Austrian Windproof Lighter

This is a pipe lighter--it has a removable "fuel tank" with which you can light a pipe (or campfire--anything that requires "distance" from your hand and the ability to tip the flame like a candle). It is windproof, as long as you have the "chimney slide" type thing choked up and the wick trimmed. It is remarkably fuel-efficient, due to its unique fuel tank cap and built-in snuffer that seals around the top of the tank when closed. It is lightweight. I think it's either made of steel or tin, but whatever it is, it's light. It is easily maintained--all you ever have to do is replace the flints (and wicks, periodically. It accepts Zippo brand wicks in a pinch). Replacing the flints is much easier than it is on a Zippo; all you have to do is press on the release catch on the bottom and swing out the innards, which remain in one piece (no stupid tiny little screws to lose). Using it always seems to impress friends and coworkers--it just has a neat, swing-out ignition method that always catches people's attention. So if you want to look cool, buy these lighters. CONS: It rusts easily if exposed to water and not dried thoroughly. It has "poky" corners that can be uncomfortable and can tear holes in thin pockets. If it gets soaked in a stream, it won't work till you let it dry out completely, and then it will probably only work for a little while due to the fluid being washed out/diluted by the water.

This lighter is great. I've had it now for about a month and i can tell that i should have it for the rest of my life. One has to fill the lighter fluid and change the flints periodically, but the lighter lights every time and burns really nicely. Here are the important things to know about the lighter. It is aesthetically appealing. It looks great and people dont usually know what it is until you light it and they react with wows. The material is strong and sturdy, i can tell that its not going to wear and tear easy. It is hard to operate! You have to push down with a lot of force to light the lighter and then to close it you have to push the top towards the flame with a lot of force as well. At first it is hard because it doesnt feel right to push your finger hard towards a flame, but once you get the hang of it, its no big deal. But if you want friends to be able to use it, especially the lady friends, they might not enjoy the experience. Its more of a personal lighter that you have to master yourself. The lighter has a cool function in its design so you can easily pull out the flame from the bulk of the lighter while it is lit. If you look at the picture, at the bottom theres a circular textured part. That part pulls out and it is a bullet shaped metal canister. This is how you fill up the lighter. Also, if you light the lighter, you can pull this part out and use like a candle in a dark area or to light a fire easier. The design doesnt however work well for smoking from pipes. When you tilt it, the flame barely reaches the pipe. It works, but its not the most convenient especially for people not accustomed to the lighter. Other than that, i love this lighter. Its really fun and entertaining to just light it and then close it. Its a satisfying experience that happens every time you light it. Its cool looking, and its built to last. If you want a lighter for life, this is it. plus its not pricey at all!

IMCO has made this same excellent lighter since just after World War One. The original was designed around a shell casing, which was used for the fuel tank. I ordered this one from amazon and it's identical in every regard to the one I bought around 1973. Lightweight steel construction, the mechanism eats flints faster than a Zippo but lights every single time. Works as a candle or match as well as a normal lighter. Some people are fooled by the lightweight steel construction, and they call it "cheap". It is inexpensive, but certainly not cheaply made. More versatile than a Zippo for camping, hiking, pipe smoking, etc. As it's made of steel, the one and only caveat is rust so don't take it swimming. A properly cared-for IMCO will last for decades, and it accepts zippo flints, wicks, and fluid. EDIT: I said "one caveat", but here's another one I found: Do not try to "improve" the spring mechanism in order to be able to use the entire flint by adding a second flint or by stretching the spring. It will eventually make the sliding bits in there go out of alignment just enough to make the lighter unreliable. Best to just accept that this bugger eats flints and wastes the last quarter or so of each one. Small price to pay though, IMO. :)

This is a nice lighter if you are a collector. It is not a good lighter at all though, not good for camping, not good for taking out anywhere. Maybe good to show off originality for a one time use only. The fluid dries up in just a few hours of non use. When used, it heats up very fast making it unusable and dangerous actually.. I was hoping to get a useful practical original lighter, got a useless lighter instead.

I think people would do well to understand that this lighter was based on a design cobbled together in the trenches of WWI using a spent shell casing. They did this not because it was the best way to make a lighter but rather because the shell casings were all they had to work with. Now the production model, to make the shell casing idea work, has a lot of moving parts. Remember, the more moving parts the less reliable something is. Push a button on the bottom while pulling out releases half the outer casing, exposing a push rod, moving plate and a spring. You would do this to replace the flint. You would drop the new flint into a channel and close it up. Also, there is this little plate with hinges. It covers the striking wheel when not in use. Mine came away almost immediately and now slides up and down. It doesn't affect the operation of the lighter so... In the other half of the casing is the fuel. That comes in three parts. Slide out the middle casing, exposing the inner casing, pull away the middle casing, refuel, replace the middle and slide back into the outer. And the more you do this the looser it gets. At least a zippo has a cap that keeps the whole assembly contained so that it doesn't matter how loose it gets. With this design sooner or later the whole assembly will drop right out. And yeah, you can use it as a candle but why would you do this? You can adjust the flame, with another sliding, moving part, which in low mode is about that of a wooden match. High mode yields a two wooden match flame. But, having said that, it is an adequate pipe lighter. One can reach the bottom of a bowl with it. And again yeah, if one cups their hand around it is wind resistant, better than a bic. If you can get this for $15 then it's ok, buy the 3 pack at $45, looks nice, nifty cigarette, adequate pipe lighter but at $25 you probably should look at something else. If you need something to last a long time or bet your life on then you definitely need to look at something else. As an edited add on...If you want more flame pull out more wick then it would definately be an adequate pipe lighter. Also, my flint went flat in 7 days so, you may want alot of flint. Maybe my striking wheel will dull over time and change that. Another edited add on...Granted, I lit it 30 times a day. I went through 2 flints in two weeks of earnest use. And apparently, upon the end of the second flint the flint was expelled. In any case, there was no sign of it when I went to replace. Everything was normal during the last light. However, now, I find that the new flint won't advance through the top of the little cylinder, flint holding chamber and that the striking wheel won't turn. And for the life of me I can't figure out why. I think my $25 lighter lasted two weeks. I have to drop my rating to 2 stars now. And my last words on this. Apparently, upon the end of the last flint the striking wheel damaged the top of the flint chamber blocking any new flint. I forced the flint through and now the wheel turns. But still, don't bet you life on this thing.

This lighter has treated me well, it requires minimal fuel, lights easily, and keeps the flame. It also has a variable adjustment that lets more air in, increasing the size of the flame. I use this lighter for carrying with me just in case, or when I want a lighter that I can mess around with and not worry about scratching or breaking. The build of the lighter is very light weight, and feels very breakable, however it still manages to surpass expectations and not break. It feels solid in the hand, and although not smooth, the ignition system does work and is sturdy. Overall the lighter is good, the only problem I have is that it is very hard to maintain and keep the wick together. Pulling out the wick is a pain and annoying to replace. It is a fair asking price, however I am used to Zippos which are higher quality, and although they need maintaining it is very easy to do so. It is unfair however to compare this to a Zippo. I bought this lighter knowing what it was and it gets the job done. Although it is not my favorite, it is great to take along when I think I might lose a lighter, or when lighting things like candles so I can avoid getting wax on my other lighters. I would recommend this lighter to anyone looking for something durable, yet easy to use. Although maintenance can be a pain, it can be done, and in the end makes the lighter worth buying and using for simple tasks. My only complaint and reason why I only give it 3 stars? The price, although it is cheap, you can buy many better lighters for the same price. This is a great starter...but nothing to write home about. Any questions or concerns about my review? Please feel free to contact me!

It's funny. On first inspection, this lighter feels flimsy. Especially if you're comparing it to a Zippo. But it really grows on you as you start to use it. The flip top is great. Not only does it light when you flip it open, but it creates a rudimentary seal around the wick when closed that helps to abate evaporation. The pull-out wick/reservoir works wonders for lighting things. On two consecutive birthday parties I used a Zippo to light candles and this little guy. This worked much better. Changing flints is so much easier than a Zippo. The construction really is quite fine. Stamped steel (apparently not stainless?) but this really seems like something that wil last a while. IMCO has been making lighters for a good, long time, so I have no real concerns about it lasting.

I don't know what there is to complain about. You can get an interesting and functional lighter for $11-$12. I know people who spend that amount on 2 cups of ____bucks coffee. Don't compare this to a zippo. I have a few zippos and love them for what they are, just like i love this IMCO lighter for what it is. Apples and oranges. If you are lighter enthusiast you probably know that IMCO is way old. The only lighter company that is older is Ronson. This lighter has a very interesting design, as did most Ronson and IMCO lighters. A guy at work saw my IMCO and ordered one for himself, He doesn't even smoke, he just thought the design was great. For the price it's easily a 5 star item. Oh, i've had the IMCO i purchased on Amazon for a few weeks now. So far it has lit on the first try every time.