Zippo withdraws lighters sold on extremist website
Zippo's German distributor is withdrawing a number of lighters bearing militaristic designs after they showed up on an extremist website that sells anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi clothing and accessories.
Zippo Manufacturing Co., the venerable Pennsylvania company that produced the offensive lighters, said it had no idea the designs carried a negative connotation and apologized for bringing them to market.
One lighter bears the image of a soldier and the word "Landser," an old German word for infantryman but also the name of a German neo-Nazi rock band whose members were convicted of hate crimes a decade ago.
Other lighters feature an iron cross — a German military decoration first awarded in the 19th century and appropriated by Adolf Hitler — combined with excerpts from German folk songs.
More at http://www.kvue.com/news/Zippo-withdraws-lighters-sold-on-extremist-website--198376551.html .