This is the Zippo Fire Starting Multitool from the brand best known for their windproof lighters. This multitool was developed at Zippo for use in the great outdoors as your go-to campfire starter.
The multitool includes a flint wheel ignition, a tinder grater, and a 15” fire paracord with a wax-coated red strand designed to help you get your fire going, even when it’s wet. It also includes some other multitool essentials, like a double-cut saw blade, a flathead screwdriver, and a bottle opener.
This is the original Zippo Manufacturing Company factory in Bradford, Pennsylvania, shown here on a company postcard dating back to the 1930s. Image courtesy of Zippo.
The Zippo Manufacturing Company
Zippo Manufacturing Company was established by George G. Blaisdell in 1932, after he was inspired by an unusual windproof lighter from Austria. In 1933, he introduced the first Zippo lighter, featuring a windproof design with a hinged lid and a distinctive rectangular case. It was priced at $1.95 with a lifetime guarantee, the equivalent to approximately $47 USD today.
During World War II, Zippo focused on producing lighters for the U.S. military, establishing the company’s brand awareness in the minds of millions of young Americans. The wartime demand helped popularize Zippo lighters, and returning soldiers further spread their popularity, embedding the brand in mid-century American culture.
After the war, Zippo resumed consumer production, expanding its product line and becoming a cultural icon in the process. The brand’s lighters featured prominently in movies and TV shows, and custom engravings made them popular collectibles. This period solidified Zippo’s status as a symbol of America in the eyes of many.
The fundamental design of the Zippo lighter has changed little over the decades. Each lighter has a flip-open stainless steel case with a removable inner section that includes the flint, roller striker, the lighter fuel reservoir, and the windproof top around the wick.
The Zippo Fire Starting Multitool
The Zippo Fire Starting Multitool was developed as an affordable all-in-one tool for starting fires while well off the beaten track. It doesn’t contain any lighter fluid, instead you use it to prepare kindling and then light it with the included flint and roller striker.
Inside the multitool you’ll find a 420 high-carbon steel knife blade, a fire paracord that includes a wax-coated red strand for getting your kindling alight, and a tinder grater for turning sticks into small slivers of wood that are easier to ignite.
This multitool, when combined with some kindling, provides everything you need to get a campfire going.
Also included is a double cut saw blade, a flathead screwdriver, a bottle opener, and bail. Each comes with a one year warranty and measures in at 1.14″, 3.60″, 0.69″, with a weight of 0.23 lbs. The price is just $23 USD, making it an affordable addition to your camping kit or bug out bag.
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