When Zippo Went to War: A Lighter Legend

Stylish, charismatic little cigarette lighter

Throughout the 1930s the Zippo Company in Pennsylvania prospered on the growing success of its stylish, charismatic little cigarette lighter. The lighter was made mostly of brass, but with the Second World War that metal was declared a ‘strategic material’ in the U.S. where huge amounts of it were needed for shell and cartridge casings. Zippo replaced the brass with steel, which can corrode, and wartime Zippos were given a new baked-on black ‘crackle’ finish to protect them. That non-reflective characteristic helped save the lives of many American soldiers in combat zones.