Zippetty Hop!

October 26, 2002 4:13 PM

Zippetty Hop! Cool, clickety Zippo tricks on Zippo's 70th Anniversary. Congratulations to the coolest American icon alive! [Via Filepile. Quicktime and Flash required, respectively.]
posted by MiguelCardoso (27 comments total)

The worst thing about giving up smoking is that it deprives one of ones Zippo. Unless, of course, you don't mind making a complete berk of yourself.
posted by Fat Buddha at 4:39 PM on October 26, 2002

The thing I miss most about smoking is carrying my Zippo around and all the conversations in my life that have begun with someone saying "Got a Light."

Oh well, I still have it, my beloved Smoke King Buddy Bradley model, but now it's merely a prop.
posted by jonmc at 4:42 PM on October 26, 2002

Of course what you get in real life are drunk guys at parties who try to do those tricks, but in fact set fire to the curtains. Or their beards.

It takes a lot of single-mindedness to grow a beard like that.
posted by Grangousier at 4:50 PM on October 26, 2002

Miguel, if your lighter is alive, wouldn't you have bigger things to think about than this anniversary?

and now back to your regularly scheduled thread...
posted by verso at 5:11 PM on October 26, 2002

during the vietnam war, the term 'zippo raid' was coined in regards to burning down a village:(
but i like the zippo tricks.
posted by clavdivs at 5:22 PM on October 26, 2002

I love my Brass Jim Beam Zippo and never leave the house without it.
posted by revbrian at 5:24 PM on October 26, 2002

I sort of collect Zippos (only got 8) and Dupont lighters (I have 11, all the all-silver ones since 1990 except one) but my favourite of all-time, for using, giving and keeping is the beautiful silver-plated Zippo, which gets more and more good-looking (that patine!) is the silver-plated one.

Now a question: does anyone know how Zippotricks.com paid for such an expensive video clip? As far as I can tell, they're not sponsored by Zippo (who must look down on these tricks) and the production values are extremely high. I'm befuddled!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 5:46 PM on October 26, 2002

Editing!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 5:48 PM on October 26, 2002

i quit smoking 17 years ago but i kept my most treasured zippo. lighting candles is about the only business it gets these days.
posted by t r a c y at 6:10 PM on October 26, 2002

does anyone know how Zippotricks.com paid for such an expensive video clip?

or the bandwidth bill they'll get when 400 of us download a 7 mb quicktime file?
posted by machaus at 6:11 PM on October 26, 2002

t r a c y, I never found a way to light a candle with a Zippo, without burning a digit.
posted by Fat Buddha at 6:26 PM on October 26, 2002

This website made me fully realize my own lack of grace or coordination. Still, it was amusing to watch my own toiling. Good link.
posted by Dark Messiah at 6:40 PM on October 26, 2002

I thought it had a bit too much style to be a purely amateur effort, and doing a WHOIS reveals that Zippo does sponsor the page.
posted by Inkslinger at 6:58 PM on October 26, 2002

Thanks, Inkslinger. I thought the Vietnam connection clavdivs mentioned was too obvious in the "Teleporter" trick; where a lighted Zippo is tossed across the room.

I'm glad they're not too politically correct to help the aficionados at Zippotrick - although their own website is quite cheesy. Part of the charm, perhaps? Or, hey, if they make such great, lasting lighters (cheap for the price and with the famous lifetime replacement guarantee), why should they care about seeming hip? They're terminally cool as they are.

After reading this thread, I wonder whether an enterprising MeFite couldn't convince Zippo to sponsor a site dedicated to finding uses for their lighters for people who no longer smoke? Zippofornonsmokers.com? That seems to be a growth market and a niche...
posted by MiguelCardoso at 7:14 PM on October 26, 2002

t r a c y, I never found a way to light a candle with a Zippo, without burning a digit

i know...! it's a sideways affair that no one can really master to consistent effect 8-) that's why CatZippo™ mainly just sits around looking pretty on a bookshelf.
posted by t r a c y at 7:24 PM on October 26, 2002

?
posted by HTuttle at 8:09 PM on October 26, 2002

HTuttle: the main link is new but thanks for linking to the original May 2002 Zippo Tricks thread - I'd missed that completely, dammit. There are a few great comments there too. I should have searched - but I came straight here from Filepile...
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:11 PM on October 26, 2002

::: wonders if Miguel has ANY habits that aren't bad for him :::
posted by rushmc at 10:42 PM on October 26, 2002

Very cool tricks. As I was watching the clip, I couldn't stop wondering how many times the cap must have accidentally snapped shut and pinched their flesh...particularly that sensitive web of skin between the thumb and index finger (by the way, what is that called?).

As for Zippos, I could never stand the smell. I like Colibri lighters.
posted by Devils Slide at 11:23 PM on October 26, 2002

The worst thing about giving up smoking is that it deprives one of ones Zippo.

I wonder whether an enterprising MeFite couldn't convince Zippo to sponsor a site dedicated to finding uses for their lighters for people who no longer smoke?

Obviously, you've never heard of Ziplights; they're flashlight mods
for your windproof which come with their own (non-rechargable) battery.

At ten bucks a pop, they're a bit pricey for some folks, but they do shine better/last longer than keychain lights.
posted by Smart Dalek at 11:58 PM on October 26, 2002

Good grief. My previous post came off like a @#$*! shill.

Fat Buddha and Miguel:
I SHALL NO LONGER DO YOUR HOMEWORK FOR YOU. ;)
posted by Smart Dalek at 12:09 AM on October 27, 2002

I lost a finger attempting an Around the World in college. *sigh*...
posted by DakotaPaul at 12:12 AM on October 27, 2002

The zippotricks site is a wealth of information and the how-to-videos are great.

Without very much effort I was able to reproduce a handful of those tricks. Some are monstrously difficult and very tough on your digits. Others are remarkably simple and straightforward yet look very impressive.

I'm sure Zippo loves these people. They buy multiples of lighters, different ones for practice and for show. Plus they get others into "trickin".

It's so worth the effort when you find someone who thinks they know a cool trick and you can do a 3 trick combo after them.
posted by Ynoxas at 12:14 AM on October 27, 2002

<british>
So it's a disposable lighter?
</british>
posted by feelinglistless at 2:27 AM on October 27, 2002

I love my sleek, silver-plated Zippo, with "666" inscribed on it. "Got a light" is often to precursor to rather ... interesting conversation.

For the record, I'm no Satanist — I just love to watch reactions. I've met some rather interesting people via my Zippo. (And a few militant fundementalists, but it's all good fun.)
posted by Dark Messiah at 4:42 AM on October 27, 2002

Zippos are for philistines. Give me my vintage Ronson any day.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 9:47 AM on October 28, 2002

Found some other tricks on Filepile.
posted by semmi at 4:48 PM on October 28, 2002