Collectors Flame Blog

A look at Lester “Flick” Flickinger—Zippo’s Vice-President of Production, inventor, and longtime technical collaborator with founder George G. Blaisdell—and the remarkable 1968 portrait lighter that preserves his image.

Zippo lighters are not just some reliable windproof fire starters. They are also famous worldwide as a canvas for some of the most sophisticated art which is constantly evolving since the early ZMC days. Probably the most popular among Zippo...

George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932. He got his idea after discovering a large and bulky Austrian made pocket lighter. Blaisdell was an oil engineer who saw an audience for a good looking lighter that would function...