The Zippo Manufacturing Company, of Bradford, Pennsylvania, makes Zippo cigarette lighters. In peacetime they are nickel-plated and shiny. In wartime they are black, with a rough finish. The famous WWII Black Crackle Zippo lighter - windproof, waterproof & trouble proof.
Black Crackle
- Model: three barrel hinge, round bottom
- Year: 1944 - 45
- Status: in collection
Black Crackle – engraved by Zippo
Worn black crackle with factory engraved monogram JVW.
- Model: four barrel hinge, flat bottom
- Year: 1937 - 43
- Status: in collection
Red Crackle
Worn red crackle – told to be produced for tank units – with the liberty coin on the front.
- Model: four barrel hinge, flat bottom
- Year: 1937 - 43
- Status: in collection
White Finish – «The Black Devils»
The 1st special service force was an elite American-Canadian commando unit in WWII, under the command of the U.S. fifth army. The Force served in the Aleutian Islands, and fought in Italy, and southern France before being disbanded in December 1944. As a light infantry unit destined for alpine or winter combat it was issued various items of non-standard clothing, equipment and rations, including skis, parkas, haversacks and the Mountain ration.
White overpainted black crackle Zippo.
- Model: three barrel hinge, round bottom
- Year: 1944 - 45
- Status: in collection
Dark Green Finish
Green overpainted black crackle Zippo.
- Model: three barrel hinge, round bottom
- Year: 1944 - 45
- Status: in collection
Green Finish – Camp Perry Ohio
Camp Perry known as one of the largest rifle ranges in the United States. It was used to train soldiers during WWI and WWII. The camp also housed German and Italian prisoners of war during WWII. Camp Perry was also known for different shooting matches
Green finish and plate on the front with «rifle firing, camp Perry, Ohio» inscription and shooting scene.
- Model: three barrel hinge, flat bottom
- Year: 1944 - 45
- Status: in collection
Leather – Fleur de Lis
Leather-wrapped Zippo with personal initials.
- Model: four barrel hinge, flat bottom
- Year: 1937 - 43
- Status: in collection
Leather – Monogram H
Leather-wrapped Zippo with cigarette case, which was probably overlaid by hand in Africa.
- Model: four barrel hinge, flat bottom
- Year: 1937 - 43
- Status: in collection
Lacquer – «Nageon Chilgi»
Various Zippos custom decorated in Korea, using traditional artwork called «Nageon Chilgi», with black lacquer and mother-of-pearl inlays as decoration including personal initials/name. «Najeon» means mother-of-pearl and «Chilgi» refers to lacquerware. The Abalone shell is first carved, then applied to the case. Layers of lacquer are then applied. The artist would then hand polish the entire surface revealing the Abalone shell underneath.
- Model: three barrel hinge, round bottom
- Year: 1944 - 45
- Status: 1. in collection / 2. sold
Lacquer – XXIV Corps
XXIV corps participated in the invasion of Leyte in the Philippine Islands on 20 October 1944. From 1 April to 30 June 1945 the corps and its divisions participated in the invasion of Okinawa. In September 1945, after the surrender of Japan, XXIV corps moved to Korea, where it remained on occupation duty until its inactivation on 25 January 1949.
- Model: three barrel hinge, round bottom
- Year: 1944 - 45
- Status: in collection
U.S. Army Shield
Black crackle with the U.S. army shield emblem on the front.
- Model: three barrel hinge, round bottom
- Year: 1944 - 45
- Status: in collection
U.S. Army Collar Insignia
Black crackle with the U.S. army insignia on the front.
- Model: four barrel hinge, flat bottom
- Year: 1937 - 43
- Status: in collection
U.S. Military Academy – West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known as West Point, is a four-year federal service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort that sits on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River. It is the oldest of the five American service academies and educates cadets for commissioning into the United States Army.
- Model: three barrel hinge, round bottom
- Year: 1944 - 45
- Status: in collection
U.S. Army Transportation Corps
The transportation corps is a combat service support branch of the U.S. army. It is also one of three U.S. army logistics branches, the others being the quartermaster corps and the ordnance corps. The transportation corps is responsible for the movement of personnel and material by truck, rail, air, and sea. Its motto is «Spearhead of Logistics».
One of the greatest feats of the Transportation Corps, via the Military Railway Service, was the rebuilding of France's shattered railroad network after D-Day and the transportation of 1,500 locomotives and 20,000 railway cars.
- Model: three barrel hinge, round bottom
- Year: 1944 - 45
- Status: in collection
U.S. Army Ordnance Corps - Cartridge
The United States take over the North Atlantic air route-the shortest path between America and the European front. As way stations on this route both Greenland and Newfoundland acquired a new importance, as one of the terminal points.
Black crackle with ordnance insignia, coins of Greenland and Newfoundland and an applique of a half .30 M1 carbine cartridge and bullet on the front side.
- Model: three barrel hinge, round bottom
- Year: 1944 - 45
- Status: in collection
U.S. Army Ordnance Corps – General Campbell
Multiple awarded Levin H. Campbell Jr. was the 16th chief of ordnance during WWII from 1942 until 1946 in the rank of a major general and temporary as a lieutenant general.
His optimizations and major changes to the ordnance corps were war deciding. A letter from General Patton sums up his accomplishments.
Patton said that his «admiration for Ordnance products does not stop with the M-1 Rifle.» He goes on to say that the «machine guns, mortars, artillery, and tanks of the United States are without equal.»
Chrome plated with the unit insignia of the fifth army on one side and the flaming bomb on the other side plus engraved name and two sterling rank stars. Double stamp on the top and the bottom.
- Model: four barrel hinge, flat bottom
- Year: 1937 - 43
- Status: in collection