c. 1937–1950
ZIPPO MFG. CO. BRADFORD, PA. / ZIPPO / PAT. 2032695 MADE IN U.S.A.
Straight block logo with original patent number beneath.
stamped in metal
Other maker marks
Zippo marks
Zippo marks include dated examples from 1937–1950. George G. Blaisdell founded Zippo in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1932.
- Active years
- From 1932
- Marks
- 5
Company founded 1932; first Zippo pocket lighter produced 1933. Canadian production August 1949–July 2002; U.S. company continues.
What to look for
- Start with the complete bottom stamp. Block lettering, slanted script and the flame-over-i logo mark different logo eras.
- Read patent wording separately from the date code. A patent number identifies a design patent record, not the year that every case was made.
- Modern letters A–L identify months; the adjacent two digits identify the year. B 04 on the illustrated case means February 2004.
- Niagara Falls, Ontario identifies the Canadian factory. A 1935 REPLICA inscription identifies a later reproduction, while its separate month/year code dates that case.
Marks & lettering
5 marks
Undated
ZIPPO MFG. CO. BRADFORD PA. / E ZIPPO 18 / 1935 REPLICA MADE IN U.S.A.
Explicit REPLICA wording and modern E 18 code distinguish the recreation from a 1935 original.
stamped in metal
Undated
ZIPPO MFG. CO. CANADA, LTD. / ZIPPO / NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO
Canadian company and Niagara Falls wording replace the Bradford inscription.
stamped in metal
Undated
B / zippo ® / 04 / BRADFORD, PA. MADE IN U.S.A.
Flame above the i and a letter/two-digit date code; illustrated B 04 is February 2004.
stamped in metal
Undated
BRADFORD PA. / Zippo ® / PAT. 2517191
Slanted script logo with the second patent number; date-code dots require the relevant model chart.
stamped in metal
About Zippo
George G. Blaisdell founded Zippo in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1932. He adapted an Austrian lighter into a compact rectangular case with a hinged lid, retaining a chimney that sheltered the flame. The first Zippo pocket lighter was produced in 1933. Its original patent was granted in March 1936, and the company’s repair guarantee became a lasting part of its identity.
During the Second World War, Zippo concentrated on military supply and produced steel cases with a black crackle finish. Civilian sales resumed after the war. Advertising and presentation lighters became an important part of its output, with company names and commemorative decoration applied to the cases. A Canadian factory at Niagara Falls operated from 1949 until 2002.
The Slim lighter joined the range in 1956. Bottom date codes, originally introduced for quality control in the mid-1950s, later became useful to collectors. The company also expanded beyond lighters into products such as pocket rules and money clips. Zippo acquired Case cutlery in 1993 and opened the Zippo/Case Museum in Bradford in 1997. Its lighter range includes modern replicas whose special bottom stamps distinguish them from the original models.
Also known as: Zippo Mfg. Co. · Zippo Mfg. Co. Canada, Ltd. · Zippo Manufacturing Company
Look-alikes & how to tell them apart
Zippo 1935 and 1941 replicas versus original early models
Replica cases intentionally reproduce older construction. Read REPLICA wording and the modern date code; the model’s historic year is not the case manufacture year.
Ronson lighters
Zippo acquired the Ronson brand in 2010, but Ronson-branded lighters remain a separate identity. Read the actual company signature rather than identifying every related-company lighter as a Zippo.