Americans have been carrying around Zippos since the 1930s. The lighters are, without question, one of the most iconic American products of all time. (Read more about that here.) But if you think taking one out of your pocket, flicking it on, and lighting something up is the extent of the fun you can have with one, you’re sorely mistaken. Why not get a little more suave with your brass lighter? Here are 10 tricks you can pull off with your Zippo.
Open It Like ‘Reservoir Dogs’
Any Tarantino fan remembers Harvey Keitel flicking open a Zippo and snapping at it. While Mr. White doesn’t pull it off as smoothly as possible, the move is one of the easier tricks on this list.
The Gun
One of the simpler tricks on this list, The Gun is something you could pick up with a few minutes of practice. So named because you end up holding it like a gun, the trick is a perfect beginners move.
Ring Igniter
Once you’ve mastered the Ring Igniter, it will become your go-to way to kick-start your Zippo. Named for the finger you use to flick the lighter on, the trick can be mastered a bit more easily than others on this list.
Eat the Flame and Spit it Back Out
This looks like a straight-up magic trick, and like many, it’s surprisingly simple to pull off once you know how. By bending the wick you can make it look like you’ve grabbed the flame right off the lighter. A simple shake of the Zippo helps the flame come back up.
Devil’s Kiss
This trick, which is not exactly for beginners, puts on an impressive show for the nimble of hand. When done properly, it looks like you’re a Hawaiian fire dancer twirling a lighter.
Top Pop
Sure it wears out the hinge, but after learning the Top Pop, there isn’t another way you’ll want to open your Zippo. No crazy twirls and tricky igniting moves, it’s just one simple and slick way to open your lighter up.
Hot Spin
Once you’ve mastered the aforementioned Top Pop, make the Hot Spin your next trick. The Top Pop makes for a cool way to open your Zippo, and the Hot Spin makes for a complimentary closing.
Knuckle Up
This trick, which is slightly more difficult than a beginner trick, looks slick when you pull it off. Holstering the Zippo top between two fingers, you flick it open, smack it on, and flip it shut, and you work on your grip strength in the process.
Goofy Style
Any Zippo trick is going to involve three basic steps: Opening the lighter, igniting the lighter, and closing the lighter. Once you realize that that’s always the procedure, you can get creative with any of those parts. Goofy Style offers a funky means of opening your lighter, where you hold it between three fingers, and a unique way of flicking it on, but dispenses of any crazy closing method.
Ten on Pump 4
Ten on Pump 4 isn’t the hardest trick, but once you’ve really gotten it down, and can go pretty fast, it will look damn cool. The move is really done in one motion, so after you’ve practiced it in steps, you can proceed to pull it off like a damn boss.
