Cigar Musings

Ever since I found out last Spring that Zippo was going to be releasing a new lighter that emits a butane flame for us cigar smokers, I thought WOW! I really want one. I went online to research as much information as possible about the new butane lighter and discovered on some message board, I don’t recall which one as I went through hundreds maybe, even thousands of them to get as much info as I could about the Zippo Blu. Anyway… I found out on one of them that if you submit your information to Marlboro you had a choice between a Zippo Blu lighter or, if I remember correctly, a sleeping bag. I really didn’t pay attention to what the other option was; I was focused only on picking the Zippo Blu lighter. It may have been a million dollars and I still would have opted for the lighter. Okay, that isn’t true… I would have taken the million but, that is neither here nor there. Right after I hit the submit button and received my Thank You message from Marlboro notifying me that it will be another 10 weeks before I get the lighter in my hands, I counted the time on my calendar to get a rough estimate as to when I would see it. According to my estimates I won’t see it until about the middle of October. Then, I thought, the thing is coming from Marlboro and it will more than likely have a Marlboro logo stamped on one side since they are giving them away as a free promotion. What the hell! I didn’t care. Even though I don’t smoke cigarettes, I wanted that Blu lighter. I love Zippo lighters; I am not a big Zippo Collector like some people are as I only have three Zippo lighters. I just love the fact it is a product that is proudly made in the Good Ol’ US of A, a business that has a long history and tradition and in my humble opinion the Zippo is the most reliable lighter around. The only thing that I don’t like about the Zippo is it has to be re-filled with lighter fluid once a week. My favorite butane lighter is my trusty old Vector/KGM Vulcan but, that is another story.

Imagine my surprise when I received a package from Marlboro weeks before I estimated as to when I would get my Blu. I anxiously ripped open the bubble wrap envelope, and dumped out in my hand a card, about the size of a business card and a brown box. I didn’t really bother taking any time looking at the card, I just slid a metal case out of the brown cardboard sleeve and popped open the Zippo Blu tin lid off.

Low and Behold!!! I found a brushed Chrome Zippo Blu lighter. I took it out of the case, took off the back sticker and flicked open the lid to hear that famous Zippo Click. I closed the lid of the lighter and immediately filled it up with Zippo Butane. Let it warm up in my hand for a few seconds, flicked open the lighter’s lid hit the flint wheel and pushed the button that releases the butane gas. I wish I could say I was able to light it up easily but, for some reason it seemed I had to get used to hitting the wheel and then the button. I am used to my old lighter fluid lighters and a few months back I picked up one of Vector/KGM’s Thunderbird butane lighter inserts that fits a Zippo case perfectly. I love the KGM Thunderbird insert not only because it is butane but, it looks like a Zippo insert, unless of course you take a really close look at it.

My first impression with the Zippo Blu I must admit was, “THIS IS AWESOME!” I am sure if  you are like me, have already read on other blogs, message boards or even on Zippo’s website that the Blu is taller and thicker that the lighter fluid Zippos. And, it is obvious the Blu isn’t in a rectangular shape as the Classic Zippos are but, when I first held the Blu it felt heavier to me or, I should say bulkier. It just doesn’t have the same slim, light feeling as a trusty old Zippo lighter has. After using the Blu ligther a bunch of times lighting I was beginning to lose my love and admiration of it. Sometimes, I smoke a cigar while I am working and will at times sit it down for a few minutes to find later when I pick the cigar back up it needs to be relit. At this point I am multi-tasking while attempting to light the my cigar and want to get it done quickly but, the way the Blu’s flint wheel and button are arranged it doesn’t seem to be very practical. And, talk about ergonomics, this lighter won’t even make it at the top of the list. My thumb gets sore because of how the wheel and button are set up. Now, I am not an engineer or even, an inventor for that matter but, I wish Zippo would have designed an ignition system that would work better than it does now. Plus, I don’t know if anyone else is experiencing this or not, but it seems to me the Blu hogs up a lot of gas and there isn’t a flame adjustment on this lighter. I am just spoiled with every other butane lighter has a flame adjustor on it. I find myself either using my Zippo with the KGM butane insert or my old reliable Zippo lighter more often now. I still like the Blu lighter and use it from time to time but, not as much as I thought I would when I first got it in the mail.
’nuff said.