During the Vietnam War, the trend of personalized the Zippo lighter emerged. Soldiers, with the assistance of local artists in Vietnam, began engraving their Zippos with various slogans. These engravings frequently carried a tone of sarcasm or expressed anti-war sentiments. This practice of customizing lighters gained popularity, as engraving messages on the metal casings of Zippos became a widespread phenomenon.
The Zippo lighter is a simple yet functional item, made of chrome-plated brass and measuring 2.2 inches in height with a weight of 2.05 ounces. It’s designed for efficiency, capable of being opened and lit with a single, practiced movement, and emits a satisfying ‘thwink’ sound upon being snapped shut.
-WiscoDave
Still proudly made in Bradford, Pa. They still fix it for free no matter what happened!
ReplyDeleteI've got at least 10 of them. Since I quit cigarettes a year ago, I'm smoking cigars again. I found that you can by butane inserts for Zippo cases. Zippo even sells them. Pretty wild... and great for lighting a cigar.
Really? I'll have to check that out. I've been lighting my cigars with cheap butane lighters. I'll have to take my Viet Nam Zippo out of retirement.
DeleteI got one of the inserts while visiting the museum in Bradford. Installed it in my old lighter from the JFK. Well worth it.
DeleteI have my father's 1st Air Cav lighter. A cherished keepsakes.
ReplyDeleteHad and wore out more than one. Never sent them back for refurbishment, cheaper to buy a new one. Wonderful product. BTW, Never go swimming with one in your cutoffs pocket after refilling...ask me why?
ReplyDeleteWhy?
DeleteAnd it burns, burns, burns. Yep, you aint the only one. Over fill one and put it in your pocket does the same.
DeleteI've carried a Zippo since I was 15, and I'm about to turn 59.
ReplyDelete--Tennessee Budd
I have 3 Zippos. One from the Company I was assigned to when I was in the USAF. The other two I got from the Air Guard units I was in until I retired.
ReplyDeleteI purchased a Zippo when I was still in high school in 1964. I joined the USMC the fall of 1966 and then from Jan 1968 to Feb 1969 I spent 12 month and 29 days in-country Vietnam with my Zippo. I got it engraved with: "To really live you must nearly die." I quit smoking in 1978 but I still have my Zippo.
ReplyDeleteNever smoked a cigarette in my life, however they made good trades, seemed like everyone smoked. I think the ration cards allowed 3 cartons a month at $3.00 each. Traded for beer which was @ $3.00 a case. Sadly with AO, the beer is a thing of the past. Lot of past, grabbing all the future I can, one sunrise at a time.
ReplyDeleteStill have mine.
ReplyDeleteThis was the only thing my Thai Air Force Father-in-Law asked from me when he learned I grew up not far from the Zippo plant in Bradford, PA.
ReplyDeleteMy Nam lighter had the USMC emblem but instead of an eagle it had a shitbird. The other side was Lucy standing on Snoopy's dog house yelling, Hey Marine, you wanna blow job. It came home with me and I've no idea what happened to it.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of Zippo lighters, extra flints, extra wicks, and some lighter fluid. I have a solid brass USS Iowa commemorative lighter I discovered among my father's effects some time after he died; he worked at the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station and acquired it sometime in the decades he worked there troubleshooting mines and torpedoes. The brass lighter is still in the original packaging and, to my knowledge, has never been struck (there is no flint in the lighter).
ReplyDeleteI quit smoking Jan. 13, 1975 at 3:40 PM but I still have the Zippo I bought at the Fort Monmouth PX in '64. Zippo honored the Lifetime Guarantee a few years ago. New hinge and burner. Koss is good for the guarantee on headphones, also.
ReplyDeleteStill have mine.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in highschool one of my friend's mom said that it was a little disturbing that I didn't smoke, but still carried a lighter. It was always handy for burning trash in the burn barrel, or lighting a torch.
ReplyDeleteI got a factory Zippo butane torch insert for it and I had to open the regulator just a bit past factory settings so it would consistently light. There is a company that makes butane inserts that operate like the fluid. When you open the lid it turns on the gas and it has a flint. You'd have to take it out to be able to tell it was a butane lighter. I believe the company is Phoenix.