the pipe Zippo Lighter
Venturi, Inc. (Zippo Mfg. Co., Bradford, PA) 1969.
I have no recollection or record of how the lighter with the black the pipe was acquired, nor is there any documentation. The new-in-the-box blue Zippo was part of a collection of four pipes and some other items. They are the same size; the apparent difference is an artifact of the photos.
The year is established by the markings on the bottom of the lighters. Both have three vertical marks to the left of the logo and two vertical marks to the right. According to The Zippo Lighter Collectors' Guide (n.d.) these indicate they were manufactured in 1969.
These lighters are presumed to have been used as sales tools such as icebreakers or promotional items. Of course, being Venturi, Inc., they may have been offered for sale and just not documented!
