I like the mini bics for my various carry bags. I have had cheaper lighters frag on me when I needed them. I gave up on zippos as well because they seem to run out of fuel if they sit too long. I pre shave my mag stick at my house and them keep the shavings in a film container. This save some work and a knife edge when I am out.
I too only use Bics. I’ve had way too many China lighters fly apart on me when I tried to use them, with the spring shooting out the flint making them worthless.
Zippos aren’t great unless you’re a smoker and use up the fluid before it evaporates. But if you do want to use them, here’s a tip. Pull out all the synthetic wadding under the felt pad in the fluid reservoir and replace it with cotton balls. That way if you need to start a fire and you’re out of fluid, you can pull some cotton out of the reservoir and spark the flint to light it and start a fire. It’s also a good idea to store a couple extra flints under the felt pad so you have spares.
Instead of shaving a magnesium block with a knife, what I’ve found works much better is to use the metal file on a multi-tool. It saves your knife edge, and produces shavings/dust much faster.
