Scrimshaw is the art of carving designs on whalebone or whale ivory. Scrimshaw Zippos were test marketed in 1976-77 in three designs: the Outrigger, the Schooner, and the Whaler. Zippo found that "genuine" scrimshaw was too expensive for the average customer and in 1982 introduced scrimshaw designs on cases made of acrylic materials rather than ivory. These remain popular today, with a variety of attractive maritime-related designs featuring lighthouses and sailing ships. Genuine scrimshaw Zippos are rare.
977 prototype
Scrimshaw Zippo with
The Outrigger design
on genuine ivory.
The
reverse was also
made of ivory but
was
not engraved.
This scrimshaw
design on genuine
ivory
is the
Schooner and is also
dated 1977
