Keyword Search Search Entire Site Search only Pipes Search only Pipe Tobaccos Search only Chewing Tobaccos Search only Dips, Snuffs, and Herbals Search only Accessories Search only Zippo Lighters   GB House Pipes   Pipe Tobacco   The Pipe Cam   Pipe Lighters   Tools & Accessories   Tobacco Pouches   Chewing Tobacco   Imported Nasal Snuff   Non-Tobacco Dip   Spitoons   Chewing Accessories   Cigarette Accessories   Flavored Cigars   Cigar Accessories   Lighters   Pipe Lighters How to "Read" Your Zippo Lighter Because Zippo founder George G. Blaisdell offered a lifetime guarantee on his lighters, he had the bottom of each Zippo lighter made since the mid-1950´s encoded with a series of dots and/or slashes so he could identify which run of lighters was being returned for repairs. What was a quality-control tool for Mr. Blaisdell has become a collector´s dream and a way to precisely date most Zippo lighters. Over the years, the date code format has been modified, most recently in 2001. Most lighters fabricated between 1933 and 1957 can be identified by style and model and the patent or patent-pending marks. The appearance of the word "Zippo" in the bottom stamp provides another clue to dating. There have been three major changes, as shown below. 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. REGULAR LINE LIGHTERS From 1933 to the mid 50´s the Zippo was stamped in block letters. 1933 Patent Pending 1937 - c.1950 Patent 2032695 1942 - 1946 Black Crackle, Patent 203695. (This number was stamped in error, should have been Patent 2032695) c.1950 - c.1957 Patent 2517191 c.1950 - c.1957 Patent 2517191 with patent pending Zippo records indicate an overlap of bottom stamp configurations from 1949-1957. Also some lighters produced between 1955-57 were date coded, however, specifics remain unclear. The Zippo script logo was developed in the late 40´s and was phased-in on the lighter bottom stamp around 1955. Year Left Right 1958 Patent Pending • • • • • • • • 1959 • • • • • • • 1960 • • • • • • 1961 • • • • • 1962 • • • • 1963 • • • 1964 • • 1965 • 1966 |||| |||| 1967 |||| ||| 1968 ||| ||| 1969 ||| || 1970 || || 1971 || | 1972 | | 1973 | 1974 //// //// 1975 //// /// 1976 /// /// 1977 /// // 1978 // // 1979 An error was made in the date code. One of the slash marks was removed from the left of the Zippo trademark instead of being removed from the right; thus the code read / //. This date code error was corrected within the same year to read // /. In the late 70´s the logo was redesigned. It was incorporated into the bottom stamp in 1980. Year Left Right 1980 / / 1981 / 1982 \\\\ \\\\ 1983 \\\\ \\\ 1984 \\\ \\\ 1985 \\\ \\ 1986 \\ \\ Effective July 1, 1986 the dot and slash system was replaced by year / month code. Year is noted with roman numeral; letter designates month (A=Jan., B=Feb., etc.) Year Left Right 1986 G to L II 1987 A to L III 1988 A to L IV 1989 A to L V 1990 A to L VI 1991 A to L VII 1992 A to L VIII 1993 A to L IX 1994 A to L X 1995 A to L XI 1996 A to L XII 1997 A to L XIII 1998 A to L XIV 1999 A to L XV 2000 A to L XVI Beginning 2001, the Roman numerals indicating the year were replaced with numbers corresponding to the last digits of the year of manufacture as follows: Year Left Right 2001 A to L 01 2002 A to L 02 2003 A to L 03 2004 A to L 04 2005 A to L 05 2006 A to L 06 2007 A to L 07 2008 A to L 08 2009 A to L 09 2010 A to L 10 SLIM LINE LIGHTERS Slim lighters were first introduced in 1956, with a flat bottom and no date code. The first markings were added in 1957 and overlapped into 1958. From 1957-1965 the code configuration on the slim lighters differed from the regular lighters. From 1966 on, the configuration has been the same. Year Left Right 1957 • • • • • • • • 1958 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1959 • • • • • • 1960 • • • • • 1961 • • • • 1962 • • • 1963 • • 1964 • 1965 For more collecting information consult one of several books about Zippo lighters. Click here to view our extensive line of Zippo lighters. 95% of our orders are shipped the day they are received.   You MUST be at least 18 years of age to purchase tobacco products in Tennessee! We do not sell tobacco products in Maine or Arizona. All Packages are shipped US Post Office unless you specify UPS. All Customers will be Charged for Shipping & Return Postage on any Refused or Returned package(s). International Customers: You are to check with your local customs & duty officials to see if there are additional duties or fees required, or if there are prohibitions on tobacco or amounts of tobacco which can be shipped to your country. Charge card customers may order by calling 1-800-862-2204 To check on an order call 865-436-4412, 9am-3pm Eastern Time Monday-Friday. Visit our showroom on D-Level of the Mountain Mall, on the corner of Parkway and River Road in Gatlinburg! We are open 7 days a week. Prices subject to change without prior notice. No Cash Refunds. Merchandise credit ONLY on returns. We DO NOT ship cigarettes. The Gatlin-Burlier 603 Skyline Dr. Gatlinburg, TN 37738 1-800-862-2204 24hr Fax: 1-865-430-7476 Email: HelpDesk@GatlinBurlier.com © 2009 Gatlinburlier, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE GATLINBURLIER DOES NOT SHIP CIGARETTES. Here is the change in government you were promised! Change in the form of a 30% or better increase to the cost of tobacco products with an added dose of insult. Get mad. Call your representatives and call them a name. Economically Ignorant Extortionist Fool, is politically correct and accurate. Here is the phone number for contacting your US Senators. Here is the phone number for contacting your US Senators. PHONE NOW: 202-224-3121 Tobacconists are as helpless as any other victim of organized crime. Maybe we are even more helpless since we face criminals masquerading as government representatives. The time for nice words and platitudes has passed. The tax-gouging Congress has declared war on 20% of the American population. They have used taxation as a method of discrimination and discrimination as a tactic for persecution. Their punitive taxes have caused tremendous price increases for product, and you and we in the tobacco business have no representation to or protection from our government. Our forefathers went to war over a few pennies increase in the tax on tea, while we suffer from tax increases in the hundreds of percents. We too are being forced to cede our freedoms or also go to war. The government’s negative economic radical action against smokers will cause decreased tax revenues for the programs that these new taxes were to fund, and sooner rather than later, all will share in the misery caused by congressmen turned extortionists. It is way past time for being the squeaky wheel. It is time to be the screeching halt. Consider acts of civil disobedience before your obedience becomes subservience. The Gatlinburlier, Ira T. Lapides, PhD President