One of the principal reasons that people choose to buy Zippo lighters is because of their reusability and their long service life. These lighters are very simple devices whose refillable components consist principally of three parts: the wick, the reservoir and the flint. The flint is located underneath the flint wheel where it is held in place by the tension of the spring, attached to a screw, which is screwed into the bottom of the reservoir.
The flint in fluid-filled lighters is usually replaced by removing a screw on the bottom of the insert which his positioned on the top of the felt that holds the cotton reservoir in place. The screw is generally attached to a spring which provides the tension required to hold the flint in place against the flint wheel as it is turned. Replacing these flints is an enormously simple task and only takes a few seconds to complete. The flint should always be checked when refilling the lighter.
Loosening the screw, the user will see that it is attached to a long spring with a solid fitting on the end. This fitting is oftentimes mistaken for a flint but it is made of steel. This apparatus can be set aside and the insert turned right side up. Sometimes a bit of flint will get stuck in the lighter and tapping it on the table a few times or moving the wheel back and forth should dislodge it and free up the tube.
The flints are simply loaded into the channel underneath the wheel from the access hole on the bottom. There are several different types of flints available and their sizes, being more or less standardized, should fit the vast majority of lighters. Once the flint has been dropped into the port, the screw is simply placed back in and the lighter is ready to use. Remember not to tighten the screw too much as it may damage the spring.
Some individuals will wish to place additional flints in their lighter for backup. Loading these in the tube is generally not the best idea. One can simply place them on top of the cotton reservoir and cover them with the felt before replacing the screw. If the flint should run out, one has another ready to take its place and there is no additional tension placed on the screw which can cause problems with the spark wheel.
Dave Sabot is the owner of specialty butane lighters store. With expert knowledge of cigar accessories, including Lotus lighters, Dave also owns an online cigar accessories store.
