The reliable, Windproof Zippo LIghter has Been a Trusted Friend and Tool for Smokers and Non-Smokers Alike

George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932, and got his idea after seeing a bulky Austrian made portable-pocket lighter. Blaisdell was an engineer who saw a potential market for a good looking lighter that would stay lit even in tough weather conditions. He formulated the first Zippo lighter in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It got its name as Blaisdell liked the sound of the word zipper

A Zippo Lighter is a refillable, brass or stainless steel lighter. They are highly collectible and hundreds of varying custom zippo lighter designs have been made in the seven plus decades since their first roll-out. From Hand-Carved wood Zippo lighters, to an army zippo lighter to a Classic Zippo, to a Truck Zippo lighter.

Zippos are generally rectangular in configuration with a flip top lid with a hinge . Unlike one time use cheap plastic lighters that are used and cast aside, Zippos are filled again with a Naphtha based liquid zippo lighter fuel. By taking out the internal component out of the external shell, its owner can pour lighter fluid into a gauze packing that contains a wick. The flint, which creates the spark of fire to inflame the cotton wick, can be refilled.

It is cost-efficient and extremely reliable. Filling a zippo lighter is very much cheaper than purchasing single use igniters.

Zippos are classified as windproof lighters, and are usually stay lighted in just about any wind condition. They grew to become common in the United States military, particularly in World War II stainless steel Zippo a military zippo lighter was standard equipment for 100% of military personnel in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. At that time, all Zippo lighters produced went to the Alied forces war effort. In fact, during the war, as brass was used for weapons, the bowels of zippos were primarily stainless steel. Following the war, Zippo reverted to the standard brass design.

Approximately 200,000 Zippo lighters were held by U.S. military personnel in the Vietman conflict. In one story, a Zippo lighter carried in a shirt pocket intercepted a bullet from entering a soldiers body.

Additionally, Zippos are known for the lifetime warranty they posess: if a Zippo breaks, no matter how old, the company will replace or fix the lighter for free.

Zippo currently faces two tough challenges. Zippo has awesome name recognition, originating from its role as standard GI issue during World War II, and the Vietman conflict, but the generation that transported Zippo lighters into combat is flickering. The second challenge is that cigarette smoking is falling.

But, Zippo has endured the storm, as collectors have been the route to strong growth. After all, smokers could purchase only one or two of the lighters--each of which carries a lifetime warrantee. Plenty of 1940s-vintage Zippos still turn up for repairs at the Zippo repair facility, which has restored old zippo lighters discovered inside the stomachs of fish and old zippo lighters punctured by bullets. Collectors, notwithstanding, often buy numerous at a time, give them as gifts, and entice their family to become collectors. Many zippo collectors have thousands of lighters in their zippo lighter collection and keep buying.

Collectors can amass 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 clients 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 ordered. After World War II the Zippo became more and more used in ads by companies both large and small through the decade of the 1960's. Even though new Zippo lighter styles are always being released, he basic interior mechanics of the Zippo has essentially stayed the same.

Zippo lighters have achieved icon status, which gets the kind of positive public image money cannot buy. Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who often smokes while on stage, keeps a Zippo as close as his guitar. Movie heroes from Bruce Willis to Harrison Ford have utilized Zippos to inflame fuses, burn documents and papers 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 warrantee.

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