Any light collectors here? I need some help. I was recently given a Cartier lighter and can't figure out how or where to change/put in a new flint. Anyone? It's not like a Zippo.. doesn't have a screw at the bottom to remove. Only thing on the bottom is a flame adjustment "thing" and a door hiding the butane refill port. Bottom: Top: Full:
Nevermind. I figured it out. What I thought was the flame adjustment there on the bottom, is actually the flint screw.
Well if anyone cares... lol!... I got this baby working and surprisingly, it's holding the butane. I kind of thought after 30+ years, the seals would be bad but it's working. Now I just need to figure out how to adjust the flame because while it's working, it lights a 2, sometimes 3 inch flame. Out of curiosity, I looked on eBay.. found this exact same lighter listed for a BIN of $450. It has it's original case/box though. Many of the other Cartier lighters are going for a $100 or more. Not bad for something given to me.
I have a small collection of Zippo lighters gathered over the years. Not so much a collector, rather a user. Been smoking longer than a human life form should be. I have sent 3 of them back to the factory for repair and need to again with the others. Never had any luck whatsoever with butane lighters of any type or brand. I do enjoy perusing fleabay, looking at what some vendors consider to be priceless Zippo lighters (yuk yuk) and the Zippo website when I have absolutely nothing better to do. Seems to be every conceivable logo and color.
My vast collection of Zippo's were left behind in a garage many years ago. You can always tell a serious Zippo connoisseur because the first thing he or she will do when running across a Zippo whether it is borrowed, or for sale somewhere is to look at the date stamps on the bottom. I never had any that were particularly old or valuable, but if you are interested (and did not already know about them) here is the Zippo date code matrx.
I think the oldest Zippo I've had was from the early 1960s. My brother stocks Zippos in his line of work and he's supposed to be getting me the 1935 Replica on his next order. It's a beautiful piece.
I wouldn't call myself a collector, but I recently started carrying a Zippo again. I don't smoke, other than the occasional cigar here and there, but it's surprising how often a lighter comes in handy if you have one. As I posted in my introduction thread in the Newbies section, over the holidays I found a Gillette Tech that had belonged to my father. Also among his things I found two of his old Zippos -- well-worn, but still perfectly functional after I cleaned them up a bit. Now the one I'm carrying daily is a dilapidated old brass-colored 1957 model (according to the date matrix posted by stingraysrocks) with a "Citizen's Hardware & Supply" logo engraved on the side. Love it.
I smoke but don't like using Zippos or Zippo-type (fluid/petro lighter), because I don't like the taste the fluid gives when I light up. I stuff my own cig tubes using premium tobacco for a reason and don't want it mucked up by lighter fluid taste. :happy102 I either use a BIC or a refillable butane lighter.
Man I loved that first drag from a zippo in my smoke. Sometimes thats what I miss most about quitting.
Brother, I am with you on this. Love that first whiff of the remnants of the fluid with that first drag. Not to mention the distinct clinking sound of a good condition Zippo makes when opening or shutting.
That's precisely why I started carrying one again. I had stopped carrying a lighter of any kind (as I say, I'm not a smoker), but I went to see a Broadway play in which the lead character kept lighting up with a Zippo. I'd forgotten what a great sound that was, and it stayed with me. Had to get one...
I agree with anyone on the Zippo being a classic. But I personally prefer the look of the old Ronson's, back when they were English made. I particularly love the Varaflame model, my grandmother had one, and wheneve I visited as a kid, that lighter just captivated me. I prefer the plain chrome ones to the more elaborate gold plated models with engravings. My dad used to smoke and he didn't like Zippos either. He didn't mention anything about the lighter affecting taste, but he smoked heavy, and a zippo needed refuelling every 3 days. Any butane lighter beats a Zippo on fuel capacity, but Zippo has started making butanes now.
Great looking lighter. I have a small Zippo collection and a couple of miscellaneous lighters. Nothing as nice as that Cartier, though.
Thanks. I decided to put it on eBay as I'm not really a lighter collector and I'm too lazy and don't want to fool with having to refill a lighter when it's empty. Ha! Some jerk bid on it and won it at the last minute, then about 30 minutes later sent me a message saying they didn't want it and wasn't going to pay for it. So I've re-listed it again as a Buy It Now requiring immediate payment to avoid any hassle of non-payment. Hopefully someone will give it a good home.
Firstly, welcome to The Shave Den! I forgot to follow up on this.. you have to take the fuel cartridge out and where the nozzle meets the cartridge body, you'll see a little threaded nut. You turn this to adjust the flame. Unfortunately you can't tell how much without putting it all back together again and lighting it.. then if it wasn't enough, disassembling it all again, adjusting a little more, reassembling it and lighting it. Too much hassle if you ask me. :happy102
Only 3 years to reply to post, but I thought I'd better put you straight... Do you think Cartier would design a 600 dollar lighter that has to be taken apart in order to adjust the flame? The problem is that what you first thought was the Flame Adjuster, and then later found out was the Flint Screw, IS IN FACT BOTH FLAME ADJUSTER AND FLINT SCREW. You twist it to adjust the flame, and completely unscrew it to replace the flint. On your photo, I can't see the +/- on the cap, nor can I see the "Swiss Made" stamp. Quite possibly a fake Cartier.
