Amazing Facts About the World’s Most Famous Lighter

1. AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS LIGHTER ZIPPO WAS ORIGINALLY INSPIRED BY A CLUNKY AUSTRIAN LIGHTER The windproof lighter emerged from Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1932. George Blaisdell was smoking a cigarette on the porch of the Bradford Country Club when a local businessman walked past lighting his cigarette with a bizarre looking lighter, complete with a protective lid. GETTING GOING TOOK A WHILE Even though his invention was spectacular, the lighter still needed help to gain monetary momentum during the years of the Great Depression. In 1936, Zippo created an ad for Esquire, but the advisement didn’t work. In fact, the company didn’t see any evidence of increased sales from the ad whatsoever! FAN TEST The fantastic design of the Zippo’s chimney is one of the contributing factures that keeps it alight in the windiest of conditions. Zippo boasted about this by offering up the “the fan test”. They asked consumers to hold the Zippo up to a fan to see if its flame would blow out. Of course, it did not! WWII The first decade the company struggled with sales, but Zippo still persevered against the odds until a big break happened. Zippo gained a contract with the American Army in WWII; it allowed American troops to purchase the lighters in Army Exchanges and Ship Stores. Soldiers from Zippo’s hometown in McKean County, Pennsylvania were offered the lighters for free. The soldiers took their lighters to the front lines and discovered that the Zippos rugged design, ability to take almost any fuel and windproof ability was well suited in combat situations. U.S. MADE Every single Zippo lighter is still, to this day, made in a single factory in Pennsylvania employing around 1,000 members of staff. In an age where a lot of production is outsourced to China, it is great to be able to own an item made with such quality still in its hometown. www.giftsinfinity.com