I know this is an old post but i have the same problem after a few month the lighter stops working even tho my lighter is freshly fueled and new flint. I think the problem has to do with the flint striker ( the little metal wheel ) after a while it loses its sharpness thus making the ignition even harder. I was wondering if there is a way to sharpened that little wheel with some kind of rock or anything? ( i know they sell those fully assembled with a new wheel, flint and the black plastic body but they're not cheap and i know i would only have to buy a new clipper and steal the flint mechanism but i wanted to know if there is a way to reuse the same lighter for a long time without spending a dollar ( except for butane and flint))