Brand History: Favorite Love of ZIPPO Loves Fire

George Bracedale is a native of Pennsylvania. In the early 30s of the last century, he worked as a distributor of Austrian lighters in the small town of Bled in northwestern Pennsylvania. Due to the inconvenience of using this Austrian lighter, Bresde had the idea to improve it. In 1932, his first windproof lighter was introduced. At the time, the ZIP-PER was invented and became popular. Bradesdale liked the pronunciation of ZIPPER and named his invented lighter “ZIPPO”.

The production workshop of Bledsø’s ZIPPO was originally set up in an old garage in the urban area of ​​Bledberg, with the word “ZIPPO windproof lighter” on the outside. He initially hired six workers to make lighters and sold 82 during the first week of business. At the time, the price of a ZIPPO was $1.95.

The ZIPPO lighter is rectangular and is comfortable to hold in your hand. The fuselage is welded with hinges to connect the lighter cover and the fuselage. A windshield was skillfully designed around the wick. For the first few years, Bracedale continued to make minor modifications to the lighter housing and parts, and the hinges were later moved inside the lighter. In spite of this, in addition to improvements in the skeletal wheel and the outer shell, in the past 70 years or so, the appearance of ZIPPO has remained basically unchanged, and it is still mainly rectangular.

In 1935, engraved letters appeared on the shell of the ZIPPO lighter and began to be inlaid with metal badges. In March 1936, ZIPPO obtained the patent of the first windproof lighter issued by the U.S. government. In the same year, ZIPPO lighters decorated the logos of other companies for the first time. It was the Kendal Refinery Company based in Bledberg. In 1942, ZIPPO's production exceeded the million mark.

After the outbreak of World War II, ZIPPO became the munitions of the U.S. military. Its excellent quality immediately became a favorite of American soldiers. At that time, brass was used to make shells. ZIPPO changed the shell of the lighter from brass to steel. To prevent rusting, the lighter housing is also coated with a layer of black paint, which in turn gives the ZIPPO the advantage of being non-reflective on the battlefield. Thus, the steel shell became the only pattern of ZIPPO in World War II. Soon, American soldiers began to find ways to make their own lighters more personal. They found craftsmen to engrave their name, military logo, wife or lover's name on the shell of the lighter, making ZIPPO a special thing to carry. During the Second World War, the U.S. military moved to Europe, Asia, and Africa to bring the ZIPPO to all parts of the world and attract local people's attention to this type of lighter.

The principle of ZIPPO is "simple, sturdy and practical". At any time, ZIPPO can provide people with a safe and reliable source of fire. In the war, a lot of legends about the ZIPPO lighter were created: its hard shell used to help soldiers resist bullets fired on the chest, some soldiers used it to keep warm for frozen fingers, and some soldiers used it to cook hot meals. ... ZIPPO also withstands any immersion test. It is said that when a fisherman in the United States hit a big fish in the lake in 1960, he actually found a ZIPPO lighter in the fish's abdomen. This lighter not only looks brand new, but also hits it as it is.

After World War II, ZIPPO lighters went to the world. In 1969, there were more than 100 million ZIPPO lighters on the global market. In April 1996, the 300 millionth ZIPPO was delivered. On September 3, 2003, ZIPPO produced its 400 millionth lighter. Today, ZIPPO lighters have an annual output of 12 million. Align the ZIPPO lighters around the world with a length that is half the globe. In the United States, ZIPPO has become synonymous with lighters.

When the ZIPPO opened the lid, it issued a crisp “click” sound. When the steamer was on fire, it was a powerful “click” sound. When the lid was closed, he could hear a “click” sound. A standard ZIPPO weighs 2.05 ounces, a lightweight ZIPPO weighs 1.5 ounces. According to statistics, one-fifth of those who own ZIPPO lighters are for collection. At present, many countries have ZIPPO collectors' clubs. The United States now has about 4 million Zippo collectors, and millions of people around the world have Zippo lighters. ZIPPO is now sold in 120 countries and regions around the world. In the eyes of people, it not only represents the quality and craftsmanship of American products, but also interprets the owner's personal taste.