Matches? Matches? We Need More Stinkin’ Matches!

[woodsroad]

Years ago I was a match purist. Lo-tech lighting seemed to be more philosophically aligned with burning leaves in a wooden widget, the scratch & fizz was part of the Smoking Experience, and it appealed to my innate Luddite-ness.

Bought strike-anywhere's by the case (24? boxes in a cube) from a hardcore hardware store that refused to sell pussified safety matches.

Had several of those holder-striker ceramic cup-stand things around the house.

Then the ceramic got too smooth from the abrasiveness of the matches to work well, and I got tired of cleaning the quadrillions of little soot-streamers that floated around the house and clung to everything, so went back to a gas lighter, philosophy be damned.

The end.

Quitter.

 

[georged]

Quitter.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I don't use matches too often but will at times. I like the ceramic match/striker holder. May have to get one of those. As for collecting matchbooks, I try to collect them from the different pipe and cigar shops I visit. Preferably with the shops logo on it instead of a logo from a cigar brand etc.

 

[InWithBothFeet]

I found 2 boxes of those out in my garage today. I think they were mislabeled though. I couldn't get them to strike on anything so I threw them out. They must have put strike nowhere matches in there by mistake at the factory.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I found 2 boxes of those out in my garage today. I think they were mislabeled though. I couldn't get them to strike on anything so I threw them out. They must have put strike nowhere matches in there by mistake at the factory.

Could be that they had soaked up too much moisture. Drying out a box of strike anywhere matches is not for the faint of heart.

 

[woodsroad]

Could be that they had soaked up too much moisture. Drying out a box of strike anywhere matches is not for the faint of heart.

Exactly.
In other words, it’s a faulty garage, not matches. You threw out the wrong thing.

Seriously, Strike Anywhere will have a different colored tip on the head.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I loved the strike anywheres growing up, in spite of my Mom's continued admonition to not play with matches. Lighting a whole box of them was fun.

 

[InWithBothFeet]

They were damp.. been out there for years. One of the boxes was falling apart.

 

[georged]

Cosmic says that lining up hundreds at a time along the edge of an indoor table (so the air is still), and heating them within a half-degree of their ignition temp with a propane torch dries them out beautifully. Good as new.

 

[anotherbob]

Neither is mixing alcohol and cocaine.

totally harmless, unless you mix them in your bloodstream

 

[woodsroad]

totally harmless, unless you mix them in your bloodstream

Somehow, I survived.

 

[woodsroad]

Look what arrived today!

 

[BingBong]

Sadly, the likes of Swan Vesta, Vulcan and Scottish Bluebell have been history since a 2018 EU directive in the UK... quite a while after the Brexit vote? Hmm.

I'm having a match fad at the moment, quite a lot of one-match lights, so I haven't forgotten how to use, at least, safety matches ;-)

 

[woodsroad]

Sadly, the likes of Swan Vesta, Vulcan and Scottish Bluebell have been history since a 2018 EU directive in the UK... quite a while after the Brexit vote? Hmm.

I'm having a match fad at the moment, quite a lot of one-match lights, so I haven't forgotten how to use, at least, safety matches ;-)

The matches pictured above were made in Germany.

 

[BingBong]

The matches pictured above were made in Germany.

Interesting!

 

[Manawydan]

I 'rediscovered' matches because of pipe-smoking. I use an IM Corona most of the time, but on occasion (esp. with no wind) I like the ritual of taking a match from its box and lighting my pipe with it. I found Three Stars 4" matches and also some misc blue-tip matches (mostly liked the carton). They burn a long time. I happened to have a small wooden box laying around and added a small strike strip to the front lip. Perfect.

 

[PipeIT]

 

[captainsousie]

I definitely enjoy cactus quill matches. Got a local store that stocks them now. They're short but mighty and burn for a long time.

 

[Peter Peachfuzz]

I have a match striker. It is hard to find strike anywhere matches though. Are they dangerous or something?

View attachment 328714

Saving the children..

 

[sallow]

I found some at Mariano's.