BLACK ICE
A Zippo lighter is a refillable, metal lighter manufactured by Zippo Manufacturing Company. Thousands of different styles and designs have been made in the seven decades since their introduction. They became popular in the United States military, especially during World War II - when, as the company's website says, Zippo "ceased production of lighters for consumer markets and dedicated all manufacturing to the U.S. military." Additionally, Zippo lighters are known for offering a lifetime guarantee: if a Zippo lighter breaks, no matter how old or how many owners it has had, the company will replace or fix the lighter for free. The only part of a Zippo lighter that carries no warranty is the finish on the outside of the outer case and lid.
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. A consequence is that it is hard to extinguish by blowing out the flame. The proper way to extinguish the lighter is to close the top half, which starves the flame of oxygen, but, unlike other lighters, an action like this does not cut the fuel. One of the recognizable features of Zippo is the fact that it burns with a wick. Rapidly opening the top lid produces a loud and easily recognizable clicking sound for which Zippo lighters are known.
For years, people have been coming to Zippo with design ideas that they would like to see on a Zippo windproof lighter. This year, they were given a chance to make this dream a reality with the Design A Lighter contest. The goal of the contest was to discover fresh designs that might someday be used on a Zippo lighter.
Zipper
by Joseph DeBono of Malta
When asked what inspired his winning design, DeBono explained, “Like George G. Blaisdell, I toyed with the word zip and several ideas came out of that…I came up with like five ideas on how to do ‘Zipper’. I finally decided on doing the zipper on the lid and I did my best to make it look attractive. I wondered if it would be better with Zippo written somewhere, so I just embossed it on the clip.”
