What good are wooden matches??

S

SkunkWerX

Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
1,730
Unlike a Bic or even a fero-rod, matches do bring one good aspect to the table, Tinder.
By virtue of the wooden stick it is made from , matches bring their own fuel with them.

I still keep some of the waterproof variety, in a water proof container, and, if ever in a real pinch, they can be cut down for dry, ready, tinder, while leaving the existing match-heads to be struck at a later time.

Matches don't seem to get a lot of respect these days, but, they are still a worthwhile thing to carry, especially if you lack dry tinder.
 
Don't forget that you can also split matches. I learned this as a kid. Paper or wood, each match can be split in half to make two.
 
Is it just me or are the old fashioned strike on your blue jean kitchen matches disappearing? I've notices out here that the match box is still the same except for saying strike on box matches and the matches don't have the white dot on the tip anymore. Wondering what's up with that.. :confused: :confused:
 
Mushroom said:
Is it just me or are the old fashioned strike on your blue jean kitchen matches disappearing? I've notices out here that the match box is still the same except for saying strike on box matches and the matches don't have the white dot on the tip anymore. Wondering what's up with that.. :confused: :confused:
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Widely discussed topic. Strike-anywhere matches are less available -- probably due to reduced demand, but still sold in the U.S.
Diamond makes them, but the quality is down from the old Ohio Blue Tip. Penley matches are imported from South America, available pretty cheap here and there (say $ .75 per large box) and available pretty dear on the Internet ($3.00 for the same box).

And Skunk, amongst your good reasons "for," you didn't mention lighting a Coleman lantern. Try that with a Bic. :p
 
TL, the Coleman lanterns that use liquid fuel, absolutely.
Or we've been known to grab a small stick, light it from the camp fire and stick it up in there.

The good propane models nowadays have the piezo "zip" start.

I still have the old Coleman lantern, and even a can of gas for it.
Fire it up once in a while. :thumbup:
Re-built the pump seal a while back, besides that, it's like the energizer bunny.
 
Stay away from the big wooden kitchen matches from China... poor quality in my experience. I always pack a 35 mm match container filled with the smaller strike-anywhere wooden matches... but I tuck in a striker strip from the box, too, just to make sure there's a dry surface to strike the match on. Stuff in a little cotton so they don't rattle around (and ignite), also useful for tinder.
 
Hey, Ed, one of our kids brought a box of Chinese strike-anywhere matches to a campout, and about every fifth one would light! And this was three days after his Mom got them - and dead dry weather. The tips would just break off. A local "convenience store" had them. Some convenience.

Ed: He tied them in bundles of a dozen or so to use as fire starters. For that they worked fine.
 
I still like matches and carry them in all of our PSKs and BOBs. Most are in waterproof containers, some are wax-dipped, some have some fingernail polish on them, other's are in ziplocks....no consistency. Of course, we don;t use them much, they're there for emergency.

The Diamond strike-anywhere matches are still to be had, albeit rare, as Thomas Linton pointed out. I was at an REI and they had some small strike-anywhere's... I don;t know where they were built...here or foreign, but they weren;t Diamonds I don;t think.
 
Strike anywhere are also illegal in some states such as my home state of NJ I usually pick up a few baxes when i travel. These are great around the camp for lighting lanterns or stoves, or Bug candles, I keep a urine specimine cup full (unused of course) of them in my camp box and a small machsafe in my pocket whenever afield.
 
Strike anywhere matches are good, but tend to ignite on impact, or from friction.I have been warned that they can make a waterproof match case explode. I havn`t tried this , but its something to think about
 
I pack them half heads up, half heads down with some cotton, keeps the heads seperated.
Anyone heard of red bird matches, pretty commin in Canada, and work very well unless humid, then you may get a few duds.
I used to shoot them out of the old daisy, if I hit a rock at the right angle they would light. one time it lit in the air from barrel friction and
I was king shit for a day.
 
Liam Ryan said:
I used to shoot them out of the old daisy, if I hit a rock at the right angle they would light. one time it lit in the air from barrel friction and
I was king shit for a day.
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I thought i was the only one who did this trick. we did it on concrete sidewalks. add a puddle of wd40 behind the inpact point for a real display
 
Thomas Linton said:
Strike-anywhere matches are less available -- probably due to reduced demand, but still sold in the U.S.
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Yeah those are nice. I guess these are less available since people fear they "auto-ignite" by friction inside the box. Plus most people consider they have less cool factor then those "NATO-matches-that-burn-under-water" which in my opinion are quite crappy.
 
Ravaillac said:
Yeah those are nice. I guess these are less available since people fear they "auto-ignite" by friction inside the box. Plus most people consider they have less cool factor then those "NATO-matches-that-burn-under-water" which in my opinion are quite crappy.
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The Schwarzkopf types found out they can be used in simple IEDs - real talk.
 
The Diamond strike-anywhere matches are still to be had, albeit rare, as Thomas Linton pointed out. I was at an REI and they had some small strike-anywhere's... I don;t know where they were built...here or foreign, but they weren;t Diamonds I don;t think.[/QUOTE]

Nope the REI matches are Diamond and are the only place I can get the small ones. I just found a 3 pack of the big box of Diamond Strike Anywheres in my local health food store, Henry's. They are getting harder to find, but my wife and I love them. I ususally stock up.
 
Lone Hunter said:
I was shooting matches out of my BB gun close to 40 years ago.:D
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Ahh. Memories of youth. The story in the Register read about like this:

"Police said the boy had placed an unknown number of match heads in the BB gun, at least two of which were placed head-to-head. The resulting explosion . . . ." :eek:
 
I wouldn't trust them for PSK's alone, but my outdoors bag always have some Diamond Strike Anywhere's in it, as my first choice for starting campfires and such, mostly out of nostalgia.

And lighting cigars....I still find them better for that than fuel burning lighters.
 
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