Zippo Lighters, Since 1932, has Been a Friend and Tool for Anyone Needing a Dependable Flame
George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo
lighter in 1932, and got his thought after discovering a large Austrian made pocket
lighter. Blaisdell was an oil drilling engineer who saw a market for a good looking lighter
that would light up even in windy weather. He made the first Zippo
lighter in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It got its moniker because Blaisdell liked
the sound of the word zipper
A Zippo Lighter is a refillable, brass lighter. They are highly collectible
and hundreds, if not thousands of varying custom zippo lighter styles have been made in the
70 years since their debut. From Hand-Carved wood Zippo lighters, to an
army zippo lighter
to a Solid gold Zippo, to a Military Zippo lighter.
Zippos are occasionally rectangular
in form with a one handed easy open lid . Unlike throw away colored plastic lighters that
are used and cast aside, Zippos are replenished with a Naphtha based liquid zippo
lighter fuel. By removing the inner component out of the outer housing, its user
can pour lighter fluid into a cotton wadding that holds a wick. The flint, which
makes the spark of fire to ignite the cotton wick, can also be replaced.
It is low-priced and very dependable. Filling a dependable zippo lighter is very much cheaper than
buying throw away igniters.
Zippos are considered windproof lighters, and are will stay
lit up in virtually any wind or weather situation. They became extremely popular in the United States
army and navy, especially during World War II stainless steel Zippo a military
zippo lighter was standard issue for all soldiers in the Army, Navy, Air
Force and Marines. During that period, all Zippo lighters produced went to the
Allied war effort. In fact, during that war, because brass was needed for weapon systems,
the guts of zippo lighters were manufactured in stainless steel. After the war was over,
Zippo reverted to the regular brass
design.
Close to 200,000 Zippo lighters were held by U.S.
military people in the Vietnam War. There is a story told where, a Zippo lighter
held in a shirt pocket held back a bullet from getting into a soldiers body.
In addition, Zippos are known for the lifetime warranty they posess: if a
Zippo fails, no matter how old, the company will replace or repair the lighter
for free.
Zippo currently faces two intimidating
challenges. Zippo has great brand recognition, originating 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 issue is that smoking
is lessening.
Nonetheless, Zippo has weathered the storm, as collectors have been the road to
firm growth. After all, cigarette or cigar smokers could acquire only one or two zippo lighters--each
of which carries a lifetime warranty. Plenty of 1940s-vintage Zippos still
turn up for fixes at the Zippo central office, which has restored antique zippo lighters
discovered in the bellies of fish and antique zippo lighters punctured by bullets from a gun.
Collectors, nonetheless, often buy many at a time, give them as gifts, and encourage their
friends to become collectors. Many zippo
collectors have thousands of lighters in their zippo
lighter collection and keep purchasing.
Collectors can collect all of their favourite 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 Americans recognize the Zippo
brand, and 30% of Zippo's customers are collectors. While a basic brushed-chrome
Zippo runs $10.95, Collectible
Zippos typically ranges in price from $35 to $75, and some as high as $3,000.
Since 1933, over 400,000,000 Zippos have been fabricated. After The Second World War
the Zippo grew to become increasingly utilized in advertizing by companies small and large alike
through the sixties. Even though new Zippo lighter styles are always emerging,
he basic mechanics of the Zippo has basically stayed unchanged.
Zippo lighters have achieved icon status, which gets the kind of marketing
money cannot acquire. Rolling
Stone Keith Richards, who smokes during his act, keeps a Zippo within an arms reach of his
guitar. Movie celebrities from Bruce Willis to Harrison Ford have utilized Zippos to
inflame fuses, burn papers and even to ignite cigarettes.
Zippo is broadening in other ways, too, with Zippo pens, belt buckles, and
money clips, Zippo
watches all with a lifetime guaranty.