The Weatherproof Zippo Lighter has Been an Invaluable Friend and Tool for Collectors and Users

A Zippo Lighter is a refillable, brass or stainless steel lighter. They are highly collectible and 100s of different custom zippo lighter fashions have been made in the 70 plus years since their debut. From NFL Zippo lighters, to an army zippo lighter to a Truck Zippo, to a Solid gold Zippo lighter.

Zippos are almost always rectangular in shape with a easy open lid . Unlike single use cheap plastic lighters that are used and thrown away, Zippos are replenished with a Naphtha based liquid zippo lighter fuel. By sliding the interior portion out of the outside housing, its user can pour lighter fluid into a gauze packing material that incorporates a wick. The flint, which gives rise to the spark of fire to light the wick, is replaceable.

It is affordable and exceedingly reliable. Filling a zippo lighter is tremendously less expensive than purchasing one time use flame sources.

Zippos are considered windproof lighters, and are will stay ignited in nearly any wind or weather condition. They grew to become common in the United States army and navy, especially during the second world war military Zippo a military zippo lighter was standard equipment for the majority of gentlemen in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. During that time, all Zippo lighters produced went to the Allied war effort. In fact, during the war, as brass was needed for weapon systems, the interiors of zippos were chiefly stainless steel. After the war was over, Zippo reverted to the typical brass design.

Roughly 200,000 Zippo lighters were owned by U.S. military people in the Vietnam War. One time, a Zippo lighter carried in a shirt pocket stopped a bullet from getting into a soldiers body.

In addition, Zippo lighters are known for the lifetime warrantee they posess: if a Zippo goes bad, no matter how old, the company will replace or fix the lighter for free.

Zippo now faces two hard challenges. Zippo has great name recognition, stemming from its part as standard GI issue during The Second World War, and the Vietman conflict, but the generation that owned Zippo lighters into battle is flickering. The second issue is that smoking is lessening.

Nonetheless, Zippo has weathered the storm, as collectors have been the missing link to strong growth. After all, smokers may choose only one or two zippos--each of which carries a lifetime guaranty. Plenty of 1940s-vintage Zippos still appear for fixes at the Zippo repair facility, which has fixed old zippo lighters discovered in the bellies of fish and antique zippo lighters pierced by bullets from the war. Collectors, notwithstanding, often buy many at a time, give them away, and entice their friends to be collectors. Many zippo collectors have thousands of lighters in their zippo lighter collection and keep on purchasing.

Collectors can amass all of their favored 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 range from $35 to $75, and some as much as $3,000.

Since 1933, over 400,000,000 Zippos have been produced. After The Second World War the Zippo became increasingly used in ads by companies small and large alike through the sixties. Even though new Zippo lighter designs are always surfacing, he basic interior mechanics of the Zippo has basically stayed unchanged.

Zippo lighters have reached icon status, which returns the kind of free publicity money cannot purchase. Rolling Stone Keith Richards, who often smokes on stage, keeps a Zippo as close as his guitar. Movie superstars from Bruce Willis to Harrison Ford have used Zippos to inflame fuses, burn papers and even to light cigarettes.

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