Let's go to the match(es)

[Âchillepattada]

Not a lot of match-box at home but an old one

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[Jolipapa]

Not a lot of match-box at home but an old one

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Hmm cuisine créative...

 

[herder]

H herder That is some really impressive bone on that old Japanese knife, pity there aren't Japanese members who could enlighten us more about pre WW II pocket knives from there. Matchbox is an art too.

This country used to make a lot of matches, but with the decline in smoking & rise of chuck away lighters, most of it has disappeared. Moreover, if you want to buy matches or lighters in a supermarket, a sales type has to verify your age.... As for smoking stuff, it's ALL shuttered away from sight and you have ask for it clandestine style An old traditional Finnish cigarette were 'Työmies' literally Workman they came in a flat box of 25s not 20 unfiltered of courses but with a little wooden holder to put them in. Strong beyond belief

Thanks Will Power, and yes, the knife does have some great bone and wonderful jigging by hand. Later post war Japanese folders with bone handles tended to have fairly simple cross hatch diamond type jigging as shown in this picture. I would love to hear from anyone with more insight on old Japanese knives.

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[herder]

My Grandma sewed fur coats for her living and worked very hard. She always had lots of expensive and heavy coats to work on. She also smoked Gitanes (though not corn-papered, they go out every minute or so) at a rather fair rate. She would take a fag out of the box and light it without stopping to look on the coat she was lining.
One day I replaced his pack by a tricky one. She opened it one hand and nearly had a heart attack when the false cigarette jumped out.
She had a strong Hungarian accent and that day I learned a few expletives I had never imagined she would know.
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Something like this maybe? I have also a tin box somewhere.
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The white-tipped greens are reminiscent of English Parrot (?) brand (except they were red). My parents confiscated my boxes because they thought they were too dangerous for a teen-ager to play with. All I have left is one single Spanish wax strike-anywhere.

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Great pictures and stories.

 

[herder]

Yes, indeed, apparently at one time, in Britain, 250,000,000 matches were used each day! I remember reading, some years ago, about how the Swedish match factories were closing, simply because the duty on disposable lighters, which was once charged in the UK, had been abolished I'm surprised I have so many boxes in the kitchen drawer actually, as I usually only buy Lifeboat matches for emergencies (I have SO many), use a ferro rod or flint and steel to light my campfires, and use a lighter in the house

Such a fabulous knife Christian



Cool story Alain! I have always liked Sobranie tobacco, and even long after I quit cigarettes, I would sometimes buy a girlfriend some Black Russian cigarettes, so I could taste one The Imperial cigarettes were much longer though, because of the cardboard filter, with papers which were cream-coloured I have a box of wax-tipped matches somewhere, but I think they were brought back from Spain about 30 years ago! Here is my silver vesta case JP, it has a match-strike on the bottom I also have this Joseph Rodgers knife, on which matches can be struck, I really should take some better photos of it

Jack, Nice Hartshead pictures of course, but that Rodgers "To Strike Fire" model is very cool!!! Have you ever tried it with a piece of flint?

 

[herder]

Jolipapa, I thought this was going to be a fairly ordinary thread, but it is exploring some wonderful paths.
Thanks everyone for the interesting pictures so far!!!

 

[afishhunter]

Nice matchbook collection, JP!! (with knives!!) Collecting those is a lost occupation!! For obvious reasons!!
I can't find those "Strike Anywhere" matches, errr. . . .anywhere, Ed! Give me a hint please!!

I've seen them on the "Big River" site.
(They also have the (new made) Marbles waterproof match safe.)

 

[Prester John]

It won't take long to show my matches:

Two of them are inconsequential: Tobacco World and Total Wine--just local stores. And I might throw the Total Wine box away when it's empty. But the others are souvenirs.

The Emeril's matchbox was from a trip to Atlanta around Memorial Day of 2004. We sat at a table next to Morgan Freeman, who was celebrating a birthday, I believe. Spoke to him briefly. Restaurant might not be there anymore.

The Cajun Critters matchbook was from a restaurant in Houma, Louisiana, probably from the same trip. First time I had fried alligator. I love Louisiana!

Jekyll Island Club Hotel was from a 2009 trip. I stopped by Vincent's Pub (had to stop by!) there with my wife, and ordered a martini. Or two. Good memory.

There's a box from the cigar store at the Menger Hotel in San Antonio. Not sure when--been to San Antonio many times. Even lived there a few years. The Menger goes back to just after the Civil War, I think. It's across the street from the Alamo, and Teddy recruited some Rough Riders there. I've had many a beer at the Menger Bar.

The two Keen's Steakhouse boxes (shown front and back) were given to me by one of my sons after a trip to New York City.

I may find some more matchbooks or boxes somewhere, but never really collected them.

Now my wife has a collection:

That's her Buck 119 on top. Here are a few closeups (I don't have the patience to take an individual photo of each one!):

She's been collecting them since she was a teenager, and she's...older than that now.

Here they are back in their containers:

I have to go now to the butcher's and the liquor store to get some essentials, then back home. Stay safe, everyone!

 

[afishhunter]

I used to shoot matchbooks with my Ithica Mdl 49 'Saddle Gun' .22 rifle (open sights) when I was young.
My eyes were better then. I could see them at 100 yards.
(yes. I didn't miss. It was a challenge to light them at that range though.)

 

[Jack Black]

Jack, Nice Hartshead pictures of course, but that Rodgers "To Strike Fire" model is very cool!!! Have you ever tried it with a piece of flint?

Thank you very much my friend. When I bought the knife, I thought that was the idea, but apparently it was intended for striking strike anywhere matches, which I've done. Getting a spark with flint can be pretty tough on a knife, but any carbon steel blade will do it

 

[btb01]

I noticed there are beverages, books, records, pipes/cigars and blades threads, but nothing about matches.
So don't be shy and let your matches (and blades) shine!
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Interesting idea for a thread, Alain! Some cool stuff shared so far!

I don’t think I’ve seen a matchbook cover/holder like that before, Jack, although I think I was vaguely aware that such a thing existed. Was that made in Sheffield?

Here is an uncommon and well made pre WWII Japanese folding knife with nice pic-bone handles and full maker's markings.
The matches are also Japanese-made, probably early post WWII.

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What a unique and interesting knife!

Box I keep for my BBQ...wood and charcoal only, never ever lighter fluid!
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I’m pro-charcoal and anti-lighter-fluid, as well. I like to use a chimney starter and few sheets of newspaper or packing paper, but I've swapped out matches for a butane torch.

Now my wife has a collection:

...
Here they are back in their containers:

That is quite a collection, Vince! My parents used to have a similar large glass vase filled with all sorts of matchbooks. Maybe not quite that many, but there were a lot. I’m not sure what ever happened to it.

 

[Will Power]

Prester John Hope you don't go puffing them ceegars near your wife's match mountain Inflammatory behaviour

 

[Jolipapa]

Thank you Barrett!

 

[Prester John]

Prester John Hope you don't go puffing them ceegars near your wife's match mountain Inflammatory behaviour

Don't worry--I'm not allowed to smoke in the house!

 

[Chief]

Smear a little petroleum jelly on a cotton ball (used is fine) the next time you need to make fire. A carbon steel spark will set it off, but a match makes it easy. Bought these by the case a few years ago, still use them when lighting a fire in the backyard for bbq, trying to never use more than one match to make a fire and never striking on the box, that's too easy

 

[Jack Black]

I don't know if anyone remembers that old joke: Have you got a match? Not since Errol Flynn died! If you don't know it, I'm not explaining!

I remember my Granny giving me a large shoe-box full of matchboxes and match-books (and another large shoe-box full of beer-mats) as a boy. My mother discovered them in a cupboard about 20 years ago, and I managed to find collectors to give them away to

 

[chuck4570]

I don't know if anyone remembers that old joke: Have you got a match? Not since Errol Flynn died! If you don't know it, I'm not explaining!

I remember my Granny giving me a large shoe-box full of matchboxes and match-books (and another large shoe-box full of beer-mats) as a boy. My mother discovered them in a cupboard about 20 years ago, and I managed to find collectors to give them away to

Jack thanks for these, brought back childhood memories. Ours was “not since Superman died” and my collection was Matchbox Cars, and some of the original packaging for these cars came in a matchbox type box.

 

[Prester John]

I don't know if anyone remembers that old joke: Have you got a match? Not since Errol Flynn died! If you don't know it, I'm not explaining!

I remember my Granny giving me a large shoe-box full of matchboxes and match-books (and another large shoe-box full of beer-mats) as a boy. My mother discovered them in a cupboard about 20 years ago, and I managed to find collectors to give them away to

The Errol Flynn joke would be good in the Likes GAW!

 

[Jack Black]

Jack thanks for these, brought back childhood memories. Ours was “not since Superman died” and my collection was Matchbox Cars, and some of the original packaging for these cars came in a matchbox type box.

The Errol Flynn joke would be good in the Likes GAW!

The inclusion of Errol Flynn in the joke gives away how old it is! And how old I am! I had a Matchbox car collection too Chuck, and Corgi and Dinky cars too

 

[Jolipapa]