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How to Change the Flint in a Vintage Zippo Lighter

The sound of a Zippo lighter striking into flame is perhaps one of the more recognizable sounds from American pop culture. These hardy, resilient pieces of hardware function by sparking flint beside a fuel-soaked wick. Due to clever mechanical design, these lighters immediately extinguish the flame once the hinged lid is flipped into the closed position. After hundreds of flicks, the flint will need a replacement. Fortunately, replacing the flint is a simple process and is identical for both vintage and contemporary Zippo lighters.

Things You'll Need

Flat-head screwdriver
Zippo replacement flint

Instructions

- 1
  Open the lid of your Zippo lighter and pull the interior housing free from the metal shell.
- 2
  Turn the interior housing upside-down and loosen the golden screw with a flat-head screwdriver.
- 3
  Pull the screw away from the interior housing, thereby revealing a long spring tipped with a bronze bit of metal.
- 4
  Lightly tap the base of the interior housing against a hard surface to dislodge any remaining flint bits.
- 5
  Insert the new flint replacement rod into the bottom of your internal housing.
- 6
  Reinsert the spring behind the flint rod, with the bronze bit of metal pushing against the base of the flint. Compress the spring until you can tighten down the golden screw once more with the flat-head screwdriver.

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