The Ultimate Torch? A short review with pics and video

grnamin

grnamin

Joined
Oct 6, 1998
Messages
2,269
Inspired by the recent thread started by Planterz about crack torches , I decided to purchase a Zippo in titanium and a Blazer Products Z-Plus Zippo insert. I got the Zippo from 3bay for about $45 below retail and purchased the Z-Plus for $15 from Nat Sherman on 42nd and 5th in Manhattan. The Z-Plus replaces the lighter section of the Zippo by pulling out the latter and inserting the former. The Z-Plus fit just a little bit loose so I pinched the sides of the Zippo's main compartment so that the Z-Plus could fit snugly. The Z-Plus' flame is very similar to the Blazer Pocket Micro Torch's (PB-207), albeit without a lever-type flame control or lock. You can adjust the flame using the screw at the bottom of the torch assembly. One thing I don't like about the Z-Plus is that it doesn't have a transparent fuel reservoir. You have to shine a light through to see the fuel level. The flame is pretty intense, same as on a Micro Torch. If the torch ever bogs down beyond repair, it's easy to replace and still cheaper than a Windmill version, for instance. Overall, a nice package. I chose a titanium Zippo because I'm a nut for the stuff. :D Here are some pics:

orig.jpg

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A short video of the Z-Plus in action:
*.wmv version
*.avi version
 
nice write up and i love the idea of this product! im going to have to jump on the train and get one or 2 of them. i have a bunch of zippos i would love to upgrade. kind of reminds me of the maglite led upgrades being sold. dont you love when thay make a great product even better!!


....justin
 
you sold me. i'll be picking one up in ny when i come to see Cristo's Gates. now to aquire a nice zippo to put it in... :)
Thanks for the demo

Pete

ps. hot enough to melt pennies? :D
 
Thanks for that. Looks really cool. I must find one here in the nether regions of the southern earth.

I have a Windmill Delta which, after 3 years, is lighting intermittently and it hasn't been dropped.

I now have my eye set on one of those cool Colibri CX Gear lighters, or the Extreme.

Thanks again for the cool video clip. I had a Zippo but did not like the fueling up bit. It also smelled like a gasworks when you lit up. Then it got stolen. The piezoelectric insert is cool.
 
pjenkins000 said:
ps. hot enough to melt pennies? :D
Click to expand...
Very important question. I'm definitely considering getting one, but if it can't melt pennies, it's no good to me.
 
Planterz said:
Very important question. I'm definitely considering getting one, but if it can't melt pennies, it's no good to me.
Click to expand...

Pjenkins000, Planterz, does this answer your question:
orig.jpg

:D :D :D

Funny thing is that I was going to say, "no", because the Z-Plus doesn't have a flame lock feature and I thought the switch would get too hot to hold for a sufficient length of time to melt the penny. I decided to give it a try anyway. Turns out that the switch is sufficiently isolated from the flame that it didn't get hot while I was trying to melt the penny. :D
 
Perfect, grnamin, thanks.

A couple years ago, I started getting into what I called "penny sculpturing". What you do is file away a small notch into the edge of a penny, then hold the penny with needlenose pliars (much like you show in the picture, but only with the last teeth) in a position so the notch is at the bottom. The idea is you heat the penny evenly enough, and the zinc will melt and drip out the notch (usually this happens quite suddenly--at least, if done right). When it drips ou, set the copper shell into the blob of liquid zinc, and you've got a self-standing deformed penny shell. I'm not sure why, but it always seemed kinda cool. Like the needle through the quarter thing or a lava lamp.
 
You're welcome. :) Please post a pic of a penny you worked on when you can. I'm curious as to what it looks like.
 
Me too, in 3 years. :mad: Oh, well no BIG rush, gotta get another job... Then I'll also have to wait another year for that. :yawn:
 
Hey underaged, dont worry, they are only like $12 online. And you should be able to find a cheap case somewhere, for $15 or $20.
 
grnamin said:
... I got the Zippo from 3bay for about $45 below retail and purchased the Z-Plus for $15 from Nat Sherman on 42nd and 5th in Manhattan.
Click to expand...

OK, I assume you mean ebay -- I have the MSRP of the TI zippo being 97.95 and the "widely available" price being about 70$ (e.g. tadgear). So I am deriving an ebay price of 53$ or so? That seems pretty cheap to me. I am assuming that the z-plus is cheaper but I see it online mainly about 12.95 so 15$ is great from B&M.

You sold me!
 
Fracmeister, there's a titanium Zippo on ebay right now with a Buy It Now price of $54.95. :D
 
Resurrecting an old thread here...

I got a Z-Plus Zippo insert today (well, 3 actually). Looks pretty slick in my new brushed chrome Zippo (also came today).

How does it work? I think this picture shows it pretty well. THe copper shell of the penny is sitting in the hardened pool of melted zinc. :cool:

attachment.php


It wasn't perfect out of the box. It'd light maybe 1 out of every three clicks. I adjusted the wire where the spark arcs more to the side, so the arc sparks over the jets better. Now it lights nearly every single time.

Very cool gadget. Looks much classier and carries easier than the crack torch Hobbico I used to have in my backpack. IMO much better than the regular Zippo, especially if you expect to keep this in a BOB or survival kit, what with the problems Zippos have with evaporating and drying out. The pressurized butane cans are probably safer than the plastic zippo fluid bottles.

The biggest problem seems to be that they're not easy to find. I got mine off ebay, but not everybody likes the auction sites. Finding one in a store seems to be a matter of luck. Perhaps it'd be an idea for someone to organize a group-buy from Blazer's wholesale department (packs of 12 I think) and lots of people can get into it.
 
Is it just me or is the insert akin to put a roller ball in your fountain pen casing?

Cool though.

Paul
 
ok, now I'm curious........what is "the needle through the quarter thing"? Someone enlighten me, please.

Kristopher
 
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