Photo Gallery
What started it all
From being cool to sentimental
I never smoked and never will, only wanted something nicer for lighting tealights and incenses with.
Came across the Zippo name and saw these used on films, which made me curious.
Went for one costing the least at Bishan's 77th Street, a plain street chrome model to figure what this was so cool about.
A mystical moment then occurred upon first touch. 'Something' convinced me to never let go of it ~
Each is a time capsule
A date code imprinted beneath
Introduced as a quality control measure, identifying the year which a lighter was made.
Collectors soon recognized the value of these date codes, empowering them to pinpoint periods of their favorite pieces from before
Second World War.
Introduced as a quality control measure, identifying the year which a lighter was made.
Collectors soon recognized the value of these date codes, empowering them to pinpoint periods of their favorite pieces from before
Second World War.
Zippo Lighters saved soldiers lives
Myths/Facts?
You may have come across a saying, that Zippo lighters saved the lives of soldiers who were shot at during war. Such tales depict bullets striking the exact places where soldier's lighters were kept (usually in pockets)- the bullets were halted in its track, hence lifes were saved. How credible is this saying?
Looking deeper, the only proof i found is within this 1966 Zippo advertisement.
Here is an original cutout from Readers Digest, kept within my archival collection * Click on 'LIGHTER STUFFS~' tab to view more
Looking deeper, the only proof i found is within this 1966 Zippo advertisement.
Here is an original cutout from Readers Digest, kept within my archival collection * Click on 'LIGHTER STUFFS~' tab to view more
People will still prefer to find out for themselves, if Zippo lighters would do as those tales described. Once, a YouTube gun channel named Taofledamaus did exactly this. Jeff, the channel's owner kindly sacrificed his lighter in this experiment. The results were remarkable, you should watch this video.
This shot up lighter had not been sent back to the factory, as told by Jeff. Although Zippo upholds its unconditional lifetime guarantee for all their windproof lighters, i suppose the manufacturer will not be pleased receiving more pieces placed at gun points for proving this saying
Structures within & outside a Zippo lighter
A Zippo lighter is separated into 2 key components: Namely the casing and Insert (detachable Inner working unit)
The Exteriors:
A brass pipe was probably cut-out and shaped to build the casing for founder- Mr. George Grant Blaisdell's first lighter design, which he then thought of a catchy name for: Not Zipper... not Zippy....
But Zippo (Sounds classy & elegant indeed).
Till this day, a major proportion of Zippo casings are still being stamped from sheets of Brass. Though some rare models would be made of Copper, Titanium, Sterling Silver, and even solid 16k Gold!
Exceptions were made during events when brass were in shortages. Circumstances during Second World War and the Korean War, depleted Brass supplies as those were much needed to produce ammunition. Without Brass, what else could Zippo manufacturing co. make their lighter casings with?
Mr. Blaisdell thus came out a brilliant idea: Substituting with steel instead. But soon as Brass supplies resumed, steel would pretty much be forsaken. Question is why, have Mr. Blaisdell and his company been so fixed with this shiny golden-colored material smelling like $$$$ ?
A brass pipe was probably cut-out and shaped to build the casing for founder- Mr. George Grant Blaisdell's first lighter design, which he then thought of a catchy name for: Not Zipper... not Zippy....
But Zippo (Sounds classy & elegant indeed).
Till this day, a major proportion of Zippo casings are still being stamped from sheets of Brass. Though some rare models would be made of Copper, Titanium, Sterling Silver, and even solid 16k Gold!
Exceptions were made during events when brass were in shortages. Circumstances during Second World War and the Korean War, depleted Brass supplies as those were much needed to produce ammunition. Without Brass, what else could Zippo manufacturing co. make their lighter casings with?
Mr. Blaisdell thus came out a brilliant idea: Substituting with steel instead. But soon as Brass supplies resumed, steel would pretty much be forsaken. Question is why, have Mr. Blaisdell and his company been so fixed with this shiny golden-colored material smelling like $$$$ ?
The Inner Workings:
Classic Zippos are, wick style lighters. They work similarly as IMCO and some Ronson Brand lighters, running on liquid fuel
(lighter fluid alike petrol/ gasoline) through a cord that burns on an end.
Same, exact way which an oil lamp works. Though these 'Lamps' light and extinguish rapidly at will of the user, and are built to be portable.
An internal unit (widely known as the Insert), is the single assembly of multiple components making a Zippo lighter work as it should. It is easily detachable by being pulled straight out from the casing's main body. Without an insert, the Zippo lighter is nothing but an empty hinged shell.
Earliest inserts were stamped, welded and soldered out of chrome plated brass for the main body. Later in the beginning of Second World War, steel would substitute brass till the end of war. Nickel Silver subsequently took the place of Brass and steel in 1946. From perhaps the 50's onward, stainless steel are then used in manufacturing almost every lighter inserts till now.
Classic Zippos are, wick style lighters. They work similarly as IMCO and some Ronson Brand lighters, running on liquid fuel
(lighter fluid alike petrol/ gasoline) through a cord that burns on an end.
Same, exact way which an oil lamp works. Though these 'Lamps' light and extinguish rapidly at will of the user, and are built to be portable.
An internal unit (widely known as the Insert), is the single assembly of multiple components making a Zippo lighter work as it should. It is easily detachable by being pulled straight out from the casing's main body. Without an insert, the Zippo lighter is nothing but an empty hinged shell.
Earliest inserts were stamped, welded and soldered out of chrome plated brass for the main body. Later in the beginning of Second World War, steel would substitute brass till the end of war. Nickel Silver subsequently took the place of Brass and steel in 1946. From perhaps the 50's onward, stainless steel are then used in manufacturing almost every lighter inserts till now.