Zippo Blu: The World's Swankiest Crack Lighter

There's a new Zippo in town—and it's quite ugly. The "Zippo BLU" takes the original windproof design and tweaks it, switching the fuel from liquid to butane to produce a jet blast of flame. You know, just like those $5 lighters you can get down at the gas station.

It's a strange product for the company. It may be more windproof and add less of a gassy taste to your smokes, but you'll be paying a lot of scratch for the brand name when something generic will serve you just as well. Even worse, it appears that Zippo's flint-based sparker is not user serviceable, meaning you'll have to send it back in every time the flint is worn out. (Most of those gas station lighters use an electronic igniter instead of a flint.)

Zippo lighters are one of those timeless designs that shouldn't be fussed with. If the company wants to extend the brand, adding twenty-year-old technology to their line-up probably isn't the right move. Or does this mean that Zippo now considers crack lighters an American icon?

Product Page [Flash with music] [ZippoBlu.com via Uncrate]

Discussion

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#1 posted by Halloween Jack , February 6, 2008 7:17 AM

I guess that one of their geniuses finally figured out that making an immortal lighter that can be recharged and have its flints replaced by its users wasn't as profitable as a piece of trash that would last about as long as those plastic "stick" lighters.

#2 posted by Jai , February 6, 2008 7:26 AM

But those gas station lighters suck, I never am able to refill it easily it seems, and I usually see them as novelty lighters, shaped like something.

I would really consider picking up one of these, that if I were able to replace the flint.

Come on zippo, you know I change my flint about every 2-3 months, and sending it in instead of taking 10 seconds out of my busy life to replace it is unacceptable.

#3 posted by airship , February 6, 2008 7:31 AM

Zippo, if you really want to innovate, I have one word for you;

Lasers

#4 posted by HeavyD14 , February 6, 2008 8:17 AM

It looks like it is user serviceable:
http://www.zippo.com/faqs/How_do_I_install_a_new_flint_in_my_BLU_Lighter.aspx?article=e0f505fc-78a1-49b4-84bc-3f8bcbbdf76a
I guess they don't consider refueling and replacing the flint to be repair.

#5 posted by roryrhorerton , February 6, 2008 12:21 PM

I received one of these a few months ago as a freebie from Camel. It's terrible. I never use it.

They tried to keep it all Zippo-y with the flint, but it's way harder to light than it would be with an electric spark.

Plus it doesn't have that solid feel that a regular Zippo has. It feels like it's about to fly apart.

#6 posted by teflon , February 6, 2008 6:32 PM

I've had a lot of problems with jet-style lighters over the long haul. Over time every one seems to lose its ability to reliably hold a jet. Based solely on Zippo's reputation, I was actually thinking about checking this out until I read #5's post. If anyone has any decent suggestions for a jet lighter I'd appreciate it. Before you post, yes, I have tried (and killed) a Colibri. I wish I could use a standard Zippo, but the smell of the fluid makes me nauseous.

#7 posted by cha0tic

, February 7, 2008 7:06 PM

Have quite a lot of Beard I steer well clear of petrol Zippos.

#8 posted by rhodonite , February 7, 2008 8:10 PM

Why is this under health?

#9 posted by Anonymous , February 8, 2008 10:40 AM

had a lot of lighters in my day...this is a good one

flint is changeable by pulling out the flint tube unscrewing and replacing flint...just like the classic Zippo lighters...electronic ignition will fail over time...flint ignition won't.

#5, you sure it came from camel...i think Marlboro sent out freebies...maybe what you got from camel isn't a Zippo BLU

as far as the "20-year-old technology" contained in the lighter, it's new technology combining flint and butane gas...but somebody using it for crack might not know that :)

#10 posted by roryrhorerton , February 8, 2008 5:00 PM

Thanks for the correction #9, it was indeed Marlboro.

The flint is a smart idea in that it is exchangeable, but the combined action of pressing down on the sparker, lighting it, then pressing the gas button reminds me too much of the 'child proof' lighters that got popular a few years ago. It just doesn't have the smooth elegance that my standard Zippo has.

If you really hate the smell of naphtha, perhaps this would be a good option. For me, my standard Zippo is plenty windproof, feels better constructed, and lighting involves simply spinning the sparker.

#11 posted by Anonymous , February 9, 2008 9:12 AM

i love those old zippos...if you don't like the smell of the fluid, why not try a little everclear. It's non-toxic unless you drink way too much.

#12 posted by Anonymous , April 27, 2008 8:42 PM

Hm... this has been said already, but the flint CAN be changed by the user. You just pull the flint wheel out and you can change it easily like in the classic windproof ones.

#13 posted by Anonymous , June 16, 2008 6:27 PM

are you guys stupid? you can easily get the flint out and replaced, just look around the zippo AND DONT SCREW AROUND WITH THE STAR SHAPED SCREW, its very dangerous and it voids the warrenty

#14 posted by Anonymous , August 7, 2008 10:40 PM

First off like already said you can change the flint. Also for me the only problem I have is refueling it...doesn't seem to want to do it unless I'm pressing too hard. And seriously? A crack lighter...a crack addict couldn't afford this lighter idiot...its made for cigars. Maybe before reviews are made people should really look into the product or actually own the product.