Impressed with thunderbird zippo insert, despite small problem (plus how to fix it!)

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I received my Thunderbird Butane torche zippo insert today, which I ordered from amazon. I was surprised at the quality of the insert, considering the price (about $12). The metalic portions seem to be machined, rather than cast, and the whole insert has a nice weight to it. I’ve used thunderbird lighters in the past, so I’m sure the functional quality of the lighter is good, but if I encounter any problems, I’ll post.

The only problem could have potentially been a deal breaker, but I found a easy and solid fix for it. I don’t know if it’s because it’s in a titanium zippo (I don’t see why the dimensions would be different…) but the insert was pretty loose in the zippo case, with about a millimeter of play, front to back (the side with the hinge). I solved this by cutting some shims from an aluminum can and fitting them in under the cam. It needed about 6 to make it tight, but now it’s really solid, and you can’t even tell there was an issue.

Anyone else have a fitting issue on one of these? Is there variation on the dimensions of zippo lighters, or is this a Thunderbird issue? (Seems more likely)

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