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Zippo's flint-wheel Ignition at work

A lit 1968 slim model Zippo

An open full-size Navy Zippo

Brass-based case design with matched insert coloring

Zippo point of sale display

A Zippo lighter is a refillable, metal lighter manufactured by Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, U.S.^[1] Thousands of different styles and designs have been made in the seven decades since their introduction including military ones for specific regiments.

Company history[link]

Blaisdell founded Zippo Manufacturing Company in 1932, and produced the first Zippo lighter in early 1933, being inspired by an Austrian cigarette lighter of similar design. It got its name because Blaisdell liked the sound of the word "zipper" and "zippo" sounded more modern. On March 3, 1936, patent was granted for the Zippo lighter.^[2]

Zippo lighters became popular in the United States military, especially during World War II — when, as the company's Web site says, Zippo "ceased production of lighters for consumer markets and dedicated all manufacturing to the U.S. military." ^[3] The Zippo at that time was made of brass, but as this commodity was unobtainable due to the war, Zippo used steel during the war years. While the Zippo Manufacturing Company never had an official contract with the military, soldiers and armed forces personnel insisted that Base exchange (BX) and Post exchange (PX) stores carry this sought-after lighter.^[4][5] While it had previously been common to have Zippos with authorized badges, unit crests and division insignia, it became popular among the American soldiers of the Vietnam War, to get their Zippos engraved with personal mottos. These lighters are now sought after collectors items and popular souvenirs for visitors to Vietnam.^[6]

After World War II, the Zippo lighter became increasingly used in advertising by companies large and small through the 1960s.^[7] Many of the early advertising Zippo lighters are works of art painted by hand, and as technology has evolved, so has the design and finish of the Zippo lighter. The basic mechanism of the Zippo lighter has remained unchanged.

In 2002 Zippo expanded its product line to include a variety of utility-style multi-purpose lighters, known as the Zippo MPL. This was followed in 2005 with the Outdoor Utility Lighter, known as the OUL. These lighters are fueled with butane. In August 2007 Zippo released a new butane lighter called the Zippo BLU.^[8]

A museum called Zippo/Case visitors center is located in Bradford, Pennsylvania at 1932 Zippo Drive. This 15,000 square foot (1398 m²) building contains rare and custom made Zippo lighters, and also sells the entire Zippo line. The museum was featured on the NPR program Weekend Edition Sunday on January 25, 2009. The museum also contains an enormous collection of Case knives. Since the Zippo company's 60th anniversary in 1992, annual editions have been produced for worldwide Zippo collectors.

From 1949 to 2002 Zippos were also produced in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.^[9] Since 1933, over 400,000,000 Zippo lighters have been produced.

In 2009, Zippo announced plans to purchase Ronson Consumer Products Corporation, a long-time competitor in the lighter market.^[10] On February 3, 2010, the deal was finalized.^[11]

March 2011: Due to significant decrease of sales from 18 million lighters a year in the mid-1990s to about 12 million lighters this year, combined with increasing pressure on people not to smoke, Zippo Manufacturing Co. decided to try offering a wider variety of products using Zippo brands, such as watches, leisure clothing and eau de cologne. This strategy is similar to the success Victorinox Swiss Army Brands Inc. has had selling watches, luggage, clothing and fragrance.^[12]

Usage[link]

Besides having gained popularity as “windproof” lighters, Zippo lighters are able to stay lit in harsh weather, due to the design of the windscreen and adequate rate of fuel delivery. As such, until recently they were highly popular with backpackers and within the military. Professional backpackers (operating in the wilderness) have however now turned away from the regular Zippo lighter in favor of torch butane lighter which have windproof technology, heavy-duty matches, and ferrocerium rods. Many high-altitude and cold weather backpackers still prefer Zippo lighters because butane lighters are less reliable in cold weather.

A consequence of the windproofing is that it is hard to extinguish a Zippo by blowing out the flame. However, if the flame is blown from the top down, it will be easily extinguished. The proper way to extinguish the lighter is to close the top half, which starves the flame of oxygen, but unlike other lighters, this does not cut the fuel. One of the recognizable features of Zippo is the fact that it burns with a wick. Opening the top lid produces an easily recognizable "clink" sound for which Zippo lighters are known, and a different but similar "clunk" when the lighter is closed. This noise is produced by the cam, a little lever that keeps the lid closed or opened securely, which is intended to keep the lid closed when not in use.

Price[link]

Current Zippos carry a suggested retail price between US$12.95 up to US$12,675.95 for the 18k solid gold model.^[13] In 2001, according to the fall 2003 issue of IUP Magazine, a 1933 model was purchased for $18,000 at a swap meet in Tokyo, and in 2002 the company bought one valued at $12,000 for its own collection.^[14] During the 2007 75th anniversary celebrations, Zippo sold a near mint 1933 model for $37,000.^[15]

All Zippo lighters carry a limited lifetime guarantee, promoted using the trademarked phrase "It works or we fix it for free." The corporate web site boasts: "In almost 75 years, no one has ever spent a cent on the mechanical repair of a Zippo lighter regardless of the lighter’s age or condition."^[16]

Zippo dates[link]

From mid-1955 Zippo started year coding their lighters by the use of dots (.). From 1966 until 1973 the year code was denoted by combinations of vertical lines (|). From 1974 until 1981 the coding comprised combinations of forward slashes (/),in 1979 an error was made some lighters read / on the left and // on the right, it was fixed within the year to read //left and / right and from 1982 until June 1986 the coding was by backslash (\).

After July 1986, Zippo began including a lot code on all lighters showing the month and year of production. On the left of the underside was stamped a letter A–L, denoting the month (A = January, B = February, C = March, etc.). On the right was a Roman numeral which denoted the year, beginning with II in 1986. Thus a Zippo stamped H IX was made in August, 1993. However in 2001, Zippo altered this system, changing the Roman numerals to more conventional Arabic numerals. Thus a Zippo made in August 2004 was stamped H 04. There was a myth that Zippo lighters were made by prisoners, and the number identified the prisoner, or their crime and sentence length.^[17] Another myth was that a Zippo stamped 'H' was inferior to one stamped 'A'.^[17]

Construction[link]

The cases of Zippo lighters are typically made of metal and are rectangular with a hinged top. On most models, the top of the case is slightly curved.

Inside the case are the works of the lighter: the spring-toggle lever that keeps the top closed, the wick, windscreen chimney, thumbwheel, and flint, all of which are mounted on an open-bottom metal box that is slightly smaller than the bottom of the outer case, and into which it slips snugly.

The hollow part of the interior box encloses a rayon batt which is in contact with the wick. The fuel, light petroleum distillate or synthetic isoparaffinic hydrocarbon (commonly referred to as lighter fluid or naphtha), is poured into the batt, which traps it. It also contains a tube that holds a short, cylindrical flint. The tube has an interior spring and exterior cap-screw that keeps the flint in constant contact with the exterior thumb-wheel. Spinning this rough-surfaced wheel against flint results in a spark that ignites the fluid in the wick.

The butt once had a small hole in the bottom to facilitate easier refueling. It was often used as a place to store extra flints. Newer models do not always have the hole, and instead have a flap in the bottom of the butt (with the hinge on one of the short edges). The words "LIFT TO FILL" are stamped in black ink multiple times on the bottom, with the intention being that the user should lift the flap and squirt the fuel in to the batt material under the flap.^[18]

All parts of the lighter are replaceable. In all there are 22 parts, and the Zippo lighter requires 108 manufacturing operations.

The Zippo BLU[link]

Zippo released the Zippo BLU in 2007. It is a butane torch lighter, which Zippo has gone to great lengths to make sure is still "identifiable as a Zippo". Specifically, the lid and cam were "tuned" so that the lighter still makes the distinctive "Zippo click" and also it is one of the only butane torch lighters that uses a flint and striker wheel.

Zippo subsidiaries[link]

In addition to its recent purchase of the Ronson brand in the U.S. and Canada, Zippo also owns W.R. Case and Sons Cutlery Company, Bradford, PA, Zippo U.K., Ltd., London, England, and Zippo Fashion Italia, Vicenza, Italy.

See also[link]

• Zippo Manufacturing Co. v. Zippo Dot Com, Inc.

Footnotes[link]

Further reading[link]

• Rose Chun, "Snap That Top: The Zippo Lighter Dwells in American Legend as an Icon of Machismo and Quality," Cigar Aficionado, vol. 2, no. 2 (Winter 1993/94), pp. 72–79.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zippo

• Official site
• Official site (Canada)

Daniel Choi
Dan Choi at a LGBT pride rally in Bryant Park
Nickname	Dan Choi
Born	1981 (age 30–31)
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army, New York National Guard
Years of service	1999-2010[1]
Rank	First Lieutenant
Battles/wars	Operation Iraqi Freedom

Daniel "Dan" Choi (born 1981) is a former American infantry officer in the United States Army who served in combat in the Iraq war during 2006-2007.^[2] He became an LGBT rights activist following his coming out on The Rachel Maddow Show in March 2009 and has publicly challenged America's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, which forbade lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) service members from serving openly.^[3][4]

On October 19, 2010, Choi applied to rejoin the US Army.^[5][6]

Early life[link]

Choi is a native of Orange County, California, the son of a Korean-American Baptist minister.^[7] He graduated from Tustin High School then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point.^[8]

Choi was very active with extracurriculars during his high school years. He served as student body president, was on the varsity swim team, and was the marching band drum major. During his senior year, after watching Saving Private Ryan, he decided to attend West Point.^[9]

Military education and career[link]

Choi graduated from West Point in 2003 with degrees in Arabic and environmental engineering.^[10] Choi served as an infantry officer in Iraq with the 10th Mountain Division^[10] in 2006 and 2007. In June 2008, he transferred from active duty Army to the New York National Guard. Choi served as a National Guardsman with the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, based in Manhattan.^[10]

Choi received a discharge letter following his coming out on The Rachel Maddow Show. In response, Choi penned an open letter to U.S. President Barack Obama and the United States Congress.^[11] In the letter, Choi challenged the morality and wisdom of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, writing that the policy is "a slap in the face to me. It is a slap in the face to my soldiers, peers and leaders who have demonstrated that an infantry unit can be professional enough to accept diversity, to accept capable leaders, to accept skilled soldiers."

Despite his appeal and a Courage Campaign petition signed by almost 162,000 people,^[12] on June 30, 2009, a panel of New York National Guard officers recommended that Choi be discharged from the military.^[13] As of February 2010, Choi was serving again in his National Guard reserve unit, the discharge having not yet been "finalized".^[14] On June 29, 2010, Choi's discharge was finalized.^[1]

Choi is among 59 gay Arabic linguists, along with nine gay Farsi linguists, who have faced a discharge from the U.S. military from 2004 through 2009, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.^[15]

Gay rights activism[link]

On the cover of KoreAm, August 2009

Since Choi's coming out, 38 West Point alumni also came out and announced the formation of Knights Out, an organization of West Point alumni who support the rights of LGBT soldiers to serve openly. Choi was one of the founding members and is the spokesperson for the group.^[16] The organization offers "to help their alma mater educate future Army leaders on the need to accept and honor the sacrifices of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender troops."^[16][17]

Choi has also spoken at numerous gay rights events, including a march in Los Angeles following the California Supreme Court's affirmation of Proposition 8. On May 27, 2009, he addressed a demonstration of gay activists outside the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where President Barack Obama was speaking at a Democratic National Committee fund raising event.^[18] In addition, Choi spoke at the 2009 Pride Rally in New York City and served as a Grand Marshal alongside Knights Out in San Francisco's 2009 Gay Pride Parade.^[19]

On July 16, 2009, Choi was in Culver City, California, to introduce the premiere of Abe Forman-Greenwald's documentary called Silent Partners.^[20] The documentary is the fourth episode in the In Their Boots series, with the episode focusing on the partners of LGBT soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. In the episode, Choi criticizes the U.S. military's neglect of the partners of service members.^[20]

In February 2010 Choi was selected to be a Grand Marshal of the 41st Annual New York LGBT Pride March by its producers, Heritage of Pride.^[21][22][23] At the event, Choi led the Pledge of Allegiance at the New York City Council Chambers.^[24]

2010 arrests[link]

On March 18, 2010, Choi and another ousted military officer, Capt. Jim Pietrangelo, handcuffed themselves to the fence of the White House. They were eventually removed with the use of a master handcuff key and arrested.^[25][26][27] Choi and Pietrangelo were initially set to be tried for "failure to obey a lawful order" on April 26, 2010.^[28][29] Trial was postponed until July 14, at which time the charges against both men were dropped.^[1]

On April 20, 2010, Choi and Pietrangelo again participated in a self-chaining protest on the White House fence with Petty Officer Larry Whitt, Petty Officer (Rtd.) Autumn Sandeen, Cadet Mara Boyd and Cpl. Evelyn Thomas. All six were removed with a master hand-cuff key and arrested.^[30]

On May 27, 2010, Choi and Pietrangelo began a hunger strike until President Obama ends DADT and adds a non-discrimination policy to the military code.^[31] They ended the hunger strike seven days later, with Choi saying, "The fast of the past seven days has been a success because people have been educated to the use of fasting as a tool to bring attention to a set of clear political and social demands."^[32]

Court ruling, reinstatement of commission[link]

On October 12, 2010, U.S. federal judge Virginia Phillips ordered the Department of Defense to stop enforcing “don’t ask, don’t tell” –the law that prohibits openly gay people from serving in the military.^[33] On October 19, Judge Phillips further refused a federal government request to stay the order pending appeal.^[34] That same day, Dan Choi went to the Times Square recruiting station in New York to rejoin the U.S. Army^[34] (referred to in one source as "reaccesion");^[35] his request is in process.^[5] Choi reaffirmed his intention to rejoin the service on December 19.^[36] Following the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" by Congress, Choi was present at the U.S. Interior Department to attend President Obama's signing of the bill on December 22, 2010.^[37]

2011 arrest in Moscow[link]

On May 28, 2011, Choi was among a number of both Russian and foreign activists (including Louis-Georges Tin and Andy Thayer) who were arrested by Moscow police when Moscow Pride was held in spite of a ban by city authorities.^[38]

See also[link]

• United States v. Choi
• Sexual orientation and the United States military

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Daniel Choi

• "Iraq War Vet Facing Discharge Helps Lead Massive Rally for Gay Rights"(Video, transcript). Choi appearance. Democracy Now! October 13, 2009.
• "I Have No Regret to Anybody in the Military." (Video, transcript). Choi appearance, interview. Democracy Now! August 4, 2010