Lighter Collecting Hobby

(Baonghean) - There is a quiet but bright world of people who are passionate about the flame emitted from Zippo lighters. Most of them always have at least one with them, but they do not use it to… smoke. I ventured into that special world, listened to their confessions, and then realized many interesting things…

Nguyen Hoang Quan (Hamlet 12C, Nghi Lien) - a friend I just met through searching for information about Zippo players in Nghe An. This year, Quan is 28 years old, but is recognized by everyone as having many years of professional experience. Originally from the IT industry, Quan said that he rarely pays attention to any hobby other than computers. But the opportunity to play Zippo came by chance, when one morning while drinking coffee, a friend showed off that he had just bought a lighter and took it out to demonstrate how to light it. "Of course it's just a lighter, but a Zippo lighter is very special. I was fascinated at first sight. Later, when I learned more, I found out that it was a new model, not as valuable as Zippos with "seniority". However, I always silently thank my friend and that first Zippo, because from then on, the more I learned, the more I loved it" - Quan shared.

Zippo lighter testing fire.

Quan is quiet and reserved, but when talking about Zippo, he can talk all day long without getting bored: "Zippo, in addition to its mission of providing fire, each Zippo also carries within it a historical and cultural story based on the seal stamped on the bottom, or through the patterns and lines engraved on the body."

Zippo is a lighter named after its manufacturer: Zippo, (USA) since 1932. By 1941, that is, when World War II broke out, Zippo signed a contract to exclusively supply lighters to the US Army, and since then, Zippos have followed American soldiers to battlefields around the world. Zippo meets the strict requirements of the battlefield, such as being able to burn when driving at a speed of 40 km/h or being able to stand and throw from a distance of 20m to 30m without going out, so it is safe for users. The structure of the Zippo lighter's combustion chamber is very special, both closed and open. Open to allow suitable oxygen in and closed to avoid suffocation when used outdoors, it is truly the "first burning" lighter as connoisseurs often praise.

But the hobby is also very elaborate, the fuel must be the light gasoline for refueling airplanes usually produced by Zippo. Each bottle contains about 150 ml of gasoline, enough for 10 to 12 refills, each refill is 7-8 days apart, the price of each bottle of gasoline is about 50,000 VND to 70,000 VND/bottle. About 5 or 7 years ago, the source of Zippo goods in Thanh Vinh was rare, because few people played, finding fuel for Zippo mostly had to be ordered from Hanoi or Saigon. With such difficulties, from the position of a collector, Nguyen Hoang Quan decided to add a "side job" of selling Zippo. Quan's goods are collected directly "overseas", so they are very popular with connoisseurs. Because they are genuine goods, they are warranted for free.

Unlike Quan, Nguyen Xuan Thuy (295, Nguyen Van Cu - Vinh City) has a unique way of playing. He has taken the trouble to collect rare and strange Zippos of American soldiers in the 60s and 70s of the last century. According to Thuy, this type often has a yellow case, different from the traditional silver case. Although the appearance is rough and not eye-catching, it is often engraved with patterns, dates of participation in battles or memories in combat. He confided: "This Zippo line carries the soul of the soldier, it is like a war souvenir so it always attracts players. The price is... priceless. If you meet someone who is "deeply interested", you can give it away for free, but some people "ask for a very high price", so any hobby requires seriousness and real enthusiasm".

Currently in Vinh City, the Zippo lighter community has spread to many age groups, even among young people, it is considered a high-class decoration, enhancing the owner's style. That is why there are more and more strict requirements for this hobby, in addition to the year of birth, also the model, design, material to the outer leather case and the stories woven around to add more mystery to this elaborate hobby.

However, Zippo players Thanh Vinh also warned young people who are new to the game that the market has begun to see the appearance of "Chinese Zippo" products. This type of product is only imported for 100,000 VND to 150,000 VND/piece, but when meeting new players who do not understand, they charge sky-high prices. The quality of this fake product is of course poor, after only a few days of use, the pin will pop and the wick will burn immediately, not to mention the risk of fire and explosion, affecting the health and life of the user. Playing Zippo, therefore, in addition to passion, also requires knowledge. Understanding a healthy hobby is to enrich yourself with cultural and historical knowledge, civilization, and elegance...

Phuoc Anh