Blu, Shadow
Zippo has produced reliable and durable pocket lighters since 1932. Now, we proudly introduce the next step in the evolution of the perfect flame - Zippo BLU with the same rugged reliability, classic styling, flint-wheel ignition, and backed by our famous lifetime guarantee. We changed the flame, the rest is pure Zippo.
This Shadow Zippo BLU black solid brass lighter is media finished and plated with dark chrome.
Distinctive Features:
Smooth, comfortable shape
One-hand operation
Two-stage burner
Patented technology
Large fuel tank
Famous Zippo click
Date code and unique bottom stamp enhance collectibility
Distinctive “Z” patterned chimney
Wind-resistant
Clean-burning blue flame with no odor or aftertaste
*Use only Zippo Premium Butane fuel for Zippo butane gas lighters.
**Zippo lighters are shipped unfilled.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Stars Rubbish
This butane lighter is a huge step backward for Zippo…they should have stayed with what they do best, the “old” totally reliable Zippo we all know and love. Torch lighters certainly are not the company’s forte.
– Doesn’t light reliably with anything but their own fluid (which is difficult to find) and even then I very rarely got a light on the first strike. Most times it took three to five tries.
– The refill port seems to be some non-standard size which doesn’t seal with readily available third-party premium butane canisters (Newport for example) which comes with multiple tips for most every lighter. Newport provides nine tips and not a single one seals reliably with Zippo Blu.
– Difficult to determine the remaining butane level through the inspection window. Non-intuitively, you have to check with the window upside down…and hold by a strong light to see the remaining level.
– Flame level is quite variable according to the temperature. Plus, you can’t adjust the flame height! Literally 20 degrees difference (inside at 70 degrees to outside at 50 degrees) makes quite a difference in the flame level. Totally unacceptable! Zippo went cheap on this one and didn’t properly design the valving.
– Flint ignition is a pain with a butane lighter…you have to hold down the spring-loaded flint wheel to get the butane flowing as you flick it to spark. And then you must continue holding down the black button adjacent to the flint wheel to keep the butane flowing.
– The hinge is “wobbly” with some lateral movement so the top doesn’t close tight without fiddling with it.
My recommendation: Avoid this piece of rubbish (I returned mine with prejudice) and pay a few more bucks for a totally reliable, light-on-the-first-strike Xikar. If you’re a cigar smoker, the Xikar triple torch Trezo is absolutely second-to-none although the company makes other (single and double torch) lighters more suited to cigarettes.
3 Stars Not bad once you get used to it..
I bought 2, this one for myself and the gold hologram as a gift. Both worked rarely with one strike until we found the “hidden” fix on Zippo’s web site in their BLU video “training”. One sentence sums it up: Turn the lighter up-side down, use a “tool” to press the fill valve for a couple of seconds to release any air trapped in the lighter (when you feel a chill you hit gas). I used a brass screw to avoid damage to the valve. I had to do this 3-4 times over a week before my lighter worked consistantly regardless of fill level. Flame height ranges from blow torch to dying embers-really low- depending on fluid level. I haven’t used it in the cold yet. Yes, you do have to train yourself to hold the wheel down for a second before striking to release ignition gas - which makes sense and is still cheaper than batteries.
Filed under: Blu Ray Player Reviews