Strike anywhere matches

[Bobby Bigtime]

I carry at least three methods of fire starters. But my corked sections of bamboo full of matches have been with me forever and shared countless adventures. Rain, snow, sleet, wind and the rest of mother nature's wrath have yet to sour the fun of a crackling fire courtesy of the matches. The lighter, magnesium, and the lifeboat version are there for backup. Different strokes for lots of folks.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

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

Metal match/ ferricium rod. I keep one in both my trucks tool boxes and one in my tackle box. That and either a small candle or cotton balls coated with Vaseline will light anytime. Older vets used to eat sulphur matches to fight off bugs in the jungles. The rods ar3 dirt cheap and come in all sizes. You can strike them with your pocketknife.I see them for $2 all the time.

 

[Redbow]

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.

I did the same dave with my bb gun. My Grandma used to get on me for shooting up her "country matches" as she called them. She used the matches for starting a fire in her old wood stove. If I remember correctly the old diamond matches came in boxes of 250, and cheap as dirt.

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

The metal match I was referring to is also called a permanent match. It was a Small metal box that had a cotton material inside and you soaked it periodically with lighter fluid. The "match" portion screwed down into the metal box. When you went to use it you unscrewed the match that was down in the soaked material and ran it down the striker that was on the side or bottom of the box. I don't remember much about the components that made it work. I know there were good and bad versions. Or buying one was hit or miss. Georgia Bob's dad evidently had one of the good ones.

 

[NCHillbilly]

The metal match I was referring to is also called a permanent match. It was a Small metal box that had a cotton material inside and you soaked it periodically with lighter fluid. The "match" portion screwed down into the metal box. When you went to use it you unscrewed the match that was down in the soaked material and ran it down the striker that was on the side or bottom of the box. I don't remember much about the components that made it work. I know there were good and bad versions. Or buying one was hit or miss. Georgia Bob's dad evidently had one of the good ones.

Basically, a primitive Zippo?

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

Basically, a primitive Zippo?

Pretty much

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

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

I once watched a guy at a mountain man rendezvous light a pipe with flint and steel. It was awesome

 

[TJay]

In junior high we used to make stink bombs with strike anywhere matches. Using a ball point pen you take out the ink cartridge and insert a sam pointing upward towards the clicker. The little spring would fit around a bobbie pin and you flare the edges so you could pull it back and let it go striking the match. Since there was little air in the barrel of the pen it would just send out suphurous smoke from the end of the pen. Shortly someone would say "I smell smoke" and the fun began. Don't get caught with one.

 

[Nicodemus]

I once watched a guy at a mountain man rendezvous light a pipe with flint and steel. It was awesome

Lighting a candle using only flint & steel can be quite the challenge. Especially if you use no tinder bundle.

 

[fishfryer]

In junior high we used to make stink bombs with strike anywhere matches. Using a ball point pen you take out the ink cartridge and insert a sam pointing upward towards the clicker. The little spring would fit around a bobbie pin and you flare the edges so you could pull it back and let it go striking the match. Since there was little air in the barrel of the pen it would just send out suphurous smoke from the end of the pen. Shortly someone would say "I smell smoke" and the fun began. Don't get caught with one.

Yep

 

[Anvil Head]

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.

We did that all the time. Best use was against yellow jackets.....small glass bottle of gas set next to their hole on a rock, first shot was a BB to break the bottle, followed up with a good ol' white tip to the rock....flamboo! (had to ready to knock down a little brush fire every now and then) But, fun for us farm kids.

 

[Anvil Head]

I once watched a guy at a mountain man rendezvous light a pipe with flint and steel. It was awesome

Watched a "bushcrafter" (wanna be old Boy Scout) set his beard on fire and burn a hole in his pretty little overnight bag, trying to show someone how it's done. It's a hoot watching these folks at the gatherings (I do blade forging demos at several of these events). Got all the newest bestest equipment to "live" in the woods.......first night without toilet paper and they bugout for the car!

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

I was in that mom and pop the other day and the guy asked me if I wanted any more of those matches? I asked if they could order them? and he said no I found some in the back. I got another two boxes. I think 2000 of those matches should take me to the end. I'm glad they had them.