Indicators of Fake Vietnam Lighters CAVEAT EMPTOR (Buyer Beware)

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks for that post, Alexei. It illustrates some key points about determining fake from authentic. And this is where knowledge of the American military is critical: The “Chief of Naval Operations” pin is something a U.S. Navy man would perhaps put on a lighter, but the engraved Combat Infantryman Badge on the other side is something that would have been awarded to  U.S. Army soldier. So the lighter is not correct. The absence of a name, location, and unit are other things that is often the case with fake lighters.

 

The engraving is better than most fakes, but still wobbly, and there is then telltale weird “6”.
 

Also, as you noted, the date code and “Zippo” logo on the bottom of the lighter are engraved, not stamped. In sum, another fake. (But, the fakers are getting better!)

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Now, these are NOT fakes, but made by Zippo as a series of Vietnam commemorative lighters:

 

 

They have Zippo date codes ranging from 2018 to 2022. There are also a few other versions. Again, these are authorized Zippo lighters, but their cost is a very reasonable $25 to $30.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Here’s one more in the Vietnam commemorative series, probably the nicest:

 

[AlexeiK]

20 hours ago, Cobra 6 Actual said:

Now, these are NOT fakes, but made by Zippo as a series of Vietnam commemorative lighters:

Nevertheless, it's seems a bit weird to make commemorative items using the most common fake design patterns.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Perhaps, Alexei. But I think Zippo’s idea was to satisfy the demand for these designs, much in the same way people are now making what are clearly reproductions of World War I lighters. No intent to deceive.

[AlexeiK]

Another somewhat atypical instance. The shell is of 1968. Double year (65-66, 68-69) and the abbreviation 'ADR' which is unclear to me. The font is accurately engraved (black filled), but the emblem is not.

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Alexei, another example of a TOTAL fake: wobbly, paint-filled letters and numbers, the telltale weird “6” numerals, the nonsensical saying, the cartoonish rendition of the 4th Infantry Division’s seal, the faked aging of the case, etc., etc., ad infinitum.

[AlexeiK]

9 hours ago, Cobra 6 Actual said:

Alexei, another example of a TOTAL fake: wobbly, paint-filled letters and numbers, the telltale weird “6” numerals, the nonsensical saying, the cartoonish rendition of the 4th Infantry Division’s seal, the faked aging of the case, etc., etc., ad infinitum.

Yes, I see. Just for my education, what could 'ADR' mean?

[Cobra 6 Actual]

I’m not aware of any Infantry term used inVietnam with those letters. Perhaps someone else on this Forum can help. The current meaning in military circles is “Alternative Dispute Resolution”, but that is not a term from that era. “Air Defense ___”, “Artillery Defense __”? It is probably just something that the faker made up, but let’s see what others say.

[AlexeiK]

Another instance of a 'mixed fake'. The obverse is likely authentic (unrelated to the US Army, however). The reverse contains a typical fake Vietnam engraving. Such cases are dangerous, because if a potential buyer intuitively feels that some of the inscriptions are genuine, he could assure himself that the rest is original too.

 

[yokota57]

16 hours ago, AlexeiK said:

Another somewhat atypical instance. The shell is of 1968. Double year (65-66, 68-69) and the abbreviation 'ADR' which is unclear to me. The font is accurately engraved (black filled), but the emblem is not.

 

"ADR" is a US Navy Enlisted Rate. ADR= Aviation Machinists Mate (Reciprocating Engine Mechanic). 

[AlexeiK]

38 minutes ago, yokota57 said:

"ADR" is a US Navy Enlisted Rate. ADR= Aviation Machinists Mate (Reciprocating Engine Mechanic). 

But why is it abbreviated as ADR?

[yokota57]

24 minutes ago, AlexeiK said:

But why is it abbreviated as ADR?

"A"=Aviation. "R"=Reciprocating. "AD" was probably determined sometime after "The Dawn of Naval Aviation" by a board of Commissioned Officers and Senior Chiefs and sent up for approval by the Chief of Naval Operations. The "M" in the Enlisted Aviation Ratings abbreviations is in use for: Aviation Structural Mechanic (AM). There are plenty of USN Enlisted Ratings experts on this Forum. I'm not one of them.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Alexei, both sides of that lighter are fake. Unfortunately, the “Love” logo is a well-known, poorly engraved, and commonly seen faked design. So, there’s nothing that should lead a potential buyer to purchase that lighter.
 

One simple rule to follow: if even one thing (design, motto, engraving style, etc.) is fake, then buy it at your own risk.

[yokota57]

1 hour ago, AlexeiK said:

But why is it abbreviated as ADR?

I would suggest: USMF "Medals, Shoulder Sleeve Insignia & Patches" *Ranks and Rates* Navy, Coast Guard and other Sea Services. That is where your USN Enlisted Rates experts may be able to answer your question.

[AlexeiK]

What do you think about the following item? The shell is of 1965.

 

[AlexeiK]

52 minutes ago, AlexeiK said:

What do you think about the following item? The shell is of 1965.

 

The same helicopter outline is used on other 'Vietnam' Zippos of the same seller, so an additional indicator that all are fake. But note that the font of the name 'WILLIAM W MADDOX' is not bad.

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Alexei, actually, the name of the alleged lighter’s owner is bad: the “W” in “William” is a smaller font size, as is the “N” in “Viet Nam.”

 

And, you’ve brought up an excellent point, too: if a seller has more than one lighter listed on a site, such as eBay, take a look at them, also. For example, some sellers have scores of obvious fakes. To me that indicates an untrustworthy (or at the very least, an unreliable) seller. This is often in spite of the high feedback scores that buyers have given them.
 

As I noted in Post #65, above: One simple rule to follow: if even one thing (design, motto, engraving style, etc.) is fake, then buy it at your own risk.

[yokota57]

5 hours ago, AlexeiK said:

What do you think about the following item? The shell is of 1965.

 

#10

[yokota57]

4 hours ago, AlexeiK said:

The same helicopter outline is used on other 'Vietnam' Zippos of the same seller, so an additional indicator that all are fake. But note that the font of the name 'WILLIAM W MADDOX' is not bad.

 

#10

[Cobra 6 Actual]

This is an authentic Zippo, made State-side:

 

 

The central seal is an adaptation of the seal on the front of the Vietnam Campaign Medal. These usually have a date code of 1975. In like new condition they are a thing of beauty. Here’s a pic from the Internet of one in much better condition than the one, above, that I own:

 

 

By the way, I have yet to see one with the scroll, located between the two dragons, filled in.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

And another fake:

 

 

Indicators: The poorly designed Marine Corps seal, the artificial aging, the wobbly and painted letters, as well as the inconsistent spacing between rows.

[AlexeiK]

Fake zippo with an enameled badge. Bad painted font of the motto, engraved Zippo text (even on the insert). But the badge also looks fake.

 

 

[AlexeiK]

On the contrary, this one (right now on Ebay) looks authentic, doesn't it? It isn't clear from the pic whether the manually engraved portion of letters are filled with dirt or black paint.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Yep, authentic, Alexei. The only thing that would have made this lighter even better would be the soldier’s name. I’ll have to admit I don’t understand why there is one unit engraved on the front and another on the back. Maybe he was transferred.

 

Also, taking my earlier suggestion to heart, I looked at the rest of this seller’s lighters (he had 9 in total, including this one), and although 8 were non-Vietnam ones, they were all authentic Zippos, mostly commercial ones for different businesses.