Where do you get your Swan Vestas? It's all out or stiff premium.
Swan Vestas.
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They all do. I'm trying to see if I can give matches a second chance. But not sure what's best or acceptable. Three stars are readily available and so does diamond. But Swan Vestas seems to be most talked about.
Nothing special IMO. Get the green tipped diamond kitchen matches IMO
but I’m not a beautiful genius so don’t listen to me. Maybe Craig can tell you the proper matches to use.
Wow! Well, I bought a mountain of them about 5 years ago, and was blissfully unaware that "strike anywhere" matches had been banned in 2018.
I guess you find them where you can.
Really too bad because they're sulfurless and light easily. I guess a bit too easily to suit the PTB. Too many accidental self immolations?
I guess you find them where you can.
Really too bad because they're sulfurless and light easily. I guess a bit too easily to suit the PTB. Too many accidental self immolations?
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Those are apparently the only one's still being made. But, are they sulfurless? That was the point of the Swans. No sulfur stink when lighting a pipe.
Do you strike the match and light your pipe straight off? Or do you burn off the head then light it? If the latter there is no taste.
I only smoke outdoors, so speed is oft times a necessity.
Gotcha. Then yes it would make a difference. For either one I burn off the head then light so non-sulphur is sort of a moot point.
ever try a zippo?
I bought Vestas one time and for my taste they totally suck and I would never buy them again. Get a nice lighter. Im Corona Pipemasters are my favorites. I have all their models and some I bought multiple ones. I have 8 total. I know I have a lighter fetish. It began when I was 13 and bought my first zippo. Now I have many Duponts from when I was smoking cigars and now I have 8 Pipemaster. Yes there is something wrong with me.
You can buy them at Ken Byron’s website. I think it’s KBVen.com
Oh, yes, sure. They were created for the outdoors. Mine's gone walkabout and I probably should get another. Mostly I use a BIC. But all that said, I get much better control of the light with a match than with a lighter, with the exception of my Dumont, which is a pipe lighter. YMMV
No.
The Swan Vestas that were last imported by Mitchell Thomas(a smaller Memphis based Pipe and accessories distributor) bear the legend “conforms to ENI783:1997”. Apparently they are truly safety matches. I have to work at it to get one to stay lit long enough to get, say, a pot shape, lit, to defeat the self extinguishing feature. Mitchell Thomas is out I believe and I was told they won’t be reordered. As far as I am concernEd, they have no socially redeeming feature, sulfur free or not. I never cared that much about that as the sulfur on a Diamond red or green tip burns off so quickly I never tasted any, but the Vestas were just the right size, and every damn one in a box struck and burned consistently. Won’t be buying anymore of them.
He has the last ones left. He said the distributor wasn’t going to reorder
I've gotten good at lighting matches in the wind. What sucks though is when it's not windy until you get the match right above the tobacco and the wind stops playing that trick on you after you finally get the pipe going after three matches. Though I miss my trench coat I could tent it over my head and light a pipe in a near hurricane, which gets great looks from random strangers.
Since mine are older stock, I don't experience any of those problems. They are the perfect size, flame right up, and keep burning, I have to either blow on them or shake them vigorously to put them out.
Just checked the KBV site. He's out of Swan Vestas, but carries another match, sulfur free, that's made in Hungary.
Never tried these, but ordered a few to check out
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