The Tuff and Durable Zippo Lighter has Been a Trusted Friend and Tool for People of all Shapes and Sizes

George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932, and got his theme after hearing about a large and bulky Austrian made small lighter. Blaisdell was an oil rig engineer who saw a potential market for a good looking lighter that would work even in rough weather. He fabricated the first Zippo lighter in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It got its moniker for Blaisdell liked the sound of the word zipper

A Zippo Lighter is a refillable, metallic lighter. They are highly collectible and hundreds of different custom zippo lighter patterns have been made in the 70 plus years since their launching. From Military Zippo lighters, to an army zippo lighter to a Hand-Carved wood Zippo, to a Solid gold Zippo lighter.

Zippos are generally rectangular in form with a easy open hinged flip top lid . Unlike disposable polymer lighters that are used and tossed away, Zippos are replenished with a Naphtha based liquid zippo lighter fuel. By removing the interior portion out of the exterior housing, its owner can pour lighter fluid into a cotton cloth packing material that holds a wick. The flint, which makes the flicker to ignite the cotton wick, can also be replaced.

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

Zippos are considered windproof lighters, and are are able to remain lighted in nearly any wind condition. They were popular in the United States armed forces, especially in the second world war zippo a military zippo lighter was standard gear for 100% 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, as brass was needed for weapons, the guts of zippo lighters were chiefly stainless steel. After the war ended, Zippo reverted to the traditional brass design.

Virtually 200,000 Zippo lighters were owned by U.S. military personnel in the Conflict in Vietnam. In one story, a Zippo lighter held in a shirt pocket stopped a bullet from going into a soldiers chest.

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

Zippo currently faces two daunting challenges. Zippo has wonderful name recognition, originating from its part as standard GI issue during The Second World War, and the Conflict in Vietnam, but the generation that owned Zippo lighters into battle is fluttering. The second challenge is that cigarette and cigar smoking is loosing ground.

Nonetheless, Zippo has endured the storm, as collectors have been the road to firm growth. After all, tobacco users could choose only one or two zippo lighters--each of which carries a lifetime guarantee. Plenty of 1940s-vintage Zippos still surface for repairs at the Zippo home office, which has mended antique zippo lighters found inside the stomachs of fish and antique zippo lighters punctured by bullets from the war. Collectors, nevertheless, often buy several at a time, give them away, and lure their friends to become collectors. Many zippo collectors have thousands of lighters in their zippo lighter collection and keep on 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 US Residents 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 ordered. After World War II the Zippo grew to become more and more used in advertisements by companies small and large alike through the sixties. Even though new Zippo lighter designs are always being released, he basic mechanism of the Zippo has fundamentally stayed the same.

Zippo lighters have attained icon status, which gets the kind of marketing money can't purchase. Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who smokes on stage, keeps a Zippo as close as his guitar. Movie actors from Bruce Willis to Harrison Ford have carried Zippos to light fuses, burn documents and papers and even to spark cigarettes.

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