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This amazing in its simplicity and effectiveness of the recipe gave me my friend from New Zealand, Paul Fleming - the world famous Zippo-engraver creates the lighter unique masterpieces , each unique. A short interview with him I still have, and that's actually a recipe of how to distinguish fake Zippo.

If you have at hand is the Zippo, the authenticity of which you are 100% sure, to determine the other fakes, do the following. Remove the screw that holds the spring flint lighters from the present, and try to screw it into one that is suspect. At 99% it does not screw the fake Zippo. The answer is simple: at home in the Zippo U.S. uses the English system of measures (inches, etc.), in which there is a specification of the screw thread, and virtually all fakes are made in Asia, where in the course of the metric system of measures (and the thread is measured in millimeters) . Therefore Asian screw is screwed into the U.S. thread.

There are many brands of cigarette lighters that are outwardly repeat design Zippo, however, can not be called fake Zippo for one simple reason: they are never written the word "Zippo". These windproof lighters are simply imitation Zippo, but by themselves are quite "honest" products (leaving aside the fact that the design is borrowed - come up with something different from the traditional design with a hinged cover and windscreen - it's like that reinvent the wheel.)

Below, I'll show some of these lighters that are not fakes Zippo, but only repeated its construction.

Very common lighters Chinese company STAR. There are two types of STAR - cheap and luxury :) cheap in quality and feel very different from Zippo, they are light, made of an alloy similar to aluminum. More expensive models have a higher quality.

On the insert is lighter STAR logo and website address www.star1988.com:

I have in my collection is a lighter-known Korean brand Barlow. Externally, it is very similar to Zippo, but upon closer inspection one can see the difference in quality of the performance of small parts, the wheel, the stamp:

At the auctions can be found dozens of other lighters, somehow similar to the Zippo outwardly, but their stamp can present a variety of surprises - all of them are Zippo, lighters and other brands. The most common Japanese and American models of lighters Park, Penguin, there are many others. Some look like Zippo everything except the actual stamp is different from other cover mounting, the design of the windshield, etc. - But the principle of the design is still the same.

But the Japanese manufacturer Idealine went the other way. This lighter can be accurately distinguished from Zippo - for much smaller size. Children Zippo - the right of this :)

One of the most common questions faced by lovers Zippo - is the question of the authenticity of lighters. Fill this gap, in this article I will tell about the authenticity of the Zippo, of fraud, their versions and about how to know if your not a fake lighter.

We agree that the "fake Zippo" - is lighter, which is made not by Zippo, but that says "Zippo". There is a lot similar to Zippo lighters other brands, which I would not call fake - about them in another article.

Unfortunately for us, poddelschiki not stand still, and often make very good imitation. Therefore, you can never be 100% sure, if you have any doubts about the authenticity of the lighter. Even sometimes I'm wrong (although through my hands were hundreds of Zippo almost all time), and is particularly difficult to identify a fake one only photos. More or less you can be assured only if carefully explore the lighter "live".

For a start - a quick tutorial about how you can have a chance to tell a fake.

What to look out for, if you doubt the authenticity of the Zippo:

1. Accuracy of performance. At present Zippo will never sharp edges, burrs, sloppy Pasted posters etc.
2. Close fitting parts. At present Zippo will never gap in the attachment loop, wheel, etc.
3. The stamp on the bottom must be neat and pressed, not engraved! And, of course, different from the dating table . Osobeo pay attention to the small details such as the location icon ® or the distance between the stripes or dots.
4. The same applies to the inscriptions on the insert: they need to be printed, not engraved, and with something of the same table dating inserts .
5. Case Zippo should leave this in the hands of a good impression. Many fake Zippo touch leave the impression of cheap low quality stuff, sometimes there are even very low-quality cast or sheet metal housing.
6. The same applies to the quality inserts. In addition, he must be free to come out of the housing.
7. Zippo sound of an opening can not be confused with anything. Only true Zippo will juicy and distinctive ringing click (or click, if housing pasted posters).
8. What is shown in the lighter, should not exceed the reasonable :) Ask yourself: Could the company released a Zippo lighter? Of course, no pornography, Nazi symbols or something ridiculous / profane on this Zippo can not be (if it's certainly not homemade or trench-art). Excluded as grammatical and factual errors on this Zippo.
9. Point of sale and the price Zippo. You can not buy a real Zippo in the subway or tobacco shops for 150 rubles! In Russia, the price of new Zippo starts from 600-700 rubles for the cheapest model.
10. On the box with a cigarette lighter to be pasted article - a piece of paper with a bar code and the name and model number. If not, then this is not a sign of a fake. But if he is, he should have just pasted! If it is printed directly on the box, it is a sign 100% fake.

Otherwise, distinguish the fake from the real one can surely only studying Zippo, holding various lighters and imagining what Zippo generally are. Tell you about the same Zippo all - one of the main goals of our site :)

Now a few pictures of the fake Zippo.

Is a very common thing in the Vietnam War Zippo - engraved stamp:

Compare - a fake stamp on top, bottom true:

Another stamp, pay attention to what numbers are used in the inscription "2517191" - in this Zippo such font is never used:

Engraved insert amazingly shitty quality! This forgery is recognized immediately to the naked eye:

This Zippo was bought our reader in Penza for 4000 rubles. Very sorry to upset her about the authenticity of the lighter (and more precisely, false):

Of course, such a terrible Zippo Harley sound logic simply could not let myself :) stamp at first glance appears real, but the letter ® had not at that location. Real stamp in 2006 should be:

For comparison, look, looks like the same model in its original Zippo:

This is - the false hinge! Such carelessness and clearances on this Zippo simply can not be:

Fake Mickey Mouse:

Fake Michael Jackson, RIP (This must be alerted immediately, especially if it went on sale to the highest bidder, and soon after the death of the character):

Quite a common Chinese forgery with absurd inscription "FAME VEHICLE" (I did not translate in the state). To the touch, it is a remnant of cheap manufactured by casting (as it actually is):

Another low-quality casting, not even bother to put the letter of the month:

Another variety of Chinese casting - "CENTURY EAGLE". This instance is found at a flea market. Remains the envy of ingenuity unknown artist that has made such an amusing imitation of military lighters! In fact it is all the same cast Chinese crafts.

Note the characteristic texture of the casting, which will never see in a real Zippo:

Chinese fakes somehow much more often than others have figures XII or XIII on the stamp. In this case, the very form of punching pattern differs deliberate angularity, "square" and sharp edges, not peculiar to this lighter:

Zippo with Soviet symbols are usually made on the basis of cheap Chinese imitations, or they would have cost too much to produce them for the foreign tourists would be unprofitable. Of course, the company is to make Zippo could not:

Fake Harley Davidson, photos sent to me by Robert Moon from California. Note the very sloppy hinges and the same sloppy logo, uncharacteristic for Zippo:

This is - a fake stamp harleevskoy Zippo. Very similar to the real one, only the depth of the fraud issue and the lack of punching icon ®:

For comparison - a real stamp of 1996:

Next - a wonderful description of a fake Jack Daniels, made ​​by Alexei Loktev . In all the photos fake right, this Zippo left.

The gently different form, especially the upper part. Also two holes at the top and bottom hinges more and more prodavleny:

Inscription on a fake Zippo thinner flame smaller. Font Bradford, PA. Made in USA - different, but similar. At present, after the word Bradford a comma, for forgery - point. Barely noticeable, but you can make out:

Felt at the bottom insert. I fake letters LIFT TO FILL much larger, and screw less and has no cuts at the end:

Stamp on the insert. On counterfeiting - inscription ZIPPO MFG no space:

The end of the brass tube is noticeable in flint. Please note - on a fake cigarette lighter notches on the wheel of the horizontal at an angle on the true:

Quite often, which can be found on the insert fakes - rivet cam wheel and brass. Sometimes the only thing that allows one to say with certainty about the authenticity of inserts, as labels on the inserts - fake can sometimes be made accurately and completely plausible:

On the original inserts or steel rivets, or the through:

Stamps on the bottom of the fakes can also be performed very carefully and misleading, as in the two instances.

BUT! Remember that means the letter to the left of the inscription Zippo. I think everybody remembers - the month of manufacture. And what we see on these stamps - the letter Z. In total, only twelve months, respectively, A - January, L - December, beyond the letter L, following the English alphabet, there are no letters on the stamp Zippo should meet.

Sometimes, it is useful to know the history of Zippo lighters, or at least know who to contact in case of much doubt as to the authenticity. Stamp of Zippo made plausible, no errors, no vinyl signs, nothing that could say with certainty - it is a fake.

But the label has to make aluminum doubt those who know a little about the history of Zippo, as no aluminum lighters Zippo Mfg Company in 2002, has not released. Aluminum Zippo never came into production, experts and collectors only know of the existence of the rare instances of test-1950s. Therefore the conclusion is that this lighter - a fake. This is a very rare case in the world of collectible Zippo but if resist cheating, you can part with rather big amount of money for a fake. A few gullible and deceived customers to Ebay gave 200 - $ 300 for each such instance.

It turns out that you can forge not only the cigarette lighter or the insert. Can forge even corporate warranty card, which refers to the lifetime warranty, Zippo lighters - the card and the main credo Zippo Mfg Company.

In front of you is one of the counterfeit warranty card Zippo:

In - the first Zippo inscription in large letters done poorly and not very credible. In - the second is for those who are familiar with English, in the guarantee can be found basic spelling and grammatical errors. In this case (highlighted in red) is written - a cant for therepair of a Zippo (a cent for the repair of Zippo). Cent misspelled word in the original cent, not cant, repair word written together with the article the. For clarity, here is an example of the original warranty:

Beware :)