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ShellyTue Jun-05-12 08:53 PM
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"Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"


  

          

Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter

Tue, 06/05/2012 - 8:39am by Joe Mandak, Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The 500 millionth lighter produced by the family-owned Zippo Manufacturing Co. in northwestern Pennsylvania didn't exactly roll off the assembly line Tuesday.

Rather, it was passed along, hand-to-hand, in two pieces — the lighter's brushed chrome-plated brass case and its fuel-and-wick assembly innards — by each of the company's 620 employees, who were lined up between the plant and the Zippo museum a few hundred yards away.

CEO Greg Booth then put together the pieces, owner George Duke, the 59-year-old grandson of the company's founder, lit the device and the lighter was placed in the museum for safe keeping.

"I think it's a great way to get everybody involved and make everybody feel a part of this 500 millionth celebration," Booth told The Associated Press.

The company in Bradford, about 130 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, has been making the cigarette lighters with distinctive metal cases that go "click" when their lids close since 1932.

Tuesday also happened to be the birthday of the late George Blaisdell, Zippo's founder who died in 1978. When it became clear months ago that the milestone lighter would be produced sometime this year, company officials began manipulating the plant's production schedule to ensure it would coincide with Blaisdell's birthday.

The case for the actual 500 millionth lighter came off a metal press at 8:26 a.m., said Jim McDonough, Zippo's vice president of operations who personally guided the lighter through each step of production. The case was stamped with the time it was finished — 10:51 a.m. — before the hand-to-hand delivery to Booth began about 11 a.m.

Zippo was celebrating the milestone by creating about 60,000 replicas during the day, each stamped with the commemorative date. McDonough said Zippo's workers reported earlier than usual Tuesday and were staying late so they could enjoy a picnic during an extended lunch break to celebrate the feat.

About 50,000 of the replicas will sport the company's well-known brushed nickel chrome case and sell for $50 each, while the others will get a higher polished Armor case with gold engraving and sell for $100.

The 500 millionth lighter also has a brushed nickel chrome case and is known as a Model 200 — so named, because the lighter sold for $2 when Blaisdell invented it. That model normally retails for $16.95.

Zippo lighters come with a lifetime guarantee and its museum contains a handful of lighters that have been replaced — at no cost — even though the damage suffered, such as being run over by vehicles or chewed up by heavy equipment, could hardly be described as normal wear and tear.

The company is savvy enough to realize that the rugged dependability helps make its lighters retro chic, and officials say they've never paid to have their products placed in movies. Hollywood and some of its stars, instead, come to Zippo for permission to feature the lighters, usually as an unspoken symbol of cool. Charlie Sheen even flicked the lid of his Zippo in public appearances meant to rehabilitate his public persona last year.

Zippo's popularity is just one reason the company last year launched other Zippo-branded products, including clothing and cologne in a lighter-shaped decanter with a "clicking" lid.

The company took 10 years to produce its 1 millionth lighter, and received a considerable boost when Zippos were issued to U.S. soldiers during World War II. It took the company 37 years to hit the 100 million mark.

The 300 millionth lighter was produced on April 15, 1996 and the 400 millionth was produced on Sept. 4, 2003, making Tuesday's milestone the third for A.J. Comilla, who holds the company record for perfect attendance dating to 1994. He joined Zippo in June 1989 and said the company's reputation for dependability helped inspire his attendance streak.

"Oh, that's a part of it, sure. I'm very proud to be a Zippo employee and what they've accomplished throughout the years," Comilla said.

Barb Reid, 67, is the company's longest tenured employee. She'll celebrate 47 years on Sept. 21. She started out in the plating department and now clerks in the maintenance department, ordering products that keep the plant's machines humming.

"It's mind boggling to think of how many lighters, you know?" Reid said.

Shelly

  

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RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter
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jmcTue Jun-05-12 09:13 PM
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#1. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to Shelly (Reply # 0)


          

It's a Burg thing.

  

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gmsilerTue Jun-05-12 09:57 PM
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#2. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to Shelly (Reply # 0)


  

          




I can personally say there were very few kaki or olive green pockets back in the 60's that did not contain a zippo!

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

  

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jmcTue Jun-05-12 10:43 PM
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#3. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to gmsiler (Reply # 2)


          

So True, even now I still see one occasionally

  

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jazz4freeTue Jun-05-12 11:16 PM
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#4. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to Shelly (Reply # 0)
Tue Jun-05-12 11:17 PM by jazz4free

  

          

Quote:
Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter


Which most likely will be used to fire up the 500 billionth cancer delivery device.

  

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MSUWed Jun-06-12 12:59 AM
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#5. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to jazz4free (Reply # 4)


  

          

Party pooper

MSU

  

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jazz4freeWed Jun-06-12 01:09 PM
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#8. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to MSU (Reply # 5)


  

          

I'm saving my partying for when they turn out the 500 millionth Kalashnikov rifle. It's a toss up between that and the good old Zippo lighter as to which 20th century invention is implicated in the untimely crossing over of more human beings.

  

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gmsilerWed Jun-06-12 12:35 PM
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#6. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to jazz4free (Reply # 4)


  

          

Quote:
QUOTE: Which most likely will be used to fire up the 500 billionth cancer delivery device.


Maybe not! Collecting Zippo lighters has become quite a lucrative hobby! .. I have not smoked in years, but I still have one or two old Zippos stuffed away in a drawer somewhere.

  

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jazz4freeWed Jun-06-12 01:15 PM
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#9. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to gmsiler (Reply # 6)


  

          

I got my first Zippo when I was fourteen. It was a rite of passage.

  

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LesWed Jun-06-12 12:49 PM
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#7. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to Shelly (Reply # 0)


  

          

I've suffered quite a few of the Zippo leg burns when it would leak lighter fluid after a refill. The fluid didn't ignite it just soaked through the trouser pocket and onto your skin where it produced a chemical burn. Nothing really serious but definitely irritating. Gave up smoking about 20 years ago though so it's not a problem now.

Les

  

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ShellySun Jun-10-12 06:46 PM
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#10. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to Les (Reply # 7)


  

          

Zippo endeared themselves to GI's because if you ran out of flaunt it was hard to obtain in combat, so they often fired a round through the lighter and returned it as defective Zippo always honored their lifetime warranty and replaced it with a functioning lighter

Shelly

  

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PlainJoeMon Jun-11-12 06:19 AM
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#11. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to Shelly (Reply # 0)


          

I got one of these lighters the other day and it didnt come with
lighter fluid in the thing??
WTF they could have filled the dam thing one time

  

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jbmcmillanMon Jun-11-12 11:43 AM
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#12. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to PlainJoe (Reply # 11)


          

You do know they dry out or leak so that would be a problem shipping them with flammable fluid in an unsealed container.

  

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PlainJoeMon Jun-11-12 08:17 PM
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#13. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to jbmcmillan (Reply # 12)


          

Yeah I guess that makes sense.
But now I have to get some lighter fluid > I wish they had made it clear on the package

  

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jmcMon Jun-11-12 08:32 PM
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#14. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to PlainJoe (Reply # 13)


          

Just think how many bic lighters you will save on. The environment will also be thanking you. Lighter fluid is easy to find any 711 or drug store will have it right next to the butane

  

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jazz4freeMon Jun-11-12 09:15 PM
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#15. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to jmc (Reply # 14)


  

          

Quote:
Just think how many bic lighters you will save on.


You bet, and he could set those savings aside to help pay for the catastrophic health care he's gonna need when the lung cancer kicks in.

  

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PlainJoeMon Jun-11-12 09:26 PM
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#16. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to jazz4free (Reply # 15)


          

Quote:
QUOTE:
Just think how many bic lighters you will save on.


You bet, and he could set those savings aside to help pay for the catastrophic health care he's gonna need when the lung cancer kicks in.

HA HA Well you are assuming that I bought the lighter because I am a cigarette smoker but that is not true. I got it for other reasons.
having a lighter around can be handy.

------------------------------------------------------

Yeah yeah, I will save on bic lighters.. that is so long as I can
keep this zippo and not lose it. That is the issue I have with lighters is that I sometimes put them down walk away and forget the dam thing. SO I am wondering how long it will be for me to own my zippo?

I used to like to buy those Coleman grill lighters...> the ones where its pretty long so you can stick it up inside a gas grill or other
grill underneath to get it started. I like those kinds; but I have not had good luck with them. I buy a couple and for some reason after like a few weeks or a few months they stop working.
I think the flint portion of those lighters are cheaply made

  

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jazz4freeTue Jun-12-12 12:03 AM
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#17. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to PlainJoe (Reply # 16)


  

          

OK, thanks for the clarification. Still, I thought it a pretty fair assumption.

  

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MSUTue Jun-12-12 02:16 AM
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#18. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to jazz4free (Reply # 17)


  

          

Yep it's certainly a pretty fair assumption. I also don't smoke and never have and have a couple lighters for various purposes.

Didn't you used to smoke?

MSU

  

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jazz4freeTue Jun-12-12 10:14 AM
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#21. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to MSU (Reply # 18)


  

          

Of course, I was a cool dude.

  

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jmcTue Jun-12-12 02:28 AM
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#19. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to PlainJoe (Reply # 16)


          

Have a chain soldered on your zippo and clip it to your Belt loop.

  

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MSUTue Jun-12-12 02:37 AM
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#20. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to PlainJoe (Reply # 16)
Tue Jun-12-12 02:38 AM by MSU

  

          

I don't think those lighters use a flint (those long grill lighters). I think they us a piezoelectric spark. At least any that I've had do.

MSU

  

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PlainJoeTue Jun-12-12 02:22 PM
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#22. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to MSU (Reply # 20)


          

Yeah I think you are right. But I have found when I buy them
that those often get messed up and dont fire up anymore.

But I do like the idea of the lighter at the end of the stick
so you can put that sucker where you need it and get some distance
from you hand and other extremities.

  

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MSUTue Jun-12-12 05:01 PM
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#23. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to PlainJoe (Reply # 22)


  

          

Quote:
QUOTE:
Yeah I think you are right. But I have found when I buy them
that those often get messed up and dont fire up anymore.

But I do like the idea of the lighter at the end of the stick
so you can put that sucker where you need it and get some distance
from you hand and other extremities.

Yes they're pretty cheaply made but the extra length is nice.

Zippo makes a couple utility lighters for that purpose. They don't use the Zippo fluid but rather butane. However you do get a quality made product.

http://www.zippo.com/product.aspx?id=1023899&cid=1239

http://www.zippo.com/product.aspx?id=1023901&cid=1239

http://www.zippo.com/product.aspx?id=1023903&cid=1239

MSU

  

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PlainJoeWed Jun-13-12 01:13 AM
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#24. "RE: Zippo Produces 500 Millionth Lighter"
In response to MSU (Reply # 23)


          

wow! those are really nice.
I always like to have a few lighters around for a number of reasons
especially in a blackout they are good ti light candles
and to fire up the grill.

  

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