Honestly, for $18 you can’t complain. I have the knockoff and it’s not bad at all. It sucks that these lighters are made in china now but they’re still high quality. If you’re not a collector and you don’t want to spend a lot of money on one that was made in Austria these are a great alternative.
IMCO Austria is not in business any longer. They closed their doors in June of 2012. They sold the company name and machines to another investor in China
Clearly aliexpress predicted that in the future you are gonna make this video, then through the power of Chinese knockoffs, the items arrived just in time when you are about to review them
El Imco original no enciende suave por que probablemente no tenga colocada una piedra suave, estos encendedores deben de tener puesta una piedra suave y que de mucha chispa, como las auermetall o las imco ofiginales, las zippo o las genericas no funcionan igual
I've also ordered an Imco from aliexpress for 5,85 euro, dirt cheap. I still have to wait 2 months for it to arrive but now i know at least that my money isn't waisted. I tried looking on the used market but people are selling these lighters for 30, 50 or sometimes 70 euros for an original one, insane!!
@ lol yeah I was too. Thought I was getting a tin cut out. The original is actually all very thin parts. I prefer these ones. All solid metal thick and heavy
I’d love to get a second opinion on this. I’ve been looking at getting an Imco for quite some time and I recently pulled the trigger on a new one from a site called Manufactum. On there it says that a company called Windmill bought some rights to it and are now producing new ones under the Imco name out of China. The site is trustworthy and the lighter was of very high quality with all signs of a genuine Imco, with minimal variation. Although I haven’t heard anything about this from anyplace else.
I got my imco from Amazon and yes it's is now being made in China under the name wind mill. My experience with is is amazing highly recommend it. It's just a pain finding the right flints and wicks for it but other than that great lighter 👍
The wheel rotator mechanism tends to break on the fake one, the metal bends then it doesn't rotate properly. Also, the paint comes off pretty easily, you can remove them right away so not to deal with it
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors Don't worry, it won't break. I have a Chinese IMCO for three years now. The appearance of the stainless steel is a little frayed, not critical, otherwise it showed itself better than the original Austrian one, which I lost after a year.
I picked up a new box of Chinese-made IMCO 6700 for $6.22 and I have to say the quality and workmanship are very good compared to the ones I used to carry 20 years ago. What I found is that not only have they upgraded some of the internals, which are actually very good, but they also make a brass and sterling silver version, and offer upgrades to their lighters. My favorite is a brass fuel tank with a fire-resistant rubber o-ring, which makes a big difference in how well it seals. The fit and finish is really nice, especially for the price!
I was NOT expecting you to say the cheap knock off was better!! I have one from when I did WW2 re-enacting as a German soldier, I honestly don't know if it's real or not... now I need to check.
A lemon in deed. My vintage IMCO is nothing like that. Mine is smothe in operation and stands flat. Was a bit tricky to light after renovation but now never fails to lit. After 50 years it still holds up an the only issue is the flame adjuster goten a bit loose and the retaining nub worn. After 50 years... the fuel tank on yours seem to come from anoter lighter if it petrudes so far from the spring mechanich? No other Imco i seen had it longer than the main body.
Yeah they made more than one kind of IMCO when they made back in the day. Moves the last run when were about to shut down. The earliest ones are the most sought after. Probably what u got
I found a gas lighter that looks kinda like this but is maybe a chinese copy from 1990s. I found it at my parents as a kid(was born 1990) in the 90s or 2000s. It never light up. Now into Zippos and I put a zippo flint and gas in it and it works. In the bottom it says Fong Youn 101. Is this a chinese IMCO copy?
So i have the og austrian made 6800 but i don’t want to edc it,i found online the new imcos with the stamp estab 1918 from austria,what to you know about it,are they worth the 25 bucks,quality speaking?
The original IMCO's are steel stamped. The chinese ones are aluminum i think as they heat up much quicker and arent magnetic. I got one so I wouldn't risk losing my original IMCOs. However the flintwheel in the "estab 1918" (at least the one i got a few years back) one is a cheap straight cut wheel, the flintwheel in the genuine ones are dual cut at an angle to last longer and also provide more sparks. Essentially I could tell it wasnt a genuine IMCO as it wouldnt spark and light first time. That and the snuffer cap was rigidly riveted into the lid so it started to chew away at the fuel tank.
@@KarinExMachina thanks for the info,i didn’t get it tho since i had to wait like 4-6 weeks for it,i’ll just get another original when i find one in decent condition
Bro I love your page! This was rly helpful because I just got the exact "fake" imco your reviewing and was curious about the real ones, and now I agree with u completely I love it! Very clear helpful vid 👌
The original Austrian made imco was made from nickel plate thats why they are lighter than the new chinese made imco i which are made of superior stainless steel. The knockoff you reviewed is NOT an imco, the new imcos are identical to the Austrian originals ( theyre made from the original tooling) only better as they are manufactured from stainless steel.
I went to the zippo museum today. Was planning on getting my first armor so i wanted high polish brass. The idea of armor had me totally set on it until I felt the hinge. The hinge on the armor vs regular was wayyyyyy looser so I went with the solid brass high polish. I had previously wrote zippo about their lighters being of lesser quality these days. They told me their engineers intentionally designed the loose 5 barrel hinge because it’s less wear on hinge pin and results in less repairs over the life of a zippo. I guess I can sorta get down with it if their is a legitimate reason. The armor tho was a big NO more me.
Great video man. Sorry I fell asleep during the live stream last night was burnt out. I still need an Imco yet for my collection. Have you heard of a Nimrod pipe lighter? I found one for $2. Kind of a neat little lighter.
Sweet. I had not seen one in person before so snatched it up immediately. It works really good too. I was surprised about that. Only had to put in a flint and fuel and it worked on the first strike. I like how it looks like a nut and bolt lol. Imcos I have no clue about since I do not own one yet.
Thats not how original IMCOs work, the fuel cap will seat correctly and they do stand upright fine, maybe you havent pushed the fuel cap on properly. I have my original ones from the shop back in 2011 and none of them have any of these issues, they all strike and light first time, I use Zippo wicks and flints too. I actually bought 2 fakes in the hopes of using them instead of my real IMCOs for risk of losing them. I found that they were not as reliable especially the flintwheels which were cheap straight cut ones, you can see the difference in spark between the two as i stand there trying for minutes to get it to light... then pull out my real imco and light it first time. This goes for that one in the video and the chinese copy too.
I have Imco 6700 from 60s to 90s, and it can be stand it's on easly. The bottom cap of fuel canister is flush with disassembly button. I belive your canister bottom cap is not go all the way in. On 0:32, you have way more gap between cap and bluge on top. You will be able to compare it with images from others.
Haha maybe it is. I don’t really care either way. I only use zippos. Why would it be so superior lol how do u figure ? Zorros are better than zippos yet I still prefer zippo. Is that why u use IMCO lol
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors No I don't like em, I have a collection of lots of different lighters but its Zippo all the way for me. I figured the real deal would be better than any copy of it. I think they're all Chinese-made today though.
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors and they're all made in the USA. I don't think they'll ever be farmed out to China. Good video and narration too btw. (as per usual)
@@TheGeezzer yup made in USA that’s how u know it’s always impeccable quality. I wish more stuff was made American. Also can’t beat zippo warranty and consumer relations.
Whatever it is, a fake is a fake. It's a copy of an original imco. I hate that imco made such a.great design but has lost business and these fakes are making money just by copying them. Also strange but my imco stands upright on a flat surface pretty ok very slightly wobbly. I really love imcos for their heritage and originality.
Yeah they def are a cool lighter. Prone to rust though unfortunately the early ones weren’t made out of stainless steel. Mine has already started after one year
@@Rikhardi what a pity. I came across my first one about 15 years ago here in India a cigarette shop sold it to me for 100rs (1€) and I dodnt know about imco and was shocked by the quality. I still have it and it works perfect. Its sad. As bad as if Victorinox was to become made in China.
@@Dara-Baba They were really cheap i remember picking up a whole bunch for less than a single Zippo. Nowadays low quality fakes are being sold for similar if not more than a Zippo.
I am not an IMCO hater in any way, but my experiences with IMCO’s while in Europe in the 1980’s was definitive: they were not up to the rough and tumble lifestyle I had at that time. Zippos and - at the time - Ronsons, were (and still are) able to be used and abused without afterthought. IMCO’s remain unique and very interesting. But (in my opinion) a bit over engineered and temperamental…..
They are not fake. IMCO went out of business and their pattent was bought by some Asian company and now they are made in China identical to the originals.
Yep imco was sold in asia before itvever went bust too. Taiwan, hongkong , macau, china ect.. There is a local market tgere, imco wicks and flulints and fuel are all sold in china.. Before imco went bust these were austrian products sold in asia.. Now chibese products sold in the same market.
practically impossible if you don't find anything used. i have an ali one with many features that the "real" has including the old way to change flints, the old rounded chimney seal but also some new features like standing up and a small loop to hang it around your neck for example. just remember, original made in austria should be magnetic, the rest including mine is IMclone kkkkk
Don’t forget to leave a like and comment down below what u think of imcos
Honestly, for $18 you can’t complain. I have the knockoff and it’s not bad at all. It sucks that these lighters are made in china now but they’re still high quality. If you’re not a collector and you don’t want to spend a lot of money on one that was made in Austria these are a great alternative.
No u really can’t. The new ones are tanks
IMCO Austria is not in business any longer. They closed their doors in June of 2012. They sold the company name and machines to another investor in China
Exactly, so it's not fake, just newer made in different country.
@@piotrc9524 holy shit i cant believe i can say this, there 100% genuine fakes
Clearly aliexpress predicted that in the future you are gonna make this video, then through the power of Chinese knockoffs, the items arrived just in time when you are about to review them
Haha damn they are good
El Imco original no enciende suave por que probablemente no tenga colocada una piedra suave, estos encendedores deben de tener puesta una piedra suave y que de mucha chispa, como las auermetall o las imco ofiginales, las zippo o las genericas no funcionan igual
Don’t speak your language sorry
@@Zippofanatic77outdoorsTranslate lazy...
I've also ordered an Imco from aliexpress for 5,85 euro, dirt cheap. I still have to wait 2 months for it to arrive but now i know at least that my money isn't waisted. I tried looking on the used market but people are selling these lighters for 30, 50 or sometimes 70 euros for an original one, insane!!
Yeah these ones are really good I like them
@Zippofanatic77outdoors It arrived early in the mail today!! Great Quality lighter, I'm very much surprised
@ lol yeah I was too. Thought I was getting a tin cut out. The original is actually all very thin parts. I prefer these ones. All solid metal thick and heavy
When you are a soldier that weight adds up
Def
I’d love to get a second opinion on this. I’ve been looking at getting an Imco for quite some time and I recently pulled the trigger on a new one from a site called Manufactum. On there it says that a company called Windmill bought some rights to it and are now producing new ones under the Imco name out of China. The site is trustworthy and the lighter was of very high quality with all signs of a genuine Imco, with minimal variation. Although I haven’t heard anything about this from anyplace else.
No idea buds what did IMCO fanatic say ?
I got my imco from Amazon and yes it's is now being made in China under the name wind mill. My experience with is is amazing highly recommend it. It's just a pain finding the right flints and wicks for it but other than that great lighter 👍
@@filipvuckovic2485it doesn’t take regular flints? Honestly it seems not even worth the trouble
@@filipvuckovic2485 By the way, the wick from Zippo lasts longer and is better than the original IMCO
The wheel rotator mechanism tends to break on the fake one, the metal bends then it doesn't rotate properly. Also, the paint comes off pretty easily, you can remove them right away so not to deal with it
This one been holding up so far. Ill keep an eye on it
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors Don't worry, it won't break. I have a Chinese IMCO for three years now. The appearance of the stainless steel is a little frayed, not critical, otherwise it showed itself better than the original Austrian one, which I lost after a year.
Don't feel bad about getting your money back and then getting your product after. They said it will be there in the timeframe or your money back.
lol I hear ya. But I would of gladly paid 12$ for both of these
I picked up a new box of Chinese-made IMCO 6700 for $6.22 and I have to say the quality and workmanship are very good compared to the ones I used to carry 20 years ago. What I found is that not only have they upgraded some of the internals, which are actually very good, but they also make a brass and sterling silver version, and offer upgrades to their lighters. My favorite is a brass fuel tank with a fire-resistant rubber o-ring, which makes a big difference in how well it seals. The fit and finish is really nice, especially for the price!
Yeah I say in the video I enjoy the quality
I was NOT expecting you to say the cheap knock off was better!! I have one from when I did WW2 re-enacting as a German soldier, I honestly don't know if it's real or not... now I need to check.
Lol the clones just have more weight to them feels nice in the hand.
A lemon in deed. My vintage IMCO is nothing like that. Mine is smothe in operation and stands flat. Was a bit tricky to light after renovation but now never fails to lit. After 50 years it still holds up an the only issue is the flame adjuster goten a bit loose and the retaining nub worn. After 50 years... the fuel tank on yours seem to come from anoter lighter if it petrudes so far from the spring mechanich? No other Imco i seen had it longer than the main body.
Yeah they made more than one kind of IMCO when they made back in the day. Moves the last run when were about to shut down. The earliest ones are the most sought after. Probably what u got
You completely right. İmcos stands flat
I found a gas lighter that looks kinda like this but is maybe a chinese copy from 1990s. I found it at my parents as a kid(was born 1990) in the 90s or 2000s. It never light up. Now into Zippos and I put a zippo flint and gas in it and it works. In the bottom it says Fong Youn 101. Is this a chinese IMCO copy?
Sorry I missed the live lastnight was with family
Fine buddy just catch the next one ! Lol
So i have the og austrian made 6800 but i don’t want to edc it,i found online the new imcos with the stamp estab 1918 from austria,what to you know about it,are they worth the 25 bucks,quality speaking?
Chinese company owns IMCO now. But I think they are still good quality. Get it u will be happy with it
The original IMCO's are steel stamped. The chinese ones are aluminum i think as they heat up much quicker and arent magnetic. I got one so I wouldn't risk losing my original IMCOs. However the flintwheel in the "estab 1918" (at least the one i got a few years back) one is a cheap straight cut wheel, the flintwheel in the genuine ones are dual cut at an angle to last longer and also provide more sparks. Essentially I could tell it wasnt a genuine IMCO as it wouldnt spark and light first time. That and the snuffer cap was rigidly riveted into the lid so it started to chew away at the fuel tank.
@@KarinExMachina thanks for the info,i didn’t get it tho since i had to wait like 4-6 weeks for it,i’ll just get another original when i find one in decent condition
Can you link to them on Aliexpress? Some have a logo on one side and I don't see the one you are describing.
I bought these three years ago have no idea what the link is now
Bro I love your page! This was rly helpful because I just got the exact "fake" imco your reviewing and was curious about the real ones, and now I agree with u completely I love it! Very clear helpful vid 👌
Glad I could help!
Has the wheel been holding up??
Honestly I only ever used it for 3-4 weeks. Havent used it since. It’s fine. But no real good indurance testing.
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors well if it's good for about a month I'm sure it's good. Feels pretty solid. Thanks for the update !
The original Austrian made imco was made from nickel plate thats why they are lighter than the new chinese made imco i which are made of superior stainless steel.
The knockoff you reviewed is NOT an imco, the new imcos are identical to the Austrian originals ( theyre made from the original tooling) only better as they are manufactured from stainless steel.
Yeah I like the new ones
I went to the zippo museum today. Was planning on getting my first armor so i wanted high polish brass. The idea of armor had me totally set on it until I felt the hinge. The hinge on the armor vs regular was wayyyyyy looser so I went with the solid brass high polish.
I had previously wrote zippo about their lighters being of lesser quality these days. They told me their engineers intentionally designed the loose 5 barrel hinge because it’s less wear on hinge pin and results in less repairs over the life of a zippo. I guess I can sorta get down with it if their is a legitimate reason. The armor tho was a big NO more me.
Nice. That must of been a fun trip
Great video man. Sorry I fell asleep during the live stream last night was burnt out. I still need an Imco yet for my collection. Have you heard of a Nimrod pipe lighter? I found one for $2. Kind of a neat little lighter.
No problem buds. Happens. Yeah I actually have one. Kismit collectables sent it to me.
Sweet. I had not seen one in person before so snatched it up immediately. It works really good too. I was surprised about that. Only had to put in a flint and fuel and it worked on the first strike. I like how it looks like a nut and bolt lol. Imcos I have no clue about since I do not own one yet.
@@zippolyonsden1623 yeah the nimrod is cool. Hey for 3$ on aliexpress u might get one lol
Really appreciate the design and development of a quality lighter.
But I am going to be referring to them as stapler lighters hahahaha
Haha I nice quick loader stapler
I love my Imco 8700, it gets good "gas mileage". Flame adjust is weak point though, it went loose, but was fairly easy fix.
Yeah pretty cool lighters. Really good in fuel
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors absolutely. But now i remember, my wifes Imco broke up, spark wheel got stuck somehow. I never fixed it, or could not fix it.
@@ilevilminko4642 yeah my spark wheel doesnt like to turn already on that imco
Thats not how original IMCOs work, the fuel cap will seat correctly and they do stand upright fine, maybe you havent pushed the fuel cap on properly. I have my original ones from the shop back in 2011 and none of them have any of these issues, they all strike and light first time, I use Zippo wicks and flints too. I actually bought 2 fakes in the hopes of using them instead of my real IMCOs for risk of losing them. I found that they were not as reliable especially the flintwheels which were cheap straight cut ones, you can see the difference in spark between the two as i stand there trying for minutes to get it to light... then pull out my real imco and light it first time. This goes for that one in the video and the chinese copy too.
Are they genuine brass or just coated to looka like brass??
Coated
Produk yang bagus 😊
Yeah they pretty cool
I have Imco 6700 from 60s to 90s, and it can be stand it's on easly. The bottom cap of fuel canister is flush with disassembly button.
I belive your canister bottom cap is not go all the way in. On 0:32, you have way more gap between cap and bluge on top. You will be able to compare it with images from others.
Thanks man
Your real IMCO would be infinitely superior over any fake, so its quite possible that your "real" IMCO is in fact a knock-off.
Haha maybe it is. I don’t really care either way. I only use zippos. Why would it be so superior lol how do u figure ? Zorros are better than zippos yet I still prefer zippo. Is that why u use IMCO lol
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors No I don't like em, I have a collection of lots of different lighters but its Zippo all the way for me. I figured the real deal would be better than any copy of it. I think they're all Chinese-made today though.
@@TheGeezzer haha yeah I hear ya buds. Love my Dam zippos !! Can’t beat the history and significance
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors and they're all made in the USA. I don't think they'll ever be farmed out to China. Good video and narration too btw. (as per usual)
@@TheGeezzer yup made in USA that’s how u know it’s always impeccable quality. I wish more stuff was made American. Also can’t beat zippo warranty and consumer relations.
Heck yeah that was awesome, cheers
Thanks buds !!!
Whatever it is, a fake is a fake. It's a copy of an original imco. I hate that imco made such a.great design but has lost business and these fakes are making money just by copying them.
Also strange but my imco stands upright on a flat surface pretty ok very slightly wobbly. I really love imcos for their heritage and originality.
Yeah they def are a cool lighter. Prone to rust though unfortunately the early ones weren’t made out of stainless steel. Mine has already started after one year
Imco went bankrupt and a japanese company bought it and is making these lighters in china now
@@Rikhardi what a pity. I came across my first one about 15 years ago here in India a cigarette shop sold it to me for 100rs (1€) and I dodnt know about imco and was shocked by the quality. I still have it and it works perfect.
Its sad. As bad as if Victorinox was to become made in China.
@@Dara-Baba They were really cheap i remember picking up a whole bunch for less than a single Zippo. Nowadays low quality fakes are being sold for similar if not more than a Zippo.
I am not an IMCO hater in any way, but my experiences with IMCO’s while in Europe in the 1980’s was definitive: they were not up to the rough and tumble lifestyle I had at that time. Zippos and - at the time - Ronsons, were (and still are) able to be used and abused without afterthought.
IMCO’s remain unique and very interesting. But (in my opinion) a bit over engineered and temperamental…..
Yeah I wish I woulda said that in the video because I feel the exact same way but the way u worded it is what I wanted to say lol
Better late than never
Haha yeah that’s for sure ! What’s up bro
They are not fake. IMCO went out of business and their pattent was bought by some Asian company and now they are made in China identical to the originals.
Yep imco was sold in asia before itvever went bust too. Taiwan, hongkong , macau, china ect.. There is a local market tgere, imco wicks and flulints and fuel are all sold in china.. Before imco went bust these were austrian products sold in asia.. Now chibese products sold in the same market.
@@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 yeah and they're very good lighters. I don't see any difference from when they were made in Austria.
They seem real Clunky. You have to be a "Gadget Guy" to consider one. I wouldn't even get one.
Haha yeah for sure Len not for everyone. Luckily mine were all free.
I am thinking about it to buy one. I just want an Real one. Do you have Email. Wanna ask something about a zippo i have.
Hey buds don’t give out emails to anyone because what happens to my last channel.
practically impossible if you don't find anything used. i have an ali one with many features that the "real" has including the old way to change flints, the old rounded chimney seal but also some new features like standing up and a small loop to hang it around your neck for example. just remember, original made in austria should be magnetic, the rest including mine is IMclone kkkkk