With it, I have a sense of satisfaction.
Like most boys, I like "playing war" since I was a child, and I am interested in knives, guns and jeeps. I especially appreciate the performance and modeling of BERRETTA)9 series pistols. I like to listen to the sound of pulling the bolt after mechanical firing and the sound of "jingling" of the copper shell. Unfortunately, it is impossible to play with guns in real life.
Until one day, my friend in Hong Kong gave me a lighter. It is a metal block the size of a matchbox, but the edges and corners are polished smoothly. The chrome-plated surface can be used as a mirror. When I opened the lid, I heard a crisp sound. My thumb slipped and hit the steam wheel. Bang, the flame lit up. When I closed the computer cover again, I heard the same crisp but different sound, and my mouth couldn't close with joy. This is Zippo. With it, I have a sense of satisfaction.
Play with Zippo a few times when you are free, open the lid, pull out the burner, and see that the lid and the shell are connected by a small hinge, which is one of Zippo's patents. There is a small cam hammer on the burner, which can not only produce a comfortable feel when opening and closing the cover, but also make the charming sound mentioned above. It is very convenient and professional to refuel from the felt pad at the bottom of the fuel tank with the nozzle on the fuel tank dedicated to Zippo.
Most importantly, Zippo lighters can be ignited without any electronic or pressure mechanism. This is due to its exquisite and incisive design. When you buy a Zippo from a regular dealer, you will get a lifetime warranty certificate, so in terms of function or durability, it is enough for a person to own a cigarette lighter like Zippo all his life. But then I thought a Zippo was not enough.
Every time a boy shows his waist, he always wins frequent praise.
Because I like motorcycles, my persistent pursuit of Harry touched God, so I rode a Harry Davidson motorcycle in the early 1990s, and I found that Harry owners all over the world played Zippo. This thing is really a little Harry's style, so simple and reliable, and its sound is as unique as the charming exhaust sound of Harry 1340cc and 45-degree V-type twin-cylinder engine, not to mention my pride at that time.
Then I found out. Zippo introduces exquisite designs from time to time, which always attracts me. One day, I saw a black lighter with the badge of Harry's engine on it. The model of the engine happened to be the one I rode, and there was only one. I bought it without hesitation, as if the lighter were my status symbol. Because Zippo's design is classic, a bit like collecting stamps, so I bought the second and third one after another.
There are other brands of lighters on the market, such as DuPont, which shows wealth, and Isruide, which motorcyclists like, which particularly attracts me. Unconsciously, I have saved more than a dozen lighters and communicated with other Tibetan friends from time to time, thus making a large number of friends from all walks of life. At present, there are too many varieties of Zippo on the market for me to collect. I hope to have the most unique model to show my uniqueness. I traded a limited edition Harry's 90th anniversary model and a Normandy's 50th anniversary model for a rarer 1932 prototype Zippo, which Hong Kong Zippo Company said would not be produced.
This lighter is more primitive than ordinary Zippo. It is simply a frosted steel square with hinges. People like me who want to burn badly have to use this simple thing. Because the standard zippo leather can't hold the steel cube, I specially invited a highly skilled cobbler to make me a bikini leather case, so I always win frequent praises when I show the guy around my waist. If there is no such thing as Harry, then my Zippo suit is unique.
Playing with lighters that have been loved by generations of men is really a great pleasure in life.
More and more people realize the harm of smoking, and hope that people who play lighters can have better taste. People who don't drive can collect cars, and people who don't use matches can also collect sparks. Isn't it a great pleasure to play with lighters that have been loved by generations of men?
My experience is that Zippo, like many excellent American designs, looks simple, but it is actually intriguing. This is a very special collection. If you collect cars, you will worry about accessories and parking. You can collect stamps because they are carefully preserved and difficult to play with. Even Harry Davidson sometimes breaks, but zippo can't. I don't believe you can bring a Zippo from the 1930s (if you are lucky). It must be as good as the new machine.
It is the kindling and heating tool for outdoor activities; Is a tool in the dark; It is a prop to cheer for ball games and concerts; It is also a personalized metal business card.
Zippo's story "This thing works". 1932, in the middle of the great depression, on a foggy summer night, George. Blaisdell is chatting with a friend at a country club in Bradford, Pennsylvania, USA. This friend is lighting a cigarette with an Austrian lighter worth $65,438. This is an ugly thing that can be ignited by pulling down the copper cover.
"With your clothes, can't you use a decent lighter?" Bresday asked.
"Don't you know? George, "said his friend," this thing works! "
Inspired, Bresday bought the distribution right of this lighter in the United States, but the sale did not bring him any profit. This lighter is very troublesome to use. Bresday began to design beautiful models.
Bresday knows his own strength very well. When he was young, he studied crafts in his father's workshop, working 59 hours a week and earning 10 cents an hour. He changed the Austrian lighter into a square box, which fits well in his hand. The lighter cover is connected with the fuselage by hinges, and there is an air net around the cotton core.
A "nice and beautiful" lighter was born. Inspired by another great invention at that time, Zippo, Bresday decided to name his new lighter Zippo. Bresday's original work remains basically unchanged except for some improvements in the surface treatment of lighter wheels and shells.
It's amazing that 70 thousand pieces are produced every day, and the demand is still in short supply. So far, Zippo has produced 300 million pieces.
Q: How many Zippo lighters can enjoy lifetime maintenance service?
A: More than 300 million lighters produced by Zippo want to have lifetime maintenance service, and each one is left behind.
1932, the first Zippo lighter appeared. 10 years later, the output broke the million mark. By 1969, there are more than 1 100 million lighters on the market. 1April 99615th, the 300th Zippo lighter was delivered. If these 300 million Zippo lighters are laid flat, a layer with a thickness of 12.8cm is enough to cover a football field including the shooting area. If these 300 million lighters are connected end to end, they can be as long as 17250 km, which is equivalent to one-fifth of the trip to the moon.
For Mike Shuler, manager and executive director of Zippo, there is no word "enough" in Zippo's dictionary. As Mike said, "It's amazing! We can't meet the demand of the market at all. This is a global market. Even if 70,000 pieces are produced every day, Zippo is still in short supply. Today, 65 years later, we continue to sweep the world with unprecedented pomp. "
You may have doubts, but facts speak louder than words. The only American manufacturer that continues to produce gasoline lighters has experienced a long journey. At the beginning of his business, George. Blaisdell often gives Zippo to taxi drivers who leave Bradford, hoping that everyone will be interested in his products.
The bullet hit Zippo in her arms and the American soldier survived. Zippo's story is getting more and more amazing.
Q: What was Zippo doing during World War II?
A: wartime production.
When World War II broke out, the American government stopped the production of many consumer goods, except Zippo.
Brass cannot be obtained unless it is used for military purposes. Zippo at that time was made of low-grade steel. Because of the rough surface, Zippo was painted with black paint and baked into a "wrinkle" shape. Therefore, to judge whether a Zippo is a World War II version, just look at the texture and exterior paint.
During World War II, Zippo was almost completely supplied to the US military in wartime, and Zippo could ignite smoke bombs. Light a bonfire in a swamp or jungle; Bake a hot helmet to cook soup; Light a fire to show survival in the wild. Some Zippo even stopped deadly bullets and saved many lives. A pilot even used Zippo to light up the dark dashboard of the plane that was about to crash and brought it back safely. The Zippo with a "pit" mentioned at the beginning of this article is actually an American soldier who was shot in the chest. The bullet hit Zippo and the soldier survived. There are many legends about Zippo.
Like Harley-Davidson and Coca-Cola, Zippo is one of the symbols of American culture.
In the post-war years, the brilliant achievements of Zippo lighters in World War II laid the foundation for post-war development. Once upon a time, the hungry civilian market bought everything. Sales of Zippo are on the rise.
Nevertheless, in 1964, Bresday found that the lighter did not meet his standards. He immediately stopped delivery and bought defective lighters from all over the country.
Bresday consulted first-class metallurgical experts, experimented with countless materials and steels with different compositions, and then experimented with a series of manufacturing processes. Finally, he and his engineers developed the best quality light wheels in the world. Even today, the manufacturing process of lighters is still a secret of Zippo Company.
It has been 65 years since the first Zippo lighter came out. 1April 1996, the 300th Zippo factory. Zippo held a grand ceremony and designed a limited production of commemorative lighters to commemorate this important day. This lighter has been sold out now and has become a collector's treasure.
Today, Zippo lighters, like Harry Davidson's motorcycle and Coca-Cola, have become one of the symbols of the United States and are popular all over the world. The most common example is that in American movies, the positive characters light a cigarette between gun battles, and the bad guys throw it into a piece of gasoline and set it on fire. Zippo's sweet jingle can often be heard. Even in China's movies, Zippo has begun to appear, such as the "Hippocampus Ballroom" in Cang Tianshuo. Every corner of the world has Zippo's owners. Zippo attracts every user with its windproof performance and lifetime warranty. "You must be able to fight, or repair it for free" is the principle that Zippo has always pursued.
The first generation of Zippo has already been collected by collectors, and the replica price of out-of-print 1932 prototype is much higher than that of conventional Zippo. There are endless days and nights about Zippo's collection.
Zippo has never been abandoned by the world.
Because the collectors and owners of Zippo are all over the world, many areas have published books or newsletters devoted to Zippo. For example, Japan has a Zippo manual. Taiwan Province Province has the story of Zippo; In Hong Kong, there is news about Zippo, introducing interesting stories, new things, new products and information collection of Zippo.
However, the Zippo lighter is not only a tool for lighting cigarettes, but also has long been used as a kindling and heating tool for outdoor activities by fashionistas. Lighting in the dark; Cheer for ball games and pop concerts. City girl carries all kinds of Zippo with unique design, which shows his personality. It's really a metal business card. Like juggling, boys can play more than ten styles with one hand, but the above functions don't care whether you smoke or not, and don't care about your gender.
Speaking of Zppo, don't forget to say a few words. First, Zippo can not only light cigarettes, but also do many unexpected things. Second, Zippo has never been abandoned, because it is guaranteed for life and can be collected; Third, except for the World War II version or the pure gold (silver) Zippo, all Zippo are copper shells.