Zippo Lighter Information

December 24, 2004 4:16 AM

Looking for more info on my Zippo! I received a brass Zippo lighter with a bas-relief design on the front that depicts the mechanical inner workings of the lighter (very cool!), and I'd like to find out more about it. [+]

The only identifying marks that I can find are a "G" and "XII", which, so far as I've been able to tell by searching, must indicate "July" and "1996" (although the lighter is brand new). The main Zippo site doesn't help me, and I haven't been able to dig up any more information. I'd like to know what to call it, if possible ("the 1996 ??? design?"), if there's any info about the designer, if it was meant to commemorate anything, etc. Any Zippo-culture mavens out there?

posted by taz to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (8 answers total)

Is it Zippo Insides? If it is, here's the google returns for it. Zippo lighters are hot.
posted by iconomy at 5:27 AM on December 24, 2004

Response by poster: Good find! ...But not quite it. It's a little bit similar to the brass one on that page, but everything on the outside is in the same position as the various elements on the inside, and the same size. So the lighter "roll wheel" (agh - I don't know any of the lingo!), for example, is just the same size and shows up at the same place that the real one inside does.
posted by taz at 6:00 AM on December 24, 2004

Best answer: taz, I've seen the same lighter — there's a photo on this poorly-designed page (partway down on the right) and the page author calls it the Zippo X-Ray. However, a search for Zippo X-Ray returns a different lighter other than the one you're looking for -- so I think perhaps he's mislabeled it.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 6:22 AM on December 24, 2004

Response by poster: ooh - that's the one, IshmaelGraves... and "X-ray" would be a really good name for it. So close!
posted by taz at 6:40 AM on December 24, 2004

Would this help?
posted by jackofsaxons at 10:29 AM on December 24, 2004

Maybe try asking the international vintage lighter exchange? I noticed there are books on the subject as well, might take a bit of research to find out.

good luck.
posted by squeak at 10:56 AM on December 24, 2004

Response by poster: Thanks guys... I've been looking at so many Zippo collections that my eyes are bloodshot - but, except for IshamelGraves' find, no luck. Seems odd. Anyway, I'll let you know if I ever locate it.
posted by taz at 12:57 AM on December 26, 2004

Mod note: Final update from the OP:

So, nearly nine years later, I've located the info here: Complete line catalog ZIPPO 1996 (U.S. version), on the 17th image in the thread:

Barrett-Smythe X-Ray

254BBS B132
Zippo X-ray
Brass Emblem
$28.95

Here's the direct link to the jpg of that page.

So IshmaelGraves' link was right about the name "X-ray", even though, confusingly, other zippos have the same name. Aside from tracking this down from the catalog, I've found no listings for this lighter, so I don't know the value these days... which I'm curious about, even though I'm not interested in selling it. At least I have the basic info now!

posted by taz (staff) at 5:53 AM on July 28, 2013