Strike anywhere matches

[Bourbon Guy]

White tips when fresh and dry and having a "big" white tip can be lit with a thumbnail. It is a combination of pressure and friction, hold in hand and place thumbnail on white tip portion just above red section. Move nail long ways across white tip pressing pretty hard in a one way saw like motion.

Tuff part is getting the tip to break off and lodge under nail while igniting, that smarts!:eusa_doh:

Practice striking with your thumb till you can do it (the only way to light them that is vintage and cool), then learn to roll your own butts. Some guys cut off the white tips, wet them, mash them up, and reload rimfires with them.

 

[DerMann]

That disease is Phossy Jaw. It ruined the lives of a lot of match factory workers:

Essentially your jawbone turns to mush.

-Dave

That's the one.

 

[John in Covina]

See if there is a camping supply store nearby, they might have them.

 

[David Conwill]

on a different note, what causes Phossy Jaw, how can matches do that?

I believe it's the white phosphorous used in the manufacturing. WP or "Willie Pete" as the military used to call it, is some seriously flammable stuff - to the point that if you get it burning and drop it in the lake, it'll burn all the way to the lake bottom.

-Dave

 

[Grnidwitch]

Forgive me, I haven't read the whole thread but they are Blue Tip matches. You can strike them on your um, zipper if you have to. Quite hard to find now. I keep looking for them in my area (NW burbs of Chicago). I have a very nice match safe that has a striker on the side. I would love to use it.

 

[Bourbon Guy]

Forgive me, I haven't read the whole thread but they are Blue Tip matches. You can strike them on your um, zipper if you have to. Quite hard to find now. I keep looking for them in my area (NW burbs of Chicago). I have a very nice match safe that has a striker on the side. I would love to use it.

Believe blue tips are long gone. Only "anywhere" matches I've seen in years are Diamond with white tips. Don't think you can buy 'em in Illinois except for the "strike on box."

 

[troy]

I live in Massachusetts, and I saw some just today at a local Army Surplus store. They were Diamond (white tip) Strike anywhere matches.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I have some I keep in a repro striker, I picked them up at the local supermarket a couple of years ago.

 

[Miss Sis]

In the UK, Swan brand matches are available most places.

You can get them to light by striking on bricks etc and they have white heads on 'em.

 

[John in Covina]

look here:http://www.emergencyresources.com/er_p11.html

 

[Grnidwitch]

I have some I keep in a repro striker, I picked them up at the local supermarket a couple of years ago.

Ahhh, blue tips. I haven't seen these things in years.

 

[eldonkr]

Well I found quite a few places on line that I could get them from. But as long as we're on the topic of things that create fire.

In "The Maltese Falcon" the one with Humphrey Bogart, I'm not sure if there was a remake of it or not, what exactly was it that they were using to light their cigarettes?

 

[Justdog]

Redbird

I'm a bit of an odd fellow, enjoying accouterments from days long passed. As such I enjoy lighting my cigarettes with zippo lighters or matches. I've been using matches a lot lately and I've always wanted to pull a match from my hatband and strike it along a brick wall, my shoe, the beard stubble of someone I didn't like and light my smoke. But I seem to be unable to find any kind of strike anywhere matches at my local store.

Anyone know why this is, and where is a good place to look for them?

Redbird matches
http://www.worldfms.com/4028_camping.htm

 

[Absinthe_1900]

In "The Maltese Falcon" the one with Humphrey Bogart, I'm not sure if there was a remake of it or not, what exactly was it that they were using to light their cigarettes?

It's a "touch tip" lighter, of which there are several types.
The one in the movie was a Ronson.

 

[eldonkr]

It's a "touch tip" lighter, of which there are several types.
The one in the movie was a Ronson.

That's why I love this place. If I would have asked anybody else I would have gotten weird looks, and been asked "Whats a maltese falcon?"

 

[David Conwill]

Just a point of interest: The 1941 Humphry Bogart Maltese Falcon actually is the remake. There was a film made 10 years before that subsequently retitled Dangerous Female.

-Dave

 

[Ace Fedora]

Just a point of interest: The 1941 Humphry Bogart Maltese Falcon actually is the remake. There was a film made 10 years before that subsequently retitled Dangerous Female.

And let's not forget 1936's Satan Met A Lady, which changed almost every aspect of the story.

On second thought, let's forget it.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

the touch tip lighters are really expensive...well, for a lighter anyway...

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Some of the Ronson touch tip lighters will require a big bag of cash.

I have a old Parker Silent flame touch tip "Fan Dancer", that I snagged locally for a cheap price, so there are some still out there.

 

[Bingles]

I have a box of blue tip strike any where matches. I HATE them. The box is almost empty because I go through 5 matches before one finally lights. Often times, the tip of the match breaks off or wears down from striking repeatedly without it lighting. I use them only when I can't locate a lighter.