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Since 1932, the Weatherproof Zippo lighter has Been a Friend and Tool for People of all Shapes and Sizes
George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo
lighter in 1932, and got his theme after learning a overly large 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 windy and rough. He manufactured the first Zippo
lighter in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It got its zippo identity for Blaisdell liked
the sound of the word zipper
A Zippo Lighter is a refillable, metallic lighter. They are highly collectible
and hundreds, if not thousands of varying custom zippo lighter styles have been made in the
seven decades since their unveiling. From Engraved Zippo lighters, to an
army zippo lighter
to a Military Zippo, to a Hand-Carved wood Zippo lighter.
Zippos are occasionally rectangular
in design with a hinged flip top lid . Unlike throw away plastic lighters that
are used and discarded, Zippos are filled again with a Naphtha based liquid zippo
lighter fluid. By removing the inside component out of the external casing, its owner
can pour lighter fluid into a cotton cloth packing material that contains a wick. The flint, which
brings forth the trigger to inflame the cotton wick, is also replaceable.
It is cost-efficient and highly dependable. Refilling a zippo is much less costly than
buying throw away flame sources.
Zippos are considered windproof lighters, and are usually stay
lighted in most any wind situation. They grew to become very popular in the United States
armed forces, particularly in the second world war standard silver Zippo lighter a military
zippo lighter was standard issue for all military personnel in the Army, Navy, Air
Force and Marines. At that time, all Zippo lighters produced went to the
American war effort. In fact, at that time, because brass was used for arms,
the guts of zippo lighters were made of stainless steel. After the war had ended,
Zippo reverted to the traditional brass
design.
Approx. 200,000 Zippo lighters were carried by U.S.
military personnel in the Conflict in Vietnam. There is a story told where, a Zippo lighter
transported in a shirt pocket held back a bullet from entering a soldiers chest.
Additionally, Zippos are known for the lifetime warranty they carry: if a
Zippo falls apart, no matter how old, the company will replace or repair the lighter
for free.
Zippo currently faces two daunting
challenges. Zippo has smashing brand recognition, originating from its role as standard
GI issue during World War II, and the Vietnam war, but the generation that possessed
Zippo lighters into combat is fluttering. The second problem is that cigarette smoking
is diminishing.
Still, Zippo has endured the storm, as collectors have been the route to
solid growth. After all, cigarette or cigar smokers could buy only one or two zippo lighters--each
of which carries a lifetime warranty. Plenty of 1940s-vintage Zippos still
show up for repairs at the Zippo home office, which has mended antique zippo lighters
found in the stomachs of fish and old zippo lighters punctured by bullets from a gun.
Collectors, still, often buy numbers of at a time, give them away as gifts, and lure their
family to become collectors. Many zippo
collectors have thousands of lighters in their zippo
lighter collection and continue buying.
Collectors can accumulate all of their favourite 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 high as $3,000.
Since 1933, over 400,000,000 Zippos have been made. After World War II
the Zippo grew to become more and more utilized in advertising by companies large as well as small
through the 60's. Though new Zippo lighter styles are always coming out,
he basic interior desgin of the Zippo has essentially remained the same.
Zippo lighters have risen to icon status, which gets the kind of marketing
money can't buy. Rolling
Stone Keith Richards, who smokes during his act, keeps a Zippo right by
guitar. Movie superstars from Bruce Willis to Harrison Ford have carried Zippos to
light fuses, burn papers and even to ignite cigarettes.
Zippo is branching out in other ways, too, with Zippo pens, belt buckles, and
money clips, Zippo
watches all with a lifetime warranty.
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