Cool Trench Metal Petrol Vintage Lighter for Smoking - (Sold without Lighter Fluid)

I like this lighter a lot. It exceeded my expectations. I am a big fan of Zippo lighters, and the design of this one is reminiscent of a Zippo, but with some very nice tweaks. The wick feeds down into a cotton-filled fuel chamber just like a Zippo. However, unlike a Zippo, the bottom is fully enclosed, which helps reduce fuel evaporation. To refuel the lighter, you remove the larger screw on the bottom of the lighter. The screw is also fitted with a small rubber gasket. The smaller screw on the bottom covers a spring-loaded flint tube. (Mine arrived with two flints already installed along with two spare ones and a wick) The lid/cover is spring-loaded. When you roll the ignition button/barrel on the side of the lighter, the lid is released and automatically stricks the flint and lights the wick. Ingenious. Closing the lid with your thumb extinguishes the flame and seals the wick to stop fuel from evaporating through the top. The materials are solid, and the whole of the lighter seems to be well made. The zinc alloy body has a distressed finish, which is okay, but I would have preferred a polished finish. This is a well designed and well made, reusable lighter. For the price, I think it's incredible value for money. Highly recommended.

Love it. Works so well and looks great

Don’t buy. The flint wheel only sparks about every 8th turn so totally useless as a lighter. Also not eligible for return and you get stuck in a loop.

I wasn't looking for jets and loose fuel chambers nor the price of a well maintained vintage lighter. It took a while to figure out the access to the fuel chamber and that there are two seals; an O and a rectangular one to seal in the fuel. The extra lug under the flint spring closure not mentioned to release the bottom of the housing. Might have had me trying to use tweezers through the filling hole. But like anything of value you want to last, you should take the time to know it's ins and outs. I will have the spring mechanism to figure out when that time comes. So why the chamber access so soon? The wick! Have used Zippo wicks in the past, but have never taken one apart. But the wick supplied seemed to need feeding through much more often and it went black with carbon very quickly. I was experimenting with bio-ethanol as a fuel as I have a bio-ethanol burner, the Zippo lighter fuel was delayed (Royal Mail). It remains to be seen if the seals will breakdown with this fuel type, time will tell. Have tried "seals" for Zippos that melt away. The wick construction has a core of glass fibres for "wicking", what appears to be a cotton string covering and 4(5) thin filament copper wires for wrapping. The glass fibres do seem to be the bulk of this wick and do not ignite, they are supposed to crystalize. This leaves very little cotton to actually deliver the fuel vapours. The Zippo fuel arrived as the wick came out with a frustrated yank. I am now experimenting with that fuel with a 10" cotton string cut from a Wicks cotton string roll with a bit less wadding. So far so good but will switch in a Zippo if it doesn't last. Delivering more vapours does mean the string is not burning in the time it takes to light and close the top and there is no sign of carbonisation after 40 "lights". Dead matches in the bottom of my bio-ethanol burner similarly don't "burn". Once it needs refuelling will try the bio-ethanol again. Okay I'm burning tobacco and releasing all sorts into the environment, I can at least try a token effort to use fuel from sugar-beat and cotton along with some cured leaves. It may end up with Zippo wicks, flints and fuel though. Ah flints... maybe another time; Zippo, Clipper (argh), Swan, Ronson or a softer Dunhill Red?

First of all it has a nice heft in the hand, looks great and functions perfectly. One fill lasts over two weeks and the supplied flint has lasted over four. The seals are good and the safety lock means it won’t go off in your pocket. I liked the bonus of spare a wick and rubber seals along with the tool to access the fuel reservoir and flint. Undo the flint and on the reverse side of the screw is a container for another flint. Great lighter.

Lighter though finish is a bit kitsch (tacky) for my taste is very well built. Classic design with simple, effective & great mechanism (have bought expensive lighters in past (£60+) that did not last 3 or even 2 days. Had around a week & this looks like it will be going a very long time :) Weight is reassuringly solid & bit more than a zippo (also seems to carry more fuel & is properly sealed, with a zippo I'd have refilled days ago). The thick lid is sprung (no need to open) & includes striker wheel So that upon catch release (the silver bit is a release not a striker using smallest of effort - no numb thumbs) it opens & lights automatically without holding a button or effort. First release is over 95% effective & never needed more than a second. Tilting edge on to wind works well; do not tilt flame into lid for a long time as heats metal. Close top to shut off. As said I find the finish a bit gaudy but my pretty zippo is now shelved as this is better made, designed & more practical. So finally getting a good lighter I will perhaps later look for one with a better finnish (ie. brushed brass or silver). Recommended :) 5 star as my taste is no real relevance to product Update: To finnish... well I brushed down the gilt finish with wire wool briefly & silver underneath.. cool for me, lol. Anyway a note on servicing - firstly bag in box contains a spare spring, 2 flints & a key... make sure to keep key for replacing wick. 1. Refuel no biggie = big screw & ware of overfueling, seems to use one long push (not 2-3 like a zippo) - if dripping on restart a bit of kitchen roll to absorb extra fuel is quickest (a min). 2. New flint... easy, the smaller screw. Seems a very weak spark is still produced when flint is gone..ie, no great spark continues... flint. 3. Replace wick - remove bottom screw & flint spring... in flint spring hole there is a collar (undo with key from box bag) there is a small rubber ring behind to keep track of as now can separate bottom. Remove poly wool feed a pointed wick through top, keep in place as re pack. Remember the small bit of wool behind flint tube (especially if removed top -not recommended-) helps align flint screw/spring. 4. Spring replacement - doubt you will need this: referencing from wheel catch on left, side facing remove screws at hinge. Note rear screw is smaller (care not to loose)All comes off (probably flint too). Spring goes rear with step fitting into main lighter, flint wheel has tooths & goes to front. Lid raised refit big screw first. Note to flush fit both screws are counter tightened (over tighten will stall movement just off full). If you have fully disassembled note the flint tube needs to be pushed down & screwed in. PS. Love these Traditional builds, you can fully restore if ever needed :) ------------------------- Edit: On 15.10.21 after near two months I have finally given up on this lighter (especially after being stuck like a pig after trying to replace spring & bleeding... far too damn much). I would knock 3 stars off... why? : I have totally disassembled this lighter (needing to re-instate wick after 2 weeks) no problem. I have even had a friend wanting me to get one after I had vynle wrapped it (purple carbon effect). First it burns quickly through the wick & filling can be an overflow mess until you get used to how much to put in. A real pain is how quickly the flint wheel clogs up... in 4 weeks I tried to replace the flint 3 times but it turned out to be clogged wheel & not flint. On an important birthday for me I prepared a trimmed wick, refill & replaced worn flint (6 week old). Halfway through birthday the spring went. A bit annoying but when returned home the two hours of trying to replace spring got very annoying (had no prob re-assembling before) - after the spring stuck deep in my finger & bled amazingly (still nubly hurts a week on), I finally gave up & went back to my zippo. I just wish zippos had stronger hinges! (too loose over time). This lighter is high maintenance & frequently needs care. Great when it works but too soon becomes a time consuming bloodthirsty nightmare. - - - Never again!

The main problem with this lighter is the fact that the flint is located in the same spot that the spring needed to effectively open the cover to spark the lighter. With frequent use debris and dust gets in-between the moving parts slowing down the opening speed and generally wearing out the spring so it took maybe 3 days until the spring became too weak to spark the lighter so it's unusable now.

Really nice lighter takes a day or so to get used to where the wheel is to spark it but otherwise it feels solid I ordered this in December its now late January and its been filled once in that time so it holds the petrol better than a normal zippo style The only downside is like some people mention the wick burns fast but it's probably just a cheap wick I ordered a zippo service kit with the wick and flints and petrol at the same time I ordered this lighter I've not needed it yet but I would think a proper zippo wick will solve the issue when the time comes I'm so impressed I'm ordering a second one as a present for someone who I know needs a decent lighter