I know there is a book specializing in these pieces but I don't have it!

Part of a lot with Viet Nam pieces,,and so far they've been good.. This lighter. I"m very wary of them. Can any member date this one for me? thanks , G.

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and I guess the most important shot as I've heard this is how they are dated!
Thanks...,G.

Send your photos to the ZIPPO company. Hopefully they can help. You can buy fake Zippos and fake U. S. dog tags in Vietnam now...

your zippo lighter dates to 1966. 4 left and four right vertical slashes represents 1966. One vertical slash was removed after eash year. For example a 1967 zippo would have 3 left slashes and four right slashes and a 1968 zippo would have 3 left and 3 right. Prior to 1966 dots were used for year date codes. The dots system started in 1958 with four left and four right dots. After the vertical slashes ended in 1973 right leaning slashes were used and then left leaning slashes. There are other methods of dating pre 1958 dot dating code Zippo lighters.

Yes, The vietnamese are buying plain war time dated zippos on ebay and elsewhere and engraving them using the same methods and equipment they did during the war.

Gaspare, your lighter looks to be engraved on the bottom. If memory serves me correctly zippo stamps the bottom.

regard Bill

Bill, I just checked,,its just the photo maybe, its not engraved..My son tells me there is actually a Zippo store in one of the local malls by me. I'll take by there this weekend to check just in case..

I've been after this small lot for a long while. I've seen it in the vets small collection for 20 years now. He's always told me he brought it back himself but I always like to check. The vet passed away and the family knowing I collect military gave me the pieces. He did tell me the story once that he found it after it was packed away for a long time and wanted to start using it again. He brought it to one of these fancy smoke/tobacco places and they told him the inner body wasn't any good and he really needed a complete new lighter. They offered him some sort of trade in deal! After a good laugh he left it there for a 'service.' When he picked it up the next day the had put in a new body, entirely replacing it. He asked for the old one and they told him it was already 'gone.' ...

DEM, Thank you very much for the quick lesson! Its exactly the information I was looking for.

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