Zippo...

When I was younger, around 18 or 19, I worked at a toy store downtown. It was one of the funnest job I've ever had and it wasn't because of the toys. It was because of the people I worked with. I worked with some real characters and some were more fun than others. Karen ran the place, which may not have been easy sometimes, and showed me that you don't have to be a tyrant to be a good manager, something I hadn't seen before. I worked with Sean, Cheryl and Jon and I always looked forward to going to work. There was never a dull moment at the store. NEVER. We used to go out for all-nighters and Jon would order the strangest drinks ever.

Bartender "What can I get you?"
Jon "potato daiquiri my good man"

Anyhow, one day, maybe for my birthday I can't really remember, the gang got me a Zippo lighter. I was a smoker then and it was a fitting gift. It was a "50 years with Elvis" lighter and I totally dug it. I carried it for years , banging against the change and crap that I always had in my pocket, until all the enamel in the Elvis picture chipped off. Of course, this was before there was such a thing as a collectible market where limited editions like a "50 years with Elvis" lighter would be worth keeping in its little plastic flip case, away from pollution and UV rays. I was a dumbass and destroyed the thing in my pocket. Who knew? That one chrome lighter started something that continues today, my Zippo lighter collection.

I currently have between 28 and 35 Zippos, and all are special. They've been gifts, lucky finds, special editions etc. I spent years working in malls and whenever they had antique sales in the hallways, I would always go looking for Zippos. The first one I bought like that was in the original cardboard box which would split along perforated lines to stand up in the lid like a little display. The box had not been split and the lighter had never been used. You can tell by looking at it but also that smell that lighter fluid has. It has a curler on it and the bottom is stamped 1950 and Bradford PA, which tells you that it was made at the original plant in Bradford somewhere between 1949 and 1957, but I'm not sure when. When i saw it I casually asked the vendor how much. He said "That one's very expensive" I thought that a new one is about $25 so I asked how much. He replied "$8" I told him he was shrewd but I'd have to take it.

When I got married, all my groomsmen received a chrome Zippo that was chosen specifically for them at the visitor center in Bradford, where we used to go see a friend who had a retro motel there and drive around the Alleghany State forest in his Alfa Romeos, but that's for another time. You could find some really cool stuff there, like the NATO issue one I had for years. It was black, crackle finish and over the years, all the corners chipped off leaving the cooper visible underneath. Sadly, I had to throw that one out in Kansas City International airport before boarding a flight home. It was after 911 and you couldn't carry a lighter on. I asked if I could go back and put it in my luggage but they said that it would show on the x-ray and they would open my bag and get it out. They offered to take it but I'd rather throw it out than let them keep my prized Zippo. After telling them what I thought of them, I threw it out and still feel anger every time I think about it.

The Zippo timeline begins in the early 1930s, at the Bradford Country Club in Bradford, Pennsylvania. George Blaisdell watched a friend awkwardly using a cumbersome Austrian-made lighter. The lighter worked well, even in the wind, due to the design of the chimney. But its appearance was utilitarian. Its use required two hands, and its thin metal surface dented easily.

He decided to refashion the Austrian lighter in the fall of 1932. Mr. Blaisdell fabricated a rectangular case and attached the top of the lighter to the case with a hinge. He retained the chimney design which protected the flame under adverse conditions. The result was a lighter that looked good and was easy to operate. The first lighter, currently displayed at the Zippo/Case Museum in Bradford, was produced in early 1933.

The word “Zippo” was created by Blaisdell in 1932. He liked the sound of the word “zipper” so he formed different variations on the word and settled on “Zippo,” deciding that it had a “modern” sound.

World War II had a profound effect on Zippo. Upon America’s entry in the war, Zippo ceased production of lighters for consumer markets and dedicated all manufacturing to the U.S. military. The military initiative led to the production of the steel-case Zippo with black “crackle” finish. The fact that millions of American military personnel carried the lighter into battle was a significant catalyst in establishing Zippo as an icon of America throughout the world. Supplying the military market resulted in full production for the plant. This enabled Zippo to be strong financially and made it a viable company.

Zippo Manufacturing Company, Canada, Ltd. was established in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in 1949 to negate import duties. Outside of the main plant in Bradford, this is the only place in the world where Zippo lighters have been made. The bottom stamp on lighters produced in Canada reflect the Niagara Falls location. Due to the implementation of free trade policies in the 90s, the need for a Canadian manufacturing facility was no longer viable and the plant was closed in 2002.

Source: http://average-dude.blogspot.com/2010/08/zippo.html