The Tuff and Durable Zippo Lighter has Been a Lifelong Companion and Tool for Anyone Needing a Dependable Flame

Learn the history of Zippo Lighters

George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932, and got his thought after learning a gaudy Austrian made pocket lighter. Blaisdell was an oil field engineer who saw a market for a good looking lighter that would light up consistently even in windy weather. He made the first Zippo lighter in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It got its identify because Blaisdell liked the sound of the word zipper

A Zippo Lighter is a refillable, brass or stainless steel lighter. They are highly collectible and 100s of varying custom zippo lighter patterns have been made in the 70 years since their first roll-out. From Classic Zippo lighters, to an army zippo lighter to a Solid gold Zippo, to a Military Zippo lighter.

Zippos are generally rectangular in design with a hinged flip open lid . Unlike throw away thin plastic lighters that are used and cast aside, Zippos are filled again with a Naphtha based liquid zippo lighter fuel. By removing the interior element out of the outside shell, its user can pour lighter fluid into a cotton cloth packing material that contains a wick. The flint, which makes the arc to inflame the cotton wick, is refillable.

It is low-priced and very reliable. Filling a zippo lighter is a great deal less costly than purchasing disposable ignitors.

Zippos are considered windproof lighters, and are able to stay ignited in nearly any wind or weather condition. They became popular in the United States army and navy, especially during the second world war stainless steel Zippo a military zippo lighter was standard gear for the majority of soldiers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. During that time, all Zippo lighters produced went to the Alied forces war effort. In fact, at that time, because brass was demanded for arms, the guts of zippos were manufactured in stainless steel. Following the war, Zippo reverted to the old brass design.

An estimated 200,000 Zippo lighters were carried by U.S. military personnel in the Vietman conflict. One time, a Zippo lighter transported in a shirt pocket held back a bullet from getting into a soldiers body.

Additionally, Zippo lighters are known for the lifetime warrantee they posess: if a Zippo comes apart, no matter how old, the company will replace or fix the lighter for free.

Zippo currently faces two tough challenges. Zippo has great name recognition, coming from its role as standard GI issue during World War II, and the War in Vietnam, but the generation that carried Zippo lighters into battle is flittering. The second problem is that cigarette and cigar smoking is trending downward.

Even so, Zippo has weathered the storm, as collectors have been the missing link to solid growth. After all, smokers might purchase only one or two zippos--each of which carries a lifetime warrantee. Plenty of 1940s-vintage Zippos still show up for repairs at the Zippo central office, which has mended old zippo lighters discovered in the stomachs of fish and antique zippo lighters punctured by lead bullets. Collectors, however, often buy several at a time, give them away as gifts, and lure their friends and family to become collectors. Many zippo collectors have thousands of lighters in their zippo lighter collection and continue buying.

Collectors can collect all of their favorite sports teams including the National football league, Major league baseball, and the National basketball association as well as motorsports and fishing Zippos.

It's a fact that more than 90% of American citizens recognize the Zippo brand, and 30% of Zippo's customers are collectors. While a basic brushed-chrome Zippo runs $10.95, Collectible Zippos typically range from $35 to $75, and some as much as $3,000.

Since 1933, over 400,000,000 Zippos have been fabricated. After World War II the Zippo became more and more utilized in marketing by companies both small and large through the decade of the 60's. Although new Zippo lighter styles are always appearing, he basic interior mechanism of the Zippo has essentially stayed unchanged.

Zippo lighters have attained icon status, which gets the kind of marketing money cannot buy. Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who smokes cigarettes during his act, keeps a Zippo as close as his guitar. Movie heroes from Bruce Willis to Harrison Ford have carried Zippos to ignite fuses, burn papers and even to spark cigarettes.

Zippo is diversifying in other ways, too, with Zippo pens, belt buckles, and money clips, Zippo watches all with a lifetime warranty.