Some of my zippo collection.

[Rod]

 

[amirm]

Wow, quite cool. How many different types did they make?

 

[Rod]

Wow, quite cool. How many different types did they make?

These represent lighters from later 1940's(post WW2) to recent. There is plain chrome, plain brushed, pipe lighter, a small size and larger size case and insert, engraved or engraved and hand painted, stickers, and emblem. There was some small variations in the early years, like how many hinges(they settled on 5), insert design, design choices like corners, size, but once they settled on what worked best they stayed the same as far as the case and insert design as far as I know. The engraved and hand painted ones were in production until sometime in the 1980's(not sure exactly the year) then stopped unless special ordered or special editions. The exception here is WW2 zippos that were painted with a textured black paint because soldiers like not to be shot from shiny things flashing there location. The company started in 1932 and produced lighters for the public until WW2, then sold to the military until the war ended. After WW2 public sales resumed and that's were my collection starts.

 

[Rod]

Oh ya, they made the large desktop version too.