matches-alt striking surfaces that work?

T

tholiver

Joined
Feb 22, 2003
Messages
3,513
Hey guys! this question may seem a bit mundane but its a slow day so i'll start the ball rolling anyway, lol.
I always use a ferro rod and petroleum cottonballs or my peanut lighter, or zippo or bic type lighters to start fires but yesterday i bought one of these-
coghlansbrassmatchbox.gif

Previously I had always used old 35 mm film cannister to store matches. I usually pack matches in my pack but cannot remember the last time i actually used them to start a fire.
I usually just snip the textured sides off the box and put them in the container with the matches. But when i transferred the matches to the new Coghlan case i noticed the striking surface on the cardboard box i had was just plain worn out and was no good for striking matches.
And i found out that the texture on the Coghlans container is no good as a striking surface, at least with the matches i have.
I know matches are cheap and i can just buy more but all this made me realize the success of matches as a fire source is very dependent on the striking surface (the textured surface on the sides of the matchbox), what happens if your match striking surface is lost or damaged/worn-out?

Are there any alternative and/or more durable match-striking surfaces available?
Or are matches just an anachronism today?
Any match experts here?
:)
 
tholiver said:
I usually just snip the textured sides off the box and put them in the container with the matches.
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That is usually considered a big no no. Movement of the matches in the case, striking surface, limited oxygen, and you can have an issue. Pretty much everyone advises against that.

Personally, I stick to strictly strike anywhere matches. This is going to sound super anal, but when I buy a new box, I sort them out. The ones with the big heads go in my "kit" box and all others are used around the house. To sound even more anal, I drop them in melted paraffin to soak them.

Rocks work great as striking surfaces and seem the most reliable. I tend to like those. However, I also use my K&M matchcase and you can tell by the marks on it.

IMG_3554.jpg


I have reliably used zippers and believe it or not, even my teeth. People think I am crazy when they see me light a match on my teeth. Problem is, I tend to agree with them :D

This is also going to sound silly, but don't forget technique. There is a correct technique for lighting a match and it can make a BIG difference if you have a marginal striking surface.

Finally, I mentioned ONLY carrying strike anywhere's. That is a bit of a white lie :D I do like the REI storm matches, but the non-strike anywhere thing ruins it for me. But, they are just too cool to ignore. So, I do have 2 or 3 stuffed in my matchcase just in case. I don't carry a striker for them, I just figure I could always light one with the strike anywhere ones.

B
 
Compromise to Brian's post. Wrap the striker in a couple layers of saran wrap plastic or tin foil and place in matchbox. Also if you try to keep enough matches packed in their case, you won't get shifting and friction so much. In Canada it is extremely difficult to find strike anywhere matches.

Edit - the concept of safety matches is that they only work on a designated striker. It is a chemical reaction specific to both the match and striking surface that starts the reaction, hence, unless strike-anywhere matches are specifically procurred, you have to use the striker surface.
 
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kgd said:
Also if you try to keep enough matches packed in their case, you won't get shifting and friction so much.
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Well......you are gonna use one eventually while out ;) :D :D :D


kgd said:
In Canada it is extremely difficult to find strike anywhere matches.
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Can you take them back with you? I can load you up with them next time you are over.

kgd said:
Edit - the concept of safety matches is that they only work on a designated striker. It is a chemical reaction specific to both the match and striking surface that starts the reaction, hence, unless strike-anywhere matches are specifically procurred, you have to use the striker surface.
Click to expand...

In Cody Lundin's book "98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive" is where I learned about that as well. Cody mentioned trying all sorts of stuff (varying grits of sandpaper) and all kinds of other stuff. Then goes on to explain the chemical reaction thing. I never would have guessed! Quite interesting stuff too.
 
Thanks Brian, nice match safe by the way!
Well i usually put the textured side face-in to the containers wall, its practically impossible for the matchheads and the textured surface to accidentally rub against each other.
And i put a bit of cotton in there too to further prevent movement.
But still i'll try KGD's saran wrap/tin foil method just to be safe.

Actually the matches i put in the Coghlans case are strike anywheres, the last ones i have actually.
I think they may be just too old as they don't flare very vigorously even against the striking surface of a box of kitchen matches i just found.

As KGD pointed out its practically impossible to get strike anywheres up here.
And the ones we used to get were never very vigorous.

Rocks and teeth as striking surfaces? Cool i though that was something that was only possible in spaghetti westerns, lol.
Any particular type of rock especially useful as a striking surface?
 
Strike Anywhere matches can be found at Canadian Tire under the name of Redbird. I have bought Diamond Matches in the US and I find that the CDN Redbirds have more of the white striking area then Diamond does(looks like they have reduced the size for safety)
Here is a link proving they are in Canada http://www.worldfms.com/4028_camping.htm
 
^ agreed.

in vancouver, you can find redbirds at any canadian tire or mountain equipment coop. some small sporting goods stores also carry them. you can buy them in either the big boxes of probably 500 matches (and contain bigger, longer, thicker matches), or the smaller "matchbox" sized 50 matches or so (which contain smaller matches). i prefer keeping the bigger redbirds in my PSK, but either one will do for regular use. i've struck them on sandpaper, rocks, zippers, picnic tables, and even two match heads against each other. the match heads are very fragile though if you try to split them in two.

for psk use, i choose the ones with the biggest white heads and coat them in clear fingernail polish for waterproofness. however, they're already pretty waterproof already, as i've tried dunking them in water out of the box, rolling them on my tshirt, and lighting them with no problem.

i recently bought some rei storm matches though and will play with those to see how i like them.
 
I find even the strike anywhere's have crappy heads. I keep a couple of the safety match strips placed business side to the inside wall of my match safe, and my wooden matches (either type) in the middle. Most important: always carry spark-stick back-up. ( ferro-rod.)

Striking surface: I always have a small piece of 120 grit sandpaper in my survival kit, and you could also roll it up and put it in your match safe, grit to the inside wall.
 
My dad always carries a pocket full of stike anywhere matches, more that once they lit in his pocket, he could dance pretty good when that happened.
 
And they are by no means difficult to find in Canada. Any Canadian Tire worth its salt, or a Mountain Equipment Co-Op, or a Coast Mountain Sports, or the internet, to name a few sources.
 
Since I keep my strike anywhere matches in a small waterproof nalgene bottle, I have been relying on a small stone I find at the fire site to strike on. But, you wouldn't believe how many matches I've wasted that way. The stone is usually too rough or too wet to be adequate. Ideally, a smooth dry river polished stone is best.

I recently caved in and cut out the striking surface from a matchbox and have that strapped to the outside of the nalgene bottle with a rubber band.
 
The REI Stormproof matches are amazing. Once lit, you can dunk it underwater and it will keep burning. They are basically wooden sparklers. You do need to have the right striking surface for them though.
 
I was taught the secret ingredient needed to strike a safety match was silicone (or something like that.) So with a little practice (and pressure) you can strike a match on smooth piece of glass. If you carry a signal mirror you could try that as a back up. I've never tried it on something small like a signal mirror - just windows in the house.
 
I can't find strike anywhere matches around here, so I had to improvise.. I used a match safe and put the striking surface in a small plastic bag in with the matches.. I've doing this for quite a few yrs and so far no problems.. Now mind you, you can't cary as many matches but for me they're a last resort.. Has to be a major problem if I have to break these out, since I have a jute lighter... I'm probably out of commission or something...
 
Hassilov said:
Since I keep my strike anywhere matches in a small waterproof nalgene bottle, I have been relying on a small stone I find at the fire site to strike on. But, you wouldn't believe how many matches I've wasted that way. The stone is usually too rough or too wet to be adequate. Ideally, a smooth dry river polished stone is best.

I recently caved in and cut out the striking surface from a matchbox and have that strapped to the outside of the nalgene bottle with a rubber band.
Click to expand...

You should keep your striking surface dry. The outside of a Nalg bottle would be difficult to keep dry. Maybe put them inside something and keep that INSIDE your bottle.
 
You can light strike anywhere matches on cast iron...we used to light them on our wood stove all the time. I have used my teeth, other matches, and the back of my pant leg. Rusty steel will work too.

Strike anywhere matches are becoming harder to find in the US as well. Usually I find them in the mom-and-pop hardware stores...although those are getting harder to find these days as well:(
 
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