ZIPPO
At the Bradford Country Club in Pennsylvania, Mr. George G. Blaisdell observes a friend struggling to light an Austrian-made lighter. The lighter looks a bit rough and dents very easily due to its thin metal surface, but... it always works, even in strong winds.
Mr. Blaisdell redesigns the Austrian lighter from scratch and names it Zippo, taking inspiration from an ingenious invention of those years – the "Zipper" fastener.
The first lighter sees the light of day and is sold for $1.95. The original prototype made by Mr. Blaisdell is currently on display at the Zippo/Case Museum in Bradford.
That same year, the famous lifetime guarantee "It works or we fix it free" is also born.
The date code identifying the year of production is found on the bottom of every Zippo lighter.
The idea, born with a practical purpose, later becomes a point of interest for collectors looking for older models.
The classic Zippo pocket lighter is named one of the "Top 100 Products of All Time" by the Danish Design Centre in Copenhagen, and awarded "Best Design of the 20th Century" by Men's Journal.
Mr. Blaisdell redesigns the Austrian lighter from scratch and names it Zippo, taking inspiration from an ingenious invention of those years – the "Zipper" fastener.
The first lighter sees the light of day and is sold for $1.95. The original prototype made by Mr. Blaisdell is currently on display at the Zippo/Case Museum in Bradford.
That same year, the famous lifetime guarantee "It works or we fix it free" is also born.
The date code identifying the year of production is found on the bottom of every Zippo lighter.
The idea, born with a practical purpose, later becomes a point of interest for collectors looking for older models.
The classic Zippo pocket lighter is named one of the "Top 100 Products of All Time" by the Danish Design Centre in Copenhagen, and awarded "Best Design of the 20th Century" by Men's Journal.
