Today, let me tell you a little about something that just happened. It's a story about making Zippo lighters, which I've been doing for more than 20 years. I don't usually write diary-style posts, but today I really wanted someone to hear about this.
A call at 11 a.m.: "When do you need it?"
"Today."
The phone rang at around 11 a.m. today. It was a woman customer. Her request: "I'd like a Zippo lighter made as a rush order."
As usual, I asked, "When would you need it by?" I could hardly believe the answer I got.
"— Today. Today is the birthday."
To be honest, at first I blurted out in surprise, "What, today?" She wanted it in time for someone special's birthday, no matter what. So she needed it finished today — the more I listened, the more directly that feeling came through. Pushed along by the earnestness on the other end of the line, before I knew it I was saying, "Let's give it a try." As soon as I hung up, I was already planning the steps in my head.
A Zippo lighter is time-consuming work to begin with
Let me say a little about my work here.
Nakanishi Kobo's Zippo lighters aren't simply stock products with a name added and passed along. For each one, I check the condition of the metal, engrave it, work it, and polish it up. Even with the same design, how much handwork it takes varies a little depending on the material's condition that day and how the finish comes out. That's why it's not unusual for an order to normally take several days, or about a week depending on the content.
In other words, "by today" is quite an unreasonable request for our line of work. That I accepted it anyway may be because my hands, after 20 years, were telling me, "You can manage."
Three hours at the fastest — my quickest rush order in 20 years
I've been making Zippo lighters in Osaka under the name "Nakanishi Kobo" for over 20 years. Thankfully, people in the industry have come to call us a long-established shop. Even so, today's job was special.
From the phone call to actual delivery, it took about three hours. That's without question the fastest record in all my years of making them. Deciding the design, working the metal, finishing, doing the final check and getting it ready to hand over — I compressed the whole process into just three hours.
When I say "delivered in three hours," even I think, "That's incredibly fast." I don't do rush jobs like this as a matter of course. If anything, taking my time and making things carefully is my natural style. That's exactly why the relief and sense of accomplishment when it was safely finished and boxed were many times greater than usual.
On a scorching day, in front of the Lawson by the station
On top of that, today was a sweltering day over 35°C — a typical Osaka summer day with the sun beating down relentlessly.
Through that heat, the customers — a young couple — came all the way from the Namba area to my nearest station to pick it up. We met in front of the Lawson convenience store by the station. Both of us wiping away sweat, I handed over the item right there. It was an exchange of just a few minutes under the blazing sun, but for me it became an unforgettable moment.
Not through a screen, but a "real reaction"
right in front of me
Since almost all of my business is done through online shops, meeting customers in person like this was a fresh experience for me too.
And what made me happiest of all was their reaction when they held the item. Cries of joy, looks of surprise, smiles that just spilled out. A "thank you" received through a screen is of course something I'm grateful for. But a reaction shown to you in person really does carry genuine weight. As a maker, there's no greater reward. It was a moment when I could think from the bottom of my heart, "I'm so glad we made it in time."
Because we're online-only, a face-to-face day was special
Normally, Nakanishi Kobo operates entirely through online shops. We deal with customers all over Japan online every day. Both in terms of efficiency and in delivering to faraway customers, an online-centered style suits us well, and that core won't change going forward.
Even so, today I got to see a customer's face in person, talk directly, and hand over the item after they'd checked the finish with their own eyes. It became a new kind of opportunity, different from my usual transactions. It was a day that reminded me how glad I am to be making things.
Giving not a "thing"
but a "keepsake"
A Zippo lighter is a tool, and at the same time a keepsake. Engrave a name, a date, or a message just between two people, and it becomes a one-of-a-kind gift in all the world.
I think it was the same for today's customer. She didn't just want a tool to light a flame; she wanted it in time for "that day." On a special day like a birthday, she wanted to hand over something that would last. That must be why her request was so urgent.
All we makers can do is receive those feelings and give back the very best we can. When I think that the giver's heart rides on every single engraved letter, cutting corners was never an option from the start — even on a three-hour rush order.
"Nakanishi Kobo Make,"
where you can design your own
While I'm at it, let me introduce Nakanishi Kobo a little.
Currently, in addition to our main store, we run a new store and several others, all as online shops. And something we launched recently is "Nakanishi Kobo Make."
It's a groundbreaking system that lets customers submit their own designs and create a one-of-a-kind original Zippo lighter. In fact, it's a system I'd pictured for more than ten years — "someday I want to build this with my own hands" — and I was finally able to complete it all by myself. For me, it's one of the services where a long-held dream has taken shape.
And — in fact, this "mitemite" site is also a system I built in the same way. Lots of designs are uploaded to Nakanishi Kobo Make every day, many people rate them, and it's lively every day. Just browsing is exciting, so if you like, please take a peek at the designs updated daily. That alone should make for a fun time.
More "I'm glad we made it in time"
moments like today's
For birthday and anniversary gifts, a one-of-a-kind original Zippo lighter — I'll keep steadily offering that option.
Today's three hours were a challenge for me, too. But when I recall the smiles I saw in front of that Lawson, I think, yes, I really can't quit this work. I'd be happy if I can create as many more "I'm glad we made it in time" moments like today's as possible.
If you like, I'd be delighted if you'd consider a Nakanishi Kobo Zippo for a gift to someone important to you.
Nakanishi Kobo main store: https://nakanishikobo.com/o-zippo1.html Nakanishi Kobo Make: https://make.nakanishikobo.com/
