The Concept of Development

What is ZIPPO with truly worth?

To make ZIPPO which is able to referred to as really high quality with aesthetic sense of Japanese. This project started by such the thought. First of all, only one thing was decided.

"That is truly worth, in other words, anyone of the world is able to accept the value."

It is promoted having the design as for the normal plan, but in this case, abstract concept made trouble to Production Committee. What is value with? The designing? Or Processing technique? ZIPPO is sold all over the world, and that is designed like the number of stars, and has various processing technique. They felt like that is impossible to accept the value to all over the world.

A fateful encounter with the Japanese traditional crafts.

They heard the words of the person concerned with Echizen lacquerware cooperative at that time.

"The lacquerware repaint many times and use it."

The Japanese repainted the lacquerware many times which had been damaged and used it carefully for a long time. Unlike the ceramics of breakables, the lacquerware is used a lot for the daily necessities such as a wooden bowl and the tray. There is still a repaint request of the lacquerware from the upmarket Japanese restaurant. When they heard the story, the answer to "really valuable thing" was found.

The ZIPPO lighter has a lifetime guarantee, but a guarantee is applied only about functional trouble. The guarantee is not intended for the wound and detachment of the plating and paint. "We want you to use beautiful ZIPPO lighter as is." A vague concept became clear when an epoch-making repaint system came up with.

The Japanese lacquer is the most suitable paint to enjoy changing texture by the number of years. Exfoliation or the damage at the time of use that are the extreme by the unexpected fall and contact will be repaired for payment. It will be repainted all because partial repaint becomes the uneven coloring. Please be understanding of that.

Echizen lacquer and craftsmen of Kawada

The history of the Echizen lacquerware is said to go back until last years of the Burial Mound age. Craftsmen who inherit the history and tradition of around 1, 500 years become the core of the plan. There are the tapping lacquer craftsman who collects lacquer liquid from a lacquered tree, the undercoating craftsman who polish the surface and do undercoating, the last coating craftsman who repeat coating and drying with Japanese lacquer in Sabae city of the Kawada district. The Kawada district becomes the big accumulation place of the Kawada, Echizen lacquerware.

Each process is a complete division of labor system. The technique of "Makie" and "chinkin" from Kyoto and Wajima from Edo Period was adopted in solidity to be able to be called the characteristic of the Echizen lacquerware. Technology which was inherited the tradition of 1500 is no exaggeration to say that is the best in Japan.

The aim of this project

At first the vermillion and pitch dark ZIPPO are released. This is because it has you to enjoy the deep the deep luster that a tradition of 1500 produces, solidity of the Echizen lacquer.

This lighter is able to continue using forever like lacquerware. The functional trouble is guaranteed by ZIPPO company throughout the life. The lacquered exfoliation and breaking of the appearance are repainted by payment. It is said that the soul dwells in a tool. When this lacquer ZIPPO continue using for 100 years, the project of Production Committee concludes.

To transmit that wonderful Japanese folkcraft to the world, Japanese will be realize the good point again. That is a mission of Production Committee. Various variations will developed in the future.

All ZIPPO of this project performs a process of the coating by hand. Therefore mass production is not possible.
There is a delicate difference every one because by hand made. Please be understanding of that.