The lighter side of growing old
I had a birthday last month.
At my age, birthdays are not exactly a time of celebration – they remind me too much of the fleeting years.
Herself did however give me a wee present which was not only unexpected but rather touching. She got me a lighter for my pipe.
It’s one of those Zippo ones which uses fuel and flints, which means it should last a fair while. On top of that, it is a special one for pipes, so the flame doesn’t quite shoot straight up, and to get the best you have to hold it sideways, so the flame comes out at an angle.
She even had it engraved which is quite touching.
I haven’t quite gotten the hang of it yet. Flints are no problem except that the ones in the local shop are extra long and therefore quite fiddly to fit into tight confines.
I also have to fill it with fuel quite a lot.
I have yet to come to grips with pouring in the fuel. A pipe smoker tends to use a lighter a hell of a lot more than a cigarette smoker, and I find I have to top it up every day or so. And even with all that practice, I always manage to pour fuel all over my hands in the process. This makes the first light after a refill quite a spectacular event, as there is usually a faint woof noise and the lighter, my hands and anything else in the vicinity vanish in a ball of flame. So far I have lost all the hair on both hands and have had to shave off half my beard [I hate the smell of burning hair]. And you know all those reports about the Aurora Borealis being visible over Ireland? Forget that – it’s just me refilling my lighter.
Now I have to find out how she bought it.
I could have sworn I had blocked Interweb access to anywhere she could spend hard cash.
Now I have to start all over again.
Bugger!
I collect zippo lighters and cigarette cards although i will sell the lot for £20…if you are interested then give us an email
CR
Hope you not using unleaded in that yoke?
GD,
That is not my comment above.
It’s that twat of a troll doing the rounds.
CR.
Ranty [1] – Hiya Troll! Send us your real email and we might be in business……
Not Green – Sorry but they don’t sell leaded red diesel, do they?
Ranty [2} – This is getting fucking confusing. Maybe I should use fingerprint verification?
“I had a birthday last month.” Insidious Americanisation of the English language at work. No longer is it “It was my birthday last month.”
Fucking Americans get in everywhere! Are you sure though? “It was my birthday last month” somehow seems to imply that all of last month was my birthday?
Aye. The old zippo is the beast for winter streets with the wind howling around corners. A proper man’s lighter. And a proper satisfying ‘click’ at both ends of th’ operation that would pass the Humphrey Bogart test as well.
A very handsome (and by no means cheap) bit o’ kit Grandad ..
Sadly, I could never get on with liquid-fuelled pipe lighters, the smell of the fuel, as I drew on the pipe to get it lit made me feel ill ..
I still have a liquid-fuelled Zippo pipe lighter, engraved with my old unit crest, in a drawer somewhere ..
I’m on the look-out for a decent gas-fuelled pipe lighter .. but until I find one, I’m reduced to using gas-filled Clipper lighters .. 😉
this post made me smile
Hold up a Yanky sailor by his ankles and out will pop a zippo – plus his small change, Keep the zippo and spend the money on beer, that’s how we passed a boring evning in the dockyard canteen in Singapore during the ’60s.
Singapore sounds appropriate P.H. First time I’ve heard it called a “Zippo” though.
And, yes, GD I am cerain.
I certainly miss that edit button.
Boom…..Aurrora Borealis he says, I could see the flash here in North Dublin.
Con – Of course all Zippo owners have to be able to do “the flick” to close the lid. Mandatory, that……
Haddock – Maybe it’s the fuel I’m using but I haven’t noticed any taste off it. The only thing I will say in favour of gas is that it’s easier to direct the flame. Also a gas lighter goes out when you drop it!
Cat – And that has made my day.
Patrick 0 I am well aware of the unfortunate connection between the Zippo and Merka. However I do admit that that country has produced some good things, like…… …… The Zippo?
tt – If you want anything edited, just drop me a line [and €10] and I will do it for you. In the meantime, you may remain a cerain.
Slab – I just had to embed that image. Too fucking good and uncannily realistic.
Thanks for that, GD. I thought there’d be a resemblance.
Zippo’s are made right here in Pennsylvania. Up in Bradford. Now I’m not saying that Bradford, PA is the middle of nowhere but you can see it from there.
Patrick Harris on 11 Mar 2012 at 8:48 pm
“Hold up a Yanky sailor by his ankles and out will pop a zippo – plus his small change, Keep the zippo and spend the money on beer, that’s how we passed a boring evning in the dockyard canteen in Singapore during the ’60s” …
Wot ho “Chats” ..
Honky-Fid was also a good venue for giving the old “strangling lanyard” a run, at around the same time .. 😉