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| Image: zippo.com |
As most men of his generation and lifestyle, Kowalski is a smoker. In his western flicks, Eastwood would have have probably just lit a match from his three day stubble, but as an aged war vet he pockets a trusty zippo lighter. More than just a wick and flint, this lighter sparked the memory of his military service and provided him with a reflective surface to see into the past... to lost friends, fallen enemies and his own questionable/heroic actions. "Had it since '51..." he states, and, along with guilt and good intent, it was with him until the end.
In our time of disposable wants and fleeting trends, I wonder if I'll ever possess anything with that intrinsic value? Something that is not merely cherished as an item but serves as a constant reminder of specific events of my life. Hmm.
Being an avid runner and vigilant hater of cigarettes, a lighter will surely not be this item. I have always admired the design of Zippo lighters though, and their Hollywood charm. If one does feel the need to light up I would surely dim my scowl slightly if I see a proper lighter in lieu of the plebeian Bic. For a military man such as Walt, a lighter makes perfect sense as a treasured keepsake. Back in the day it might have been been as much a combat tool as cancer ignitor.
Turns out Zippo has churned out 1000's of designs for the U.S. Military since Double-ya Double-ya Two. I'd love to get my hands on one of these - a vintage Black Crackle Zippo from 1942:
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| Image: zippo.com |
It's like something right out of Stalag 17 or The Guns of Navarone. According to Zippo's archives - "The legendary World War II Black Crackle™ lighter was manufactured from a secondary grade of steel. The standard metal for Zippo lighters was brass, but it was in short supply due to the war effort. The steel case was painted with a thick black paint to prevent the steel from rusting. As the lighter was baked for curing, the paint yielded a textured black crackle finish. During this time Zippo lighters were not available to the consumer market because all lighters were shipped to the military."
Damn it Grandpa! I know you had all of these cool vintage trinkets!!!! Why did you have to loose them? What... were you in a war or something? Was it really that bad? Would it have killed you to take a little more care of your personal affects... wait, you know what, it might have. Nevermind. I forgive you.
A few more military designs courtesy of vintagelighters.com:
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| 1972 U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 |
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| 1961 USS Ruchamkin |
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| 1966 U.S. Naval Station ADAK |
And one from ebay:
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| 1969 USS Truxton Guided Missile Cruiser, U.S. Navy |
Company logo evolution. Admirable classic graphic design:
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| Image: zippo.com |
And my own - given to me by my parents ages ago when I had no business having a lighter. Luckily they trusted me and my advanced appreciation for functional design :
Check out zippo.com for additional history and a catalog of other designs.
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