[1] Thousands of different styles and designs have been made since their introduction in 1933, including military versions for specific regiments.

Zippo lighters have been sold worldwide and described as "a legendary and distinct symbol of America.

[14] After World War II, the Zippo lighter became increasingly used in advertising by companies large and small through the 1960s.

The basic mechanism of the Zippo lighter has remained unchanged, but they developed into a popular fashion accessory, with a huge variety of artistic designs produced.

In 2009, Zippo announced plans to purchase Ronson Consumer Products Corporation, a long-time competitor in the lighter market.

[18][19] In March 2011, due to significant decrease of sales from 18 million lighters a year in the mid-1990s to about 12 million lighters a year recently, combined with increasing pressure on people not to smoke, Zippo Manufacturing Co. tried offering a wider variety of products using the Zippo name, such as watches, leisure clothing and eau de cologne.

This strategy is similar to the success Victorinox Swiss Army Brands Inc. has had selling watches, luggage, clothing, and fragrance.

This noise is produced by the spring-loaded toggling cam, a small lever that keeps the lid closed or opened securely.

Morley Safer, in his August 5, 1965 CBS News report of the Cam Ne incident[24] and Private First Class Reginald "Malik" Edwards, the rifleman with the 9th Regiment, US Marine Corps Danang (June 1965 – March 1966) whose profile comprises chapter one of Wallace Terry's book, Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans (1984), describe the use of Zippo lighters in search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War.

[28] As of March 2022, Zippos carry a suggested retail price between US$17.95 and US$25,000 (for the Armor 18k solid gold model).

[29] In 2001, according to the fall 2003 issue of IUP Magazine, a 1933 model was purchased for $18,000 at a swap meet in Tokyo, and in 2002 the company bought one valued at $12,000 for its own collection.

[31] All Zippo windproof lighters carry an unlimited lifetime guarantee, promoted using the trademarked phrase "It works or we fix it free."

After July 1986, Zippo began including a date code on all lighters showing the month and year of production.

On the left of the underside was stamped a letter A–L, denoting the month (A = January, B = February, C = March, etc.).

The cases of Zippo lighters are typically made of brass and are rectangular with a hinged top.

The insert contains the spring-toggle lever that keeps the top closed, the wick, windscreen chimney, flintwheel, and flint, all of which are mounted on an open-bottom metal box that is slightly smaller than the bottom of the outer case, and into which it slips snugly.

The fuel, light petroleum distillate or synthetic isoparaffinic hydrocarbon (commonly referred to as lighter fluid or naphtha), is poured into the rayon balls (sometimes called the "cotton," or the "batting"), which absorbs it.

[33] The company also marketed the BLU2, which features a squarer frame and eliminates the fuel gauge on the side of the original Zippo BLU.