantly (sp?). <br><br>4. Never lay a shiny Zippo on a card table while playing cards. Other players will object strongly to you putting a mirror on the table whether you're cheating or not. How do I know this? Trust me, I know this... I suppose a shiny Zippo might make a poor excuse for a signal mirror as well...better than nothing for sure.<br><br><br>That's all for now.<br><br>Take care,<br>Andy

>>>BTW, the alternate fuels will make cigarettes taste funny.<br><br>You must mean "funnier." (from a non-smoker POV)

I have a pice of shrink tubing wrapped around my Chrome Zippo to protect the surface from scratching.<br><br>Xavier Phx, AZ

Consider a piece of bicycle innertube instead. It makes a great emergency piece of "tinder" in a fire starting situation. Works wet!