A lighter that doesn't make a click. Zippo-click - one click says it all
Zippo petrol lighters have been a little fetish of all smokers in the world for 80 years. And this is easy to explain: the Zippo metal case looks expensive and stylish, you can emphasize your status with such an accessory, and hundreds of designs contribute to self-expression. And yet, with this lighter, any “can’t find a light?” can be turned into a spectacular trick that will not leave indifferent any girl. 10 cool magic tricks with the legendary Zippo collected in this review.
The first Zippo lighter hit the market in 1933 and cost $1.95. Today, the price of this stylish little thing has changed significantly. But her modern fans, just like their grandfathers, do not get tired of coming up with spectacular ways to extract fire from their favorite accessory. A little practice, a dozen revisions of training videos, and you too will turn into a real fakir.
1. On Click (Tarantino Method)
If you have watched the movie Quentin Tarantino "Reservoir Dogs", then this trick will definitely seem familiar to you. How did Harvey Keitel's character manage to make fire with a snap of his fingers? The answer is in this video.
2. Pistol
As the name suggests, the trick is to use the lighter while holding it like a gun. Unlike real shooting, you can learn this trick in just 10 minutes.
3. Index
Trick for beginners. You just need to casually open the lighter with one finger. But it looks no worse than in the movies.
4. In the blink of an eye
Probably the fastest way to open a lighter.
5. "In the blink of an eye" with a spread
An improved version of the previous trick.
6. Brass knuckles
Focus is not for beginners, but the effect is worth training.
7. Double turn
8. Bond style
It's more than just a lighter. This is a legend, this is a lifestyle, this is the spirit of America, this is history. Quite deservedly, this lighter enjoys continued popularity all over the world. It is carefully preserved and passed down from generation to generation, it is bragged about among friends, it is presented as a present to loved ones and bosses. Fans of Zippo know not only the history of the appearance of this little thing, but also every detail in its design. There are heated debates between Zippo fans about which case is the most convenient, what and how to fill the lighter, which model is the most interesting. And of course, there is always talk about the famous zippo click - a click made when opening and closing the lighter. After all, this click, like everything related to Zippo, is not just a characteristic of the lighter. This is one of the reliable features that allow you to determine the originality of the product. This unique property, inherent only to Zippo lighters.
Let's try and figure out what kind of sound it is, what is its peculiarity and why it is so dear to true connoisseurs.
First of all, it's worth mentioning that Zippo is the only company that has patented the click sound. And none of the competitors managed to repeat this sound. Of course, the click itself cannot be patented. But it is possible to patent the exact design of the lighter - its shape, dimensions, appearance. The lighter consists of 22 separate parts, for its production it is required to carry out exactly 108 technological operations. And only with the exact observance of the operations and with the exact execution of all the details, the resulting product will emit the same click. Thus, in 2002, the Zippo company patented the shape of a lighter as an independent trademark, actually registering the essence of sound, the method of its occurrence.
By the way, the click of different lighters is not the same. Somewhere it is louder, somewhere quieter, somewhere more sonorous, and somewhere it is deaf, connoisseurs also say that the sound can be “dry” and “wet”. The sound of a click is influenced by several factors - the thickness of the metal from which the case is made, the method of attaching the loop, the presence of plastic overlays (they make the sound more deaf, "spy"), the presence of an attached emblem. But there is no doubt about one thing - any Zippo lighter will have a juicy, memorable click, unlike anything else.
Where does this sound come from? There is a heated debate on this topic among connoisseurs of Zippo. Experiments are made, sounds are compared different models.
It must be said that the famous zippo click consists of two sounds. The first, more melodic, similar to the ringing of bells, the sound is obtained when the lid is opened. More precisely, when it is tilted with one hand. Try to open the lid with two fingers - and the sound will not be the same. The second sound is heard when the lid is closed. It is more deaf, more like a clang.
Actually, than to describe the sound, it is better to listen to it once. Here you can download and listen to what Zippo's signature click is. And here's what it looks like:
I think you will notice that the sounds are somewhat different. We have described the reason for this above.
It is clear that the sound appears as a result of the impact of one of the parts on the opening cover. In the course of discussions and experiments, it was revealed that the blow is made with a cam, on the upper part of the hinge fixed in the lid. Or more precisely, along the bent lamellar end of the loop inside the lid. Well, the ringing comes from the entire lid. Try experimenting - bend the plate a little. If you bend it too much, the lid will be hard to walk, there is no place for the cam to “turn around” in order to properly jump off the plate - a loud click will not work.
Zippo click is often used in. It happens that the hero lights up from a lighter that the viewer does not see, but by a characteristic click it becomes clear to everyone that Zippo was used here. And Eric Clapton and Sting introduced the sound of a lighter opening into their composition "It's probably me". Don't believe? - See for yourself:
The name "Zippo Click" is also used by the world's largest Zippo collectors' club. Here's where you can listen to everything possible options the sound of that very click.
In general, it is surprising that so far no one has come up with the idea to create some kind of musical composition out of different-sounding Zippo clicks. Or, perhaps, one of our readers has already met something similar?
In our virtual age, things are especially valuable that cannot be replaced by any computer program. One of them is the iconic, legendary Zippo lighter, amazing in its simplicity. A thing whose history is also simple and amazing at the same time.
Alexander Malenkov
One
Oddly enough, all Zippo lighters are made in one place - at a plant in the town of Bradford, Pennsylvania, by 620 employees of the Zippo Manufacturing Company. The same place where the first Zippo saw the light of day 80 years ago.
Two
Zippo Manufacturing Company was and remains a private, moreover, family business. Its sole owner today is George Duke, grandson of Zippo founder George Blaisdell. Offers from various corporations for full or partial redemption of the business come to him about once a week, but are never considered.
Three
All Zippo products come with a lifetime warranty. Whatever happens to the lighter, you can send it (at your own expense) to Bradford and get it back (free of charge) repaired or new. The warranty does not cover only the exterior finish.
Four
Despite the global decline in the number of smokers, lighter sales are not falling even in the US. Many people buy lighters just to have their Zippo.
Five
The Zippo factory produces 60,000 lighters a day.
Six
The first lighter was produced by George Blaisdell in 1932. He borrowed the idea of a windproof gasoline lighter from an Austrian company, adding only a hinged cover instead of a removable one.
Seven
All American warships have their own branded Zippo lighter series, designed by the factory individually for each ship.
Eight
The rhythmic click that goes through the entire famous song It "s Probably Me is nothing more than the sound of a Zippo lighter (close the lid, open the lid, strike a spark, close, open). Legend has it that Eric Clapton, who was entrusted with Sting to write a song for the film "Lethal Weapon - 3", could not come up with a melody and sadly clicked his beloved Zippo. However, in the hands of a great musician, even a lighter turned into an instrument: the clicks suggested a musical idea and were used in the recording itself.
Nine
During the Second World War, the company had to introduce two significant changes - in production and sales policy. Since copper and zinc (brass components) were in demand in the defense industry, lighters began to be made from steel, and to prevent them from rusting, they were painted with black paint. Black Zippos, unlike shiny ones, were also more useful at the front in terms of disguise. And because of the huge demand from the military, lighters were no longer sold to civilians. The hardy and reliable Zippo has become the same symbol of the American army as a jeep or Lucky Strike cigarettes. Each soldier had his own Zippo.
Ten
All serial Zippo lighters are made of brass, that is, they are yellow by nature. Steel color is obtained in the process of galvanization.
Eleven
Zippo lighters were made of gold and platinum, covered with crystals and diamonds. The most unusual of these was sold to an anonymous buyer in 2006 for $6.81 million. A pistol with six rounds of 6 mm caliber was hidden in the miniature body of the lighter.
Twelve
There are at least five documented cases (in wartime and peacetime) when a Zippo lighter in your pocket took a hit from a bullet and saved the owner's life. The first of these lucky ones is Private Klinger, who in 1944 in Germany, after a battle, found in his trouser pocket not only his favorite lighter, but also a bullet flattened about it. Moreover, unlike the bullet, the lighter continued to work!
Thirteen
In all the films with Bruce Willis, where his character uses a lighter, this lighter is Zippo. Without exception.
Fourteen
Zippo's renowned windproof properties were scientifically verified in 1979. Two hundred Zippo lighters of different models were exposed to a stream of air, gradually increasing its speed. It turned out that the maximum wind speed at which the lighter continues to burn is 14.2 m/s.
And now - focus!
Tricks with a lighter have become a separate direction in the Zippo subculture. A simple-looking device, with the skillful application of five fingers to it, allows you to light and extinguish a fire by dozens spectacular ways. Those who wish can quickly master them on YouTube and impress impressionable viewers. We will describe an easy and mesmerizing trick that does not require manual sleight and is known as the Twiglight Zone.
The secret is that the wick does not go out completely when you run your fingers over it from above. The fire continues to glow under the wick. All that is needed to resurrect him is the flow of air - the slightest vibration of the lighter or the flow of air from the wave of the hand.
Fifteen
In the 2000s, partly due to the decline in tobacco consumption, partly realizing the power of the brand, Zippo decided to diversify - expanded its range, invading the market for hiking and picnic equipment. Also released was a branded perfume, a line of watches, and one brand new device, a gasoline hand warmer. The product is as amazing in appearance as it is surprisingly effective: it is enough to fill it with gasoline, light the smoldering wick and close the lid - and the heating pad will be very hot for several hours.
Sixteen
The famous Syd Barrett, co-founder of Pink Floyd, used a Zippo lighter to play slide guitar instead of the slide itself (a metal tube worn on the finger). However, LSD is to blame for his madness.
Seventeen
Blaisdell wanted to call his product Zipper (zip is an onomatopoeic verb for any fast movement), but this name was already patented by manufacturers of zippers that were beginning to come into use. Not wanting to give up the sound dear to his heart, he coined the word "zippo".
Eighteen
In 2008, after 75 years of devotion to gasoline, Zippo released a lighter powered by liquefied butane, or simply gas. Blaisdell's descendants betrayed the gasoline faith after years of requests from pipe and cigar lovers who dreamed of using Zippo, but complained that gasoline left an aftertaste on tobacco after lighting. The novelty was called Zippo Blue and retained the original flip cover and wind resistance.
