The lighter with a lifetime promise.
George G. Blaisdell founded Zippo in Bradford during the Depression. He refined an Austrian lighter into a windproof case with a hinged lid and backed it with a simple repair promise.
- 1932
Blaisdell establishes Zippo in Bradford.
- 1933
The first production lighters are sold.
- 1941
The wartime Black Crackle finish becomes an enduring reference.



