Since 1932, the Tuff and Durable Zippo Lighter has Been a Valuable Friend and Tool for Military Men and Women

George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932, and got his thought after seeing a bulky Austrian made portable-pocket lighter. Blaisdell was an oil field engineer who saw a market for a good looking lighter that would work even in rough weather. He formulated the first Zippo lighter in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It got its zippo 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, if not thousands of varying custom zippo lighter patterns have been made in the seven decades since their introduction. From Military Zippo lighters, to an army zippo lighter to a Classic Zippo, to a Hand-Carved wood Zippo lighter.

Zippos are occasionally rectangular in shape with a hinged flip top lid . Unlike throw away colored plastic lighters that are used and chucked out, Zippos are filled again with a Naphtha based liquid zippo lighter fluid. By taking out the internal portion out of the outer housing, its owner can pour lighter fluid into a cotton cloth packing material that incorporates a wick. The flint, which brings forth the flicker to ignite the cotton wick, can also be replaced.

It is low-priced and very dependable. Replenishing a dependable zippo lighter is a lot less costly than purchasing throw away igniters.

Zippos are classified as windproof lighters, and are will stay lighted in just about any wind situation. They became popular in the United States military, especially during World War II standard silver Zippo lighter a military zippo lighter was standard gear for 100% of military personnel in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. During that time, all Zippo lighters produced went to the American war effort. In fact, during the war, as brass was demanded for weapons, the insides of zippos were created in stainless steel. After the war had ended, Zippo reverted to the previous brass design.

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

In addition, Zippo lighters are known for the lifetime guaranty they have: 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 great name recognition, stemming from its function as standard GI issue during World War II, and the Vietman conflict, but the generation that owned Zippo lighters into combat is quivering. The second issue is that cigarette smoking is loosing ground.

Even so, Zippo has endured the storm, as collectors have been the road to strong growth. After all, smokers may buy only one or two zippo lighters--each of which carries a lifetime guaranty. Plenty of 1940s-vintage Zippos still turn up for fixes at the Zippo repair facility, which has reconditioned antique zippo lighters found in the bellies of fish and old zippo lighters pierced by bullets from the war. Collectors, all the same, often buy numerous at a time, give them as gifts, and lure their friends and family to turn into collectors. Many zippo collectors have thousands of lighters in their zippo lighter collection and keep buying.

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

Since 1933, over 400,000,000 Zippos have been constructed. After World War II the Zippo became increasingly used in advertisements by companies both small and large through the decade of the 60's. Though new Zippo lighter styles are always emerging, he basic interior mechanism of the Zippo has in essence remained the same.

Zippo lighters have achieved icon status, which yields the kind of marketing money can't buy. Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who smokes while performing, keeps a Zippo right by guitar. Movie actors from Bruce Willis to Harrison Ford have carried Zippos to light 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 warrantee.