Catalogue information
No other event in history increased the popularity of Zippo lighters more than World War II. From 1943 through the end of WWII, Zippo's entire production was allocated to the armed forces. The company archives are filled with letters detailing the services a Zippo lighter was called to perform: heating rations in a helmet, lighting campfires, sparking fuses for explosives, hammering nails and even signaling to fellow soldiers with the famous Zippo click. On several occasions, a Zippo lighter in a shirt or pants pocket even saved a life by deflecting bullets. No wonder legendary war correspondent Ernie Pyle wrote, "Getting hold of a Zippo (lighter) is like getting hold of a hunk of gold… There is truly nothing the average soldier would rather have." Because of a shortage of raw materials, WWII-era Zippo lighters were made of steel rather than brass, and dipped in a black protective coating to prevent rusting. Today collectors refer to these rare models as Black Crackle lighters. World War II Zippo lighters with the Black Crackle finish, distributed only to the PX's for the men and women in the service, mistakenly were stamped with patent number 203695. The correct number should have been 2032695.
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