[Q.C.]

I no longer smoke but have a fetish for Zippos. I collect ones with skulls or other art that I like. The lower pic is my collection the only ones that have ever been filled or lit are the two plain looking ones in the back (the last ones I carried). Sorry for the picture quality only so much I can do with my desk top photography studio.

 

[Willard0341]

Bought the Zippo for dad at the px on los flores Camp Pendleton 93 or 94. Time goes by rather quickly

 

[mikegc]

A long time ago, like 53 years back, I was a combat photographer with the First Infantry Division in South Vietnam. I could go out with any unit in our AO so, being tired of infantry, I decided to go "yachting" with the 593rd River Division of the United States Navy:

Pretty plush, huh? The Navy unit was very professional and the sailors were good guys.

Saw some action with them:

They took care of business:

I stayed with them of about 10 days and, the day I left, they gave me a Zippo lighter with their unit crest:

I still have it and it's one of my prized possessions from those days:

Mike

 

[Bullet Bob]

I don't smoke, but I do own one Zippo:



mikegc's thread brought back memories; at my age, everything does. I had an old friend who was a lifelong zippo using smoker. Like many people who had never been in, he was somewhat fascinated by the military. He combined those two interest by collecting zippo's from military units from Vietnam. He started when ebay was young, and knew how to spot fakes. He had a nice display case full of them; one of his favorites was from the 'brown water navy'. He stopped when that hobby became so popular that prices went up and better fakes appeared.

He died a few years ago, and I would have liked to have bought them from his executor, his brother. However his brother is the cheapest, most money hungry person alive, and I knew that if I showed any interest he'd want a million dollars for them, so I let it go.

Sorry for the ramble.

 

[USARV72]

Collected military lighters years ago, here are the best. One I carried in Vietnam is in here as well as a Mint WWII flat black one.WWI ones are US and Brit.

 

[Q.C.]

They bring back memories of over filling them and getting a chemical burn on my leg.

 

[JBTrucker]

My Grand Pa's CASE Red Bone Whittler and Dad's WW II Zippo , he was an orphan never knew why his name spelled two L's

 

[buck460XVR]

....generally there is a watch of some sort in the picture too.🤣

 

[Butthead]

Did you all know that the Zippo lighter is a creation of another Austrian gentlemen too?

Sent from my K00C using Tapatalk

 

[bradsvette]

View attachment 673821 Bought the Zippo for dad at the px on los flores Camp Pendleton 93 or 94. Time goes by rather quickly

Mike, great post! A few years ago we had a fairly prolific poster on the 1911 Forum whose username was Jim F4. I PM-ed him one time because I thought the F4 meant that he had been associated with the F4 Phantom. I had flown F-14s but the Phantom was still in some active duty squadrons at the time. But the F4 in his username was a unit designation or maybe his hull number. He was a Navy Riverboat Skipper during the Vietnam war. If he were alive, I'm sure he'd enjoy your photos.

 

[magazineman]

Cool Zippos! -----Funny, I like pretty much all things tobacciana: I dig metal lighters, vintage cigarette advertising art, cigar cutters, humidors, wooden cigar boxes etc. It's cool stuff. BUT.............. there's no way in hell that I would EVER intentionally inhale a carcinogen. Never had a puff in my life & never will.

I figure that I've already breathed in my share of asbestos brake & clutch dust.

Same with booze. I've distilled moonshine & worked as a bartender without ever having a drop. One can appreciate the culture and history without ingesting the stuff.

 

[US1911]

Can’t even remember a time when I didn’t own a few Zippos. Lovin Q.C.’s skull collection. Willard0341’s CR knife is a show-stopper. Great pics and story line mikegc!

Might have a few others layin around in drawers or boxes, but I do have some nearby. Don’t even remember where these came from or how old they might be.

Snagged this one to accompany a few other Colt 100 Year Anniversary items.

The outboard Zips are from my first USN Destroyer in 1979. I used the one on the left extensively for many years throughout my career. The one just like it on the right, I gifted to my Father. He kept it in the box it came with. The one in the center I purchased while stationed at the Naval Security Group in Adak, AK. My Father actually used that one for awhile.

 

[Zippo Guy]

Did you all know that the Zippo lighter is a creation of another Austrian gentlemen too?

George Blaisdell, the creator of the Zippo lighter, was inspired by the IMCO lighter which was made in Austria. He liked the word Zipper and Zippo sounded more modern back in 1932. The first Zippo lighter actually came out in 1933.

Between 1972-1973 I was in the Air Force working as a Public Health Inspector at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. I took Customs and Agriculture Agents (civilians) out to all aircraft coming in from overseas destinations. We had a lot of aircraft coming back from Viet Nam with troops returning home. I may have run into you if you returned through Anchorage, I was the guy looking for rat droppings. I noticed they all seemed to carry Zippo lighters and since that is what I used, was interested in their custom engravings and artwork. I picked up a bunch of Zippos from our BX with Elmenforf AFB and offered to trade with any that were willing. I ended up with a box full of them.

Fast forward to 1992 and I was collecting Case pocketknives. One of the dealers I bought from started sending me ads for Zippo lighters. I asked why and he said Zippo had just bought Case knives. It was about to be sold to an overseas company and the two daughters of Blaisdell thought ownership should stay in the United States. It didn’t hurt that they are both in Bradford PA. After reading up on Zippo I realized the manufacturing date was on the bottom of every lighter. I was hooked.

I have since collected over 4000 Zippo lighters, have been back to the factory and met with the Blaisdell family. Both Zippo and Case are as American as can be and proud supporters of our country and military. Really looking forward to seeing what you have.

 

[Zippo Guy]

Don’t even remember where these came from or how old they might be.

The Zippo on the left was made in March of 1996 and the one on the right is from 1946-1948 period.

 

[US1911]

^^^Thanks Zippo Guy!

 

[Willard0341]

A long time ago, like 53 years back, I was a combat photographer with the First Infantry Division in South Vietnam. I could go out with any unit in our AO so, being tired of infantry, I decided to go "yachting" with the 593rd River Division of the United States Navy:
View attachment 673868
Pretty plush, huh? The Navy unit was very professional and the sailors were good guys.
View attachment 673869
Saw some action with them:
View attachment 673870
They took care of business:
View attachment 673871
I stayed with them of about 10 days and, the day I left, they gave me a Zippo lighter with their unit crest:
View attachment 673872
I still have it and it's one of my prized possessions from those days:
View attachment 673873

Mike

Great story and photos “Apocalypse Now” is one of my favorite movies. (Patrol boat river scenes)

 

[Btl1994]

I'm a zippo guy as well. Currently sitting on around 110 of them at any given time! By far my favorite.

 

[USARV72]

Ah, V-100. We had a few in our unit. One guy DEROS, got drunk, got in one V-100 and raced around the bunker line, turned it over ruining the 2 Mgs in turret. He got an article 15 instead of a general court marshal.
There is a date chart of Zippos, if can find it I’ll post it.

 

[USMM guy]

I wonder how many you have to order to have a personalized run? I can not imagine that they sell as many of them as they used to. I was actually a bit surprised today that I ran into somebody that still smokes. Back when I was a kid everyone had one. Smoker or not you just were not cool if you did not have a Zippo.

 

[Butthead]

George Blaisdell, the creator of the Zippo lighter, was inspired by the IMCO lighter which was made in Austria. He liked the word Zipper and Zippo sounded more modern back in 1932. The first Zippo lighter actually came out in 1933.

Well, now don't I feel stupid? 😕

I knew there was something "Austrian" related about the Zippo though (thanx History channel). 👍

Maybe all of the stamped metal parts found in both the Glock and the Zippo had confused me somehow? 🤒