Our tourist destination today is the Zippo Lighter/Case Knife Museum, listed in our "Watch it Made in the USA" book. They don't have a factory tour, but you can watch technicians repair Zippos that have been sent back for help. Zippo still honors their lifetime guarantee, even if you return it in pieces. It's located in Bradford, Pennsylvania, about 15 miles south of where we're camped.
But since we left late, lunch is first. We stopped at John Williams European Pastry Shop in Bradford that said they served breakfast and lunch. As we were driving, the sky was getting darker and darker. When I stepped out of the car, there was a large clap of thunder and before we reached the front door the sky opened and it poured. People in the restaurant who were finishing their meals decided to stay seated for a while and hope it quit pouring. The thunder and lightening were so intense, two women left their table at the window and moved farther into the room. One of the women confessed that she will sleep in her closet during a thunderstorm because she hates them so much. So John and I, pleading California ignorance, sat by the window, right uner the Pastry Shop sign, and enjoyed the show along with our lunch.
We laughed when the saw the street lights in the parking lot at the Zippo Museum. They're Zippo lighters. Reminded us of Hershey where the downtown street lights are Hershey kisses.
John talked about Zippo lighters as a member of the military. Everyone smoked, and everyone had a Zippo. From 1943 to the end of World War II, the entire production was sent to the troops. I wondered if they were still selling, since smoking has reduced so much. A salesperson at the gift shop assured me that sales are high, including the myriad collectors that snap up every new design.
This is a flag created from 3,393 Zippo lighters by Zippo employees. It's 7 feet tall and 11 feet wide and quite beautiful.
Zippo was started in Bradford in 1932 by George Blaisdell. Its claim to fame is that the wind won't blow it out and they've sold half a billion. John and I watched the movie "The Longest Day" last night and we heard the characteristic "click" of the Zippo in one of the scenes.
W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company started in 1889 in Bradford and Zippo bought the company, I think in the 1990s..
We saw some beautiful lighters but John said he would have to start smoking if he bought one, so we didn't. He did buy me a Zippo tape measure, engraved with my initials as a birthday present. It has the same guarantee as the lighters
No comments:
Post a Comment