Powerful laser built into Zippo lighter

[Video Link] Here's how to put a laser -- powerful enough to burn skin, light cigars, pop balloons, and cause blindness -- into a Zippo-style lighter.

Flip-top laser lighter (Via Mike Outmesguine)

• [simonbarsinister]

  Am I the only one freaked out by all these blinding lasers being treated as toys?
  I was at a campfire where we were roasting marshmallows and a kid pulled out his new toy, a powerful laser. He was lighting up the trees above us and lighting marshmallows on fire with it, but he was also swinging the thing around so that it could have aimed at anyone’s eyes or bounced off something reflective (like a knife blade at the camp).  The light is hypnotic and it’s hard not to look at it accidentally.

  • [William Ventura]

    always carry a mirror to reflect evil spells 

  • [nox]

    I’ve seen multiple professionals who work with lasers freaked out by this. You will cause permanent accidental damage, even if it’s not immediately noticeable.

  • [Alan Olsen]

     ”Do not look into laser with remaining eye.”

  • [Soren Schonbachler]

     Most laser hobbyists, myself included, treat lasers with respect and use the utmost caution when operating them.  It’s just the stupid people you have to worry about.
    Check out laserpointerforums.com if you want to learn more about laser safety or lasers in general.

    • [Scurra]

      Think how stupid the average person is.  Then remember that half the population are more stupid than that.  - George Carlin

      • [AlphaTesla]

        Thx for this quote!

• [Malcolm Teas]

  Ah yes, add to the danger of smoking by using a serious laser to light something next quite close to you and potentially pointing the laser at your face!  Or ceiling, or curtains, or person sitting next to you trying not to breath your second-hand smoke.

  On the other hand, my geekier side says it sounds like a great toy!

• [Sirkowski]

  How long before the National Laser Association?

  • [Henry Pootel]

    No doubt with a coherent and laser-like focus on the issues.

  • [Donald Petersen]

    You’ll take my laser from me when you pry it from my charred, smoldering fingers.

• [Bradley Robinson]

  And we wonder why the TSA endeavors to make travel such a pleasure…

• [Alan Olsen]

  I thought these were standard issue by Z.O.W.I.E..

  • [Mike Outmesguine]

    This lighter, a watch with a rocker arm to get your attention, and a unique ringtone for all your electronics. Being in Z.O.W.I.E. has its privileges.

• [pjcamp]

  But will it light a cigar? Because otherwise, what’s the point?

• [Ace]

  This one is actually less dangerous to other people than a normal 100mw laser pointer.

  Rather than a truly collimated beam, he adjusted the lens so the light comes to a tight focus just at the edge of the cap, and will then diverge quickly, rather than producing a tight beam for tens or hundreds of feet.   Google the difference between “coherent” and “collimated”.

• [alexs]

  Either way I get freaked out. My boss decided to bust out a “laser show” device for one of our video shoots, in a reflective room!.  I was  already shooting so had nowhere to go, also fearing loss of job (makes you think funny huh?) I kept shooting. Boom laser in the eye, yay floaters for life?   3B laser + eye = no good.   Seriously you should need a license for anything powerful enough to cause damage.  Oh did I mention I work with my eyes, I’m a visual artist Xp

• [francoisroux]

  Just a pity he used a piece of gum to record the video with…pfffft

• [Lukanis James]

  I’m seeing a lot of negativity here but not a lot of innovation. Remember the point of this device isn’t to put dangerous lasers into the hands of the irresponsible, it’s so that people can light things in wind or rain with ease. Rather than complaining about how many eyes will be killed by this I would instead simply suggest placing a flip-out plate of non-reflective material on the inside of the cap which will stop the laser while it is firing. Giving anyone needing a cigarette lit a good 4cm to light in without putting anyone else in danger.