Where can I get one lighter engraved and painted?

In My Humble Opinion
1

In this thread I said I was looking for two Zippo lighters with different USN squadron patches on them. One place that looked promising can’t do the engraving and painting on brushed chrome (which is what I want) because their ‘ink won’t stick’. Zippo has a minimum order of 30 for engraving, otherwise they use printed applications. (They also said I need to get permission from the now-defunct squadrons.)

So where can I have this and this engraved – and painted – on a couple of brushed chrome Zippo lighters?

2

I’d search for an independent artist/engraver type. I know they’re out there.

3

ISTM there are people who do this sort of thing in Asia (Japan and Hong Kong come to mind). No idea how to find them though.

4

Contact the particular USN squadrons. They might already have some of the Zippos you want in their ships store/BX.

5

Engraving? Sears?

6

Try the [del]maul[/del] mall. I know they engrave but don’t know if it’s letters/numbers only or anything more extensive, like logos.

7

VF-2 was redesignated VFA-2 thirteen years ago. I’ve seen one of their current lighters, and it has an F/A-18 on it, and USS Lincoln on the back. I need the fighter squadron instead of the fighter/attack squadron to go with the patches that were given to me when I was a kid.

VA-196 was disestablished 19 years ago.

8

Have you looked on Etsy? They have a bunch of artsy people who do all sorts of one-off crafts. Find someone like this who does custom work and send them a jpeg and see if you can work something out.

9

I used to work in a little kiosk in a shopping mall that engraved all sorts of things, including Zippo lighters. But that was eons ago. I don’t know if malls or kiosks still exist.

10

Go straight to zippo.

11

I think I’ve only used Etsy once, for a pre-existing product. I never think of them. I’ll have to look.

I’ve already contacted Zippo. Zippo has a minimum order of 30 for engraving, otherwise they use printed applications. (They also said I need to get permission from the now-defunct squadrons.)

12

My gf used to work for the ad agency that had Zippo. She believes they’d wave their minimum order if your situation were getting some press.

ETA: she also said they are some of the coolest of all the clients she ever did work for.

13

I sent an email to the Tailhook Association asking if they could give me any leads.

14

I don’t know how much you’re willing to spend, but many custom jewelers can make you anything you want. There’s one near here that does the work with computer assisted design and computer guided machining. They can do inlays of enamel or paint, according to your wishes.

Murray’s Jewelers, in Muncie for 5 generations

http://www.murraysjewelers.com/Index/index.php

15

I don’t want to spend a lot. The most expensive lighter in my small collection was $80. But I’ll check out your link.

I called VF-2 ‘defunct’. It isn’t, really. It’s no longer VF-2, but it still exists as VFA-2. I may just drop a line to their PAO for permission, and have Zippo make a lighter with a sticker on it. It would be nice to have a vintage one, but for this collection a reasonable facsimile is good enough.