Zorro 915S Handmade Thicken Brass Heavy Armor Retro Trench Gasoline Oil Hinge Lighter Smoking Collection 230g 915-tool Marks

The media could not be loaded. Summary:If you don't mind a (very) heavy lighter, this Zorro 915S is an improvement over a Zippo brand lighter in nearly every way. There are many innovative upgrades that make this a homerun, at the expense of a few grams of weight.Review:I bought the Zorro 915S because I got tired of my Zippo lighters suffering from fuel evaporation, poorly constructed hinges, and thin materials. From the pictures, I knew the 715S was much more robust than the Zippo, but pictures could not prepare me for the difference!Firstly, the 915S is slightly taller and wider than the Zippo Armor (shown in the pictures). However, things really start to get interesting when looking at the depth. The Zorro is noticeably thicker in this dimension, and its hinge is far beefier. When you open the two lighters, the difference is clear. The 915S has a wall thickness of 3mm (0.12in) compared to the Zippo Armor wall thickness of 0.64mm (0.028in), meaning that the Zorro's wall thickness is over 4.5 times greater than the Zippo's!However, this added sturdiness comes at a price: the Zorro weighs 230g, compared to the Zippo Armor, which weighs 65g. To put it another way, if you drop the Zippo on the floor, you worry about the Zippo. If you drop the Zorro on the floor, you worry about the floor.Weight and strength aside, there are a few other things that Zorro has improved over its competition. The first is that the entire case is machined from one block of solid brass, instead of being stamped from a thin sheet like the Zippo. Secondly, the 915S case has a relief cut on the body, which interacts with the lid when the lighter is closed, preventing misalignments of the lid and body completely. No more rattling when the lighter is closed!Another really innovative feature is the addition of a rubber o-ring seal between the lid and body. This serves to make the lighter airtight when closed, helping to prevent the evaporation of fuel. This seems to work well, as the fuel in my 915S lasts noticeably longer than the fuel in my Zippo when both are left alone for several days.The hinges on Zippo lighters are a well-known weak point. Not so on the Zorro! Where Zippos make use of stamped hinges soldered onto the case, Zorro has machined the hinge barrels directly into the case. In the pictures, you can see what appear to be screws on the hinges; however, these are aesthetic only and are milled into the hinge.A final improvement Zorro has made is to the insert inside the lighter, which sits slightly taller in the case than a Zippo insert does. The top edges of the insert are beveled at an angle to form a ramp, which engages with the case lid as it closes, guiding it into position and preventing any rattle. This insert works well in standard Zippo cases as well.Pros:- Machined case feels bulletproof- Satisfying weight- Robust machined hinges are extremely solid- Increased wall thickness add strength- Rubber seal on lid helps prevent fuel evaporation- Ramped insert aids lid and body alignment and prevents rattlingCons:- Hinge screws not real- Quite heavy- Edges of lid and body are a bit sharp where they meet- Came with tarnish prevention coating which looked dingy and wore off quicklyA few final notes: You'll notice that the insert in my Zorro in the pictures is NOT the insert that the lighter ships with. It's a SOMGEM brand insert that further improves the lighter's functionality by adding rubber seals to the bottom of the case, a spring to prevent the insert from rattling in the case, and a wick cap to prevent fuel evaporation. I highly recommend this insert, and you can find it here on Amazon.Secondly, there is very little information on the different models of Zorro lighters, so I've taken the time to summarize below.902S - "Standard" Zippo size, increased wall thickness over standard Zippo, stamped construction912 - Same width and height as 912, but slightly thinner overall, with thinner walls, uses machined internal 3- or 5-barrel hinges912S - Identical to 912, but with increased wall thickness, uses machined internal 3- or 5-barrel hinges915S - Slightly larger and thicker than 912S, with increased wall thickness, uses machined external 5-barrel hinges538 - Slim model593S - Jumbo model, larger than 915S