Zippo

A Zippo lighter is a collectible. George G. Blaisdell founded Zippo Manufacturing Company (located in Bradford, Pennsylvania) in 1932, and produced the first Zippo lighter in 1933. It got its name because Blaisdell liked the sound of the word ’zipper’. On March 3, 1936, patent was granted for the Zippo lighter. Since 1933, over 400,000,000 Zippo lighters have been produced. They became popular in the US military, especially during World War II when the company stated that it "ceased production of lighters for consumer markets and dedicated all manufacturing to the U.S. military."

Zippo lighters gained popularity as "windproof" lighters, able to stay lit in harsh weather, due to the design of the windscreen and adequate rate of fuel delivery. So it’s hard to extinguish it. The proper way to extinguish it is to close the top half. One of the recognisable features of Zippo is the fact that it burns with a wick. Rapidly closing the top lid produces a loud and easily recognisable clicking sound for which Zippo lighters are known.

A museum called Zippo/Case visitors centre is located in Bradford. This 10,000 square foot (929 m≤) building contains rare and custom-made Zippo lighters and is the only place that sells the whole Zippo line. From Windy (Zippo’s original spokes model) to a special Hollywood edition (declaring Zippo’s fame with on-screen actors over the decades), this unique lighter has stood the test of time through American history.