The reliable, Windproof Zippo LIghter has Been a Lifelong Companion and Tool for Serious Collectors and Smokers Alike

George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932, and got his theme after discovering a large and bulky Austrian made pocket lighter. Blaisdell was an oil engineer who saw a potential market for a good looking lighter that would light up consistently even in windy and mild conditions alike. He fabricated the first Zippo lighter in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It got its name 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 many of varying custom zippo lighter designs have been made in the seven plus decades since their launch. From Classic Zippo lighters, to an army zippo lighter to a Solid gold Zippo, to a NFL Zippo lighter.

Zippos are typically rectangular in configuration with a hinged flip open lid . Unlike single use polymer lighters that are used and discarded in the trash, Zippos are refilled with a Naphtha based liquid zippo lighter fluid. By sliding the inner component out of the exterior husk, its user can pour lighter fluid into a cotton packing that holds a wick. The flint, which makes the spark of fire to inflame the cotton wick, can be refilled.

It is affordable and highly reliable. Replenishing a zippo lighter is a great deal less expensive than buying one time use lighters.

Zippos are considered windproof lighters, and are usually stay lit in virtually any wind or weather condition. They were very popular in the United States army and navy, especially in the second world war zippo a military zippo lighter was standard equipment for all of men in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. During that period, all Zippo lighters produced went to the Allied war effort. In fact, at that time, since brass was utilized for weapon systems, the interiors of zippo lighters were manufactured in stainless steel. Following the war, Zippo reverted to the traditional brass design.

Virtually 200,000 Zippo lighters were owned by U.S. military people in the War in Vietnam. There is a story told where, a Zippo lighter carried in a shirt pocket halted a bullet from getting into a soldiers chest.

In addition, Zippo lighters are known for the lifetime guarantee they carry: if a Zippo comes apart, no matter how old, the company will replace or fix the lighter for free.

Zippo now faces two hard challenges. Zippo has wonderful name recognition, coming from its role as standard GI issue during The Second World War, and the Conflict in Vietnam, but the generation that carried Zippo lighters into battle is fluttering. The second issue is that smoking is falling.

Yet, Zippo has weathered the storm, as collectors have been the key to substantial growth. After all, tobacco users could choose only one or two of the lighters--each of which carries a lifetime warranty. Plenty of 1940s-vintage Zippos still show up for fixes at the Zippo main office, which has reconditioned antique zippo lighters discovered in the stomachs of fish and antique zippo lighters pierced by bullets. Collectors, notwithstanding, often buy numbers of at a time, give them away, and entice their friends to be collectors. Many zippo collectors have thousands of lighters in their zippo lighter collection and continue buying.

Collectors can collect all of their favored 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 clients are collectors. While a basic brushed-chrome Zippo runs $10.95, Collectible Zippos typically ranges from $35 to $75, and some as high as $3,000.

Since 1933, over 400,000,000 Zippos have been fabricated. After World War II the Zippo became more and more used in advertizements by companies large and small alike through the 1960's. Although new Zippo lighter designs are always surfacing, he basic interior mechanics of the Zippo has basically remained unaltered.

Zippo lighters have reached icon status, which gives the kind of marketing money cannot acquire. Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who smokes cigarettes on stage, keeps a Zippo as close as his guitar. Movie superstars from Bruce Willis to Harrison Ford have used Zippos to inflame fuses, burn documents and even to spark cigarettes.

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

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