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George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932, and got his theme after learning a large Austrian made small lighter. Blaisdell was an engineer who saw a market for a good looking lighter that would function even in windy conditions. He forged the first Zippo lighter in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It got its logo for Blaisdell liked the sound of the word zipper
A Zippo Lighter is a refillable, brass lighter. They are highly collectible and 100s, if not 1000s of different custom zippo lighter styles have been made in the 70 years since their debut. From NFL Zippo lighters, to an army zippo lighter to a Military Zippo, to a Hand-Carved wood Zippo lighter.
Zippos are usually rectangular in form with a lid that flips open . Unlike disposable thin plastic lighters that are used and thrown away, Zippos are refilled with a Naphtha based liquid zippo lighter fuel. By taking the internal portion out of the external shell, its owner can pour lighter fluid into a cotton gauze packing material that holds a wick. The flint, which gives rise to the small spark to light the wick, can be refilled.
It is cost effective and extremely reliable. Filling a zippo is a good deal cheaper than buying disposable ignitors.
Zippos are considered windproof lighters, and are able to stay lit up in nearly any wind or weather condition. They became very popular in the United States military, particularly in World War II stainless steel Zippo a military zippo lighter was standard issue for the majority of gentlemen in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. At that time, all Zippo lighters produced went to the Alied forces war effort. In fact, at that point, since brass was used for weapon systems, the guts of zippo lighters were chiefly stainless steel. After the war ended, Zippo reverted to the standard brass design.
Approx. 200,000 Zippo lighters were used by U.S. military people in the Vietnam War. In one story, a Zippo lighter held in a shirt pocket blocked a bullet from entering a soldiers heart.
Additionally, Zippos are known for the lifetime warranty they carry: if a Zippo fails, no matter how old, the company will replace or repair the lighter for free.
Zippo now faces two intimidating challenges. Zippo has awesome brand recognition, originating from its part as standard GI issue during The Second World War, and the War in Vietnam, but the generation that held Zippo lighters into battle is flickering. The second challenge is that smoking is trending downward.
However, Zippo has weathered the storm, as collectors have been the missing link to substantial growth. After all, cigarette smokers might purchase only one or two zippos--each of which carries a lifetime guarantee. Plenty of 1940s-vintage Zippos still surface for repairs at the Zippo repair shop, which has fixed old zippo lighters found inside the stomachs of fish and antique zippo lighters punctured by bullets from a gun. Collectors, nonetheless, often buy many at a time, give them away, and appeal to their family to become collectors. Many zippo collectors have thousands of lighters in their zippo lighter collection and keep on purchasing.
Collectors can accumulate 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 US 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 ranges in price from $35 to $75, and some as much as $3,000.
Since 1933, over 400,000,000 Zippos have been created. After The Second World War the Zippo grew to become more and more utilized in advertising by companies large as well as small through the 1960's. Even though new Zippo lighter designs are always coming out, he basic interior mechanics of the Zippo has fundamentally stayed unchanged.
Zippo lighters have risen to icon status, which brings forth the kind of free publicity money cannot acquire. Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who smokes cigarettes while on stage, keeps a Zippo as close as his guitar. Movie stars from Bruce Willis to Harrison Ford have utilized Zippos to inflame fuses, burn documents and 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 guarantee.