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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I've owned about a bazillion different fireplace lighters and I've hated just about every one of them. But not this one.
I expected this to be another lightweight poorly built semi-disposable lighter. Wrong. This lighter is awesome. It's very solid and much heavier than I expected. I guess I should have known it would be solid, because that's how every other Zippo product I've owned has been.
So why bendy? Honestly, I don't know. I'm really not sure why I would want to aim my flame around a corner, but now I'm glad that I can.
The safety and ignition switch are easy to use. It generally lights on the first flick. The fluid level window is easy to see.
The flame level adjustment works well. It's actually a solid metal wheel with a good knurl on it.
It also has a clip thingie that flips out of the base. I can't tell what it is. I don't think it's a belt clip, because that would be weird. It can't be a stand, because who would want to stand their bendy lighter on end (too dangerous--plus it wouldn't stay lit).
The head is very elegant. It doesn't look like any lighter I've owned before. I guess the closest comparison (in looks) is one of my high end Calibri lighters.
So I suppose the unidentifiable clip and the bendable neck make this lighter slightly enigmatic. And why not? Why shouldn't your good lighter have a touch of mystery to it?
All in all, I really do like this lighter. I like the look and feel. It's utilitarian and elegant, plus it's a great conversation piece. Your friends will fight for a turn to play with it.
TIP: If you've never owned a refillable lighter like this, turn the whole business upside down when you fill it. Turn your canister of butane upside down (with the spout facing down) and turn the lighter upside down (with the fill hole pointing up). Couple the two together and then push the canister in bursts. Some of these bursts will fail and some will succeed. After a few good bursts, your lighter is full and you're ready to light something (in a well ventilated area).
Enjoy your bendy fire.
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The Zippo does light, but not easily. The safety mechanism and trigger are difficult to operate -and I am a man with large and reasonably strong hands. I got the Zippo to replace a Bic pistol style disposable lighter. I am sorry I did not get another Bic. I suppose there is a reason pistols are shaped the way they are -long experience has found this to be an effective and simple design. In the Bic, the hammer is replaced by the safety switch. A similar design is used by my electric hedge trimmer. I suppose Zippo was taking extra care to make their device child resistant (and for something that starts fires that is not a bad idea), but they did an awfully good job of making it adult resistant as well.Best Deals for Zippo Flex Neck Utility Lighter
I've purchased and fueled up (remember it does come empty on butane and get a canister as well) my new zippo flex neck lighter and have a couple useful notes to prospective buyers:The design is good, and thankfully the type of rubberized coating doesn't have a sticky feel like many other products in similar coatings. It's much more like a matte black milk gallon in texture.
The electronic ignition uses an wire filament which runs across the mouth of the unit about 1/8 inch deep inside the opening of the fuel nozzle. It does seem robust, but not terribly durable. So if you're looking to be able to drop this safely out on a rock or tile flooring often, consider a more rugged product.
To further support the "multiple clicking" ignition failure other reviews are talking about: to a point they're correct. You need to hold the slider a second longer than should be strictly necessary to allow gas to begin flowing before completing the motion and hearing the "click" for the most reliable ignition. Much like on a gas stove where you can hear the low hiss of moving gas before applying the spark to ignite. If you just run the slide in a quick motion (which admittedly works great on most cheap Bic lighters with long necks) you'll need as many as 3 to 6 clicks before enough fuel has collected at the nozzle to get a flame. If you've come to expect fast lighters like the classic Zippo box that fail uncommonly per strike, I'd urge you to look at a different model.
The bending neck is as flexible as I'd like and the filament is still holding well considering I've already dropped the unit several times. That plus the lifetime warranty should keep me in good shape.
