Strike anywhere matches

[Bobby Bigtime]

I have been a match guy for 55 years I always carry them in my gear in various types of containers. When I was a kid we favored the Ohio blue tips for camping and hikes and woods tramping. My folks liked the diamond option for the wood stove. But they were always available regardless. Then a few years back things changed do to hazmat regulations and tweakers and such. Virtually the only available option is the diamond greenlight. They are doable but a far cry from the old ones. I recently came across some Cartwright brand in a mom and pop and bought up the few boxes they had. They are good matches that will strike on you pants, rocks. Side of the grill or whatever. The store I found them in said they have had the sitting there a long time so I don't know the availability but wanted folks to know that they are out there. I can't be the only geezer that prefers these to lighters for woodsy activities.

 

[Nicodemus]

I used those old time Lucifers too. Nowadays I prefer a genuine 1700s style flint & steel.

 

[tad1]

Never gave it a lot of thought, but there is something very satisfying about a quality matchstick. Growing up, we always had a box of strike anywhere on the mantle, believe they were diamond brand. Nice big red and white tip.
Didn’t know they were all “going green”.

 

[specialk]

reminds me of an old feller back home that would strike'em off the the end of his top front tooth....

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

reminds me of an old feller back home that would strike'em off the the end of his top front tooth....

That's all well and good till you break off a flaming chunk of sulfer in your mouth!

 

[Nicodemus]

That's all well and good till you break off a flaming chunk of sulfer in your mouth!

Or under your thumbnail!

 

[specialk]

That's all well and good till you break off a flaming chunk of sulfer in your mouth!

ole man was a character, wore bibs his whole life...church, weddings, funerals....cut the legs off and wore them when some friends took him to the beach one time....rolled his on cigs...could do it with one hand too....

 

[Railroader]

I used to could pop a match with my thumbnail...

Actually found some new stock "strike anywhere" matches at Ace hardware and bought a box all excited to show the grand boys how to do it...

They ain't even close to the old ones. Broke several trying, and the won't strike on blue jeans either.

What a jip...

 

[Blackston]

That's all well and good till you break off a flaming chunk of sulfer in your mouth!

Ask me how I know

 

[NCHillbilly]

I can start a fire with everything from a hand drill to a flint and steel to a match or a lighter. For convenience and reliability, you can't beat a Bic lighter. And if it gets wet, you can dry it out and it still works. A full lighter is like twenty boxes of matches. And it don't blow out in the slightest breeze, either. Aside from the nostalgia aspect, I just don't have much love for matches.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Or under your thumbnail!

That hurts.

 

[specialk]

i'm sure you've used these before(lol)...most folks don't know you can take one and pull it apart and get 2 matches out of one....

 

[westcobbdog]

ole man was a character, wore bibs his whole life...church, weddings, funerals....cut the legs off and wore them when some friends took him to the beach one time....rolled his on cigs...could do it with one hand too....

And didn't worry about a fire in his mouth because he kept fire water in his overalls..

 

[Blackston]

MI can start a fire with everything from a hand drill to a flint and steel to a match or a lighter. For convenience and reliability, you can't beat a Bic lighter. And if it gets wet, you can dry it out and it still works. A full lighter is like twenty boxes of matches. And it don't blow out in the slightest breeze, either. Aside from the nostalgia aspect, I just don't have much love for matches.

Made a fire in the rain with a bic lighter and a plastic jug … we was bout to freeze to death …. Them boys was tellin that story for years lol

 

[GeorgiaBob]

Dad carried a little steel box about 1/2"X1"X 2" in his pocket most of the time. The bottom was coarse and it had two compartments. In one side was a small striker and the other was packed with cotton that had a tiny bit of some kind of oil on it. I only saw him use it when we wanted a fire when we were fishing on a riverbank (Something he drug me out to do very, very often!).

He would put a tiny piece of the cotton against some tender then one flick of the striker on the bottom of the case and - fire. Every time. Dad was a smoker and carried a lighter, that was about the same size, all the time so I'm not sure why he also carried the little box. But I do remember that it worked first strike every time he used it, even in the wet.

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

I used to could pop a match with my thumbnail...

Actually found some new stock "strike anywhere" matches at Ace hardware and bought a box all excited to show the grand boys how to do it...

They ain't even close to the old ones. Broke several trying, and the won't strike on blue jeans either.

What a jip...

Yes they are a far cry from the old version. They had me including striker strips in with them in the event they wouldn't work otherwise. Ranks right up there with getting a nice microbrew to have with your veggie burger.

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

Dad carried a little steel box about 1/2"X1"X 2" in his pocket most of the time. The bottom was coarse and it had two compartments. In one side was a small striker and the other was packed with cotton that had a tiny bit of some kind of oil on it. I only saw him use it when we wanted a fire when we were fishing on a riverbank (Something he drug me out to do very, very often!).

He would put a tiny piece of the cotton against some tender then one flick of the striker on the bottom of the case and - fire. Every time. Dad was a smoker and carried a lighter, that was about the same size, all the time so I'm not sure why he also carried the little box. But I do remember that it worked first strike every time he used it, even in the wet.

They were called a metal match. I haven't seen one for a long time.

 

[Nicodemus]

Dad carried a little steel box about 1/2"X1"X 2" in his pocket most of the time. The bottom was coarse and it had two compartments. In one side was a small striker and the other was packed with cotton that had a tiny bit of some kind of oil on it. I only saw him use it when we wanted a fire when we were fishing on a riverbank (Something he drug me out to do very, very often!).

He would put a tiny piece of the cotton against some tender then one flick of the striker on the bottom of the case and - fire. Every time. Dad was a smoker and carried a lighter, that was about the same size, all the time so I'm not sure why he also carried the little box. But I do remember that it worked first strike every time he used it, even in the wet.

Most interesting. Reckon you could show a picture of one.?

 

[GeorgiaBob]

Most interesting. Reckon you could show a picture of one.?

I looked to find something like it but couldn't find an exact match. The closest are the English fire starter tins that are on sale at several places. But those are just tins with a strike plate and rod or flint and steel. But taking the time to look also got me thinking.

By the time I was old enough to notice the little box Dad kept in his pocket my Dad's father had passed away (1956). I would venture a guess that the little fire starter kit was something my Granddad picked up in Europe during WWI while he was with Battery F of the 64th Artillery C.A.C. He might have given it to my Dad before he passed away.

If that is true, the little box could have been from England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria or even Hungary. Granddad interacted with troops from all of those countries, some peaceably, some not so much. He died at 64 years old from lung problems caused by being gassed (twice) over there.

 

[crackerdave]

Used to like to shoot the strike anywhere matches out of my bb gun.They made a nice pop when shot at a brick wall.