Zippo

Zippo has been making the same lighter, in the same town, since 1932. Bradford, Pennsylvania — same red-brick factory, same windproof chimney, same satisfying click on the way open and the way shut. Eighty-plus thousand a day still come out of that building, and almost every one of them will still be working when its owner is gone.

TheTravelShop stocks the genuine Zippo range in Australia. No knockoffs, no grey-market imports. Every lighter is backed by Zippo's lifetime guarantee — the most generous in the industry, and one of the few warranties that actually means what it says.

The Zippo Range

Forty-plus models in our collection, covering every reason someone buys a Zippo: as a daily-carry, as a gift, as a collector's piece, or as a piece of camp kit that won't quit when the wind picks up.

• Classic Polished Chrome — The original. Mirror finish, takes engraving beautifully, ages into something better with use. The default Zippo and still the best-seller.
• Brushed Chrome & Brushed Finishes — A more subtle look. Matte rather than mirror, hides fingerprints and scratches, sits well in a pocket without flashing.
• Matte Black & Black Ice — Stealth finishes. Matte Black is a dead, soft black that doesn't reflect a thing; Black Ice is glossy gunmetal with a deep mirror polish. Both age well.
• Special & Limited Editions — 1941 Vintage replicas, 3D Emblem lighters, branded designs, anniversary pieces. The collector's end of the range — many are produced in limited runs and don't come back once they're gone.
• Outdoor Torch & Utility Lighters — Butane torch lighters with safety locks, designed for camping, BBQs, and pipe work. Wind-resistant flame, refillable, built like the rest of the Zippo line.

How A Zippo Actually Works

The famous windproof flame isn't magic — it's geometry. The chimney walls shield the flame from the wind, and the holes in the chimney let just enough air through to keep it burning. Light it on the back of a motorbike at 80km/h and it'll stay lit. Drop it in a stream and it'll dry out and light again. The mechanism hasn't changed in nearly a century because nobody has improved on it.

The Lifetime Guarantee

Zippo's promise is simple: it works, or they fix it. Free. Forever. Send a broken lighter to Zippo and they'll repair it or replace the working parts at no charge — even if it's eighty years old. The guarantee covers manufacturing and material defects, not finish wear or lost lighters, but the mechanism itself is covered for the life of the lighter. The guarantee is honoured worldwide, including in Australia.

Engraving & Gifting

Zippos take engraving better than almost anything else you can buy in this price range. Initials, dates, a short message, a logo — the polished chrome and brushed finishes are the easiest to work with, and the result is a gift that gets carried daily for decades. Engraving is best arranged through a local engraver once you've picked a lighter; we don't engrave in-house.

Who Buys Zippo

Gifters who want something that lasts longer than the relationship will. Collectors chasing limited editions and anniversary pieces. Campers, fishers, and bushwalkers who need a lighter that works in weather where a Bic won't. Smokers and pipe-users who appreciate a tool over a disposable. And the steadily growing crowd who simply like owning something repairable in a world full of things that aren't.

Why Buy Zippo From TheTravelShop

• Authorised Australian stockist — every lighter is genuine
• Free shipping Australia-wide
• 30-day returns
• Prices in AUD, no surprise import fees

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Zippo lifetime guarantee available in Australia?

Yes. Zippo's lifetime guarantee is honoured worldwide. If your Zippo's mechanism fails, you can send it back to Zippo for free repair or replacement of the working parts — the guarantee covers defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the lighter, regardless of where it was bought. The guarantee covers the mechanism, not the finish.

How does a Zippo windproof lighter work?

The chimney around the wick is the trick. Its walls shield the flame from wind, while small holes in the chimney let through just enough air to keep the flame burning. Combined with a fuel-soaked wick and a flint-and-wheel ignition, the result is a flame that holds its own in conditions that would blow out almost any other lighter. There's no electronics, no batteries, and nothing to fail — just steel, cotton, and a bit of clever engineering.

Can you get Zippo lighters engraved in Australia?

Yes. Polished chrome and brushed-chrome Zippos take engraving very well, and most Australian engravers — jewellers, trophy shops, and laser-engraving services — can engrave a Zippo case. We don't engrave in-house, but the lighter itself is an excellent canvas: initials, dates, short messages, or a small logo all work. Avoid engraving over hinges or the bottom stamp.

What fuel does a Zippo lighter use?

Standard Zippo lighter fluid (naphtha-based). It's sold in small tins, refills the wick reservoir in seconds, and a single fill lasts roughly a week of regular use. Outdoor torch and utility models in the Zippo range use butane instead — refillable through a valve in the base. Each lighter's box and instructions specify which fuel it takes.