| Zippo lighters became popular in the United States | | | | "trench art" continued on with the Zippo lighter in |
| Military, especially during the world wars. In World | | | | World War II. Some of these decorated Zippo |
| War II- when, as the Zippo Manufacturing Company's | | | | lighters were pre-war Zippos, including the 1940-41 |
| website states that, the Zippo Manufacturing | | | | brass Zippos with and without diagonal lines as well as |
| Company "ceased production of lighters for the | | | | earlier models. The vast majority of the lighters from |
| consumer markets and dedicated all the Zippo lighter | | | | 1936-1945 can be easily recognized by the rounded |
| production to the U.S. military". The Zippo Lighter was | | | | corners and absence of the post-1946 "canned" |
| made of brass, but as this commodity was | | | | bottom. The bottoms are flat or protrude outwards |
| unobtainable due to the war effort, the Zippo | | | | in varying degrees even to the point that the Zippo |
| Manufacturing Company turned to using steel during | | | | will not stand upright on a flat surface. |
| the war years. While the Zippo Manufacturing | | | | During WWII the Zippo Manufacturing Company's |
| Company never had an official contract with the | | | | president Mr. George G. Blaisdell shipped as many |
| military, soldiers and armed forces personnel insisted | | | | Zippo Lighters as possible to PX's and to the front |
| that the PX stores carry this much sought-after | | | | line. The GI's favored the Zippo Lighters because |
| lighter. Due to materials shortage during the war, | | | | they were inexpensive, reliable, and always worked |
| Zippo Manufacturing Company had to use the more | | | | when it was needed. |
| porous metal steel instead of the regular metal, brass. | | | | Although the Zippo Manufacturing Company have |
| Since the lighter could not be finished with chrome or | | | | made many, many styles and finishes of the Zippo |
| nickel, instead, it was covered with a special black | | | | lighter since 1932, all branches of the military are |
| crackle paint. A benefit of this finish is that it would | | | | recognized. Army , Navy, Air Force Marines are |
| not reflect the light, thereby avoiding the attention of | | | | engraved in the different styles of the Zippo Lighter. |
| enemy snipers. The paint, while baked on, tended to | | | | But the recognized authentic WWII Zippo lighter is |
| become brittle and chip off, giving the Zippo lighter a | | | | the steel cased with the black matte crackle finish. |
| very rugged look. | | | | As with all Zippo Lighters, vintage or brand new, you |
| The tradition from WWI of decorating lighters with | | | | will always have the Zippo Lighter life-time warranty, |
| coins and crude engravings, or what is referred to as | | | | "IT WORKS OR IT'S FIXED FREE". |