Maybe it bothers me more than it should: Matches
14I recall when the “strike anywhere” stick matches were really easy to get lit, and the “light on box” ones would reliably flare up with one swipe every time. It’s been at least 30 years since I bought a box of either one of them that worked properly at this point. At least half of the “strike anywhere” ones in any box won’t light at all, and many of the “strike on box” types only work if you use the stripe from a matchbook. The freebie matchbooks from bars still work pretty much the same as they always did. Has the CPSC gone bugfuck on these things, or something?
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As a non-smoker I rarely have occasion to use a match, but the few times I have tried recently I have found that to be pretty much the case. That was actually what prompted me to buy the atomic lighter they sold here a while back. I use it for camping. Otherwise around the house I primarily use those lighters with the long tips on them to light the fireplaces.
Do bars even give out match books? I can imagine that people that used to collect matchbooks have had to stop their hobby. Actually I do recall a fancy steakhouse having tiny boxes of matches. I pick one up because I thought of it as so novel. I don’t think I have tried using them. To light the grill and today, the fireplace I will be using the long handled one from the dollar store.
The ignition strips on the “Light on box” matches I have (Diamond brand), only seem to last through about half the matches in the box, making the rest pretty much useless.
@macromeh That probably works out well enough in the end since every other match, the head just sort of disintegrates on striking anyway, falling to my feet without so much as a spark.
Probably all made in china
@Star2236
Actually, US and Mexico, and the latter are the better ones when I can find them.
Maybe you should make some of these…
I have a super old oven that will only light with matches (literally, it has a hole that says “match” for you to light it with, and a lighter won’t work for it), and I generally agree that matches suck more now than they used to. I can sometimes successfully light the strike anywhere matches on my burner grate, but more often than not, I end up breaking it and having to just use a lighter to light the match. But matchbooks from bars seem just fine
You are longing for the days of Ohio Blue Tip Matches. I am 40, and I remember in my childhood doing stupid shit with them. Like lighting them from your molars. Taking a utility knife, cutting off the tips, stuffing them into a tennis ball, then pitching it to my brother who hit it and it was like the animations in video games seeing a flaming ball fly.
I don’t believe there was ever an official governmental mandate, but they are no longer a thing because of the safety hazard when shipping and storing. Imagine a semi of those jackknifing, or a store shelf falling over? Instant fire.
They were, truly, strike anywhere. Jean zipper. Rock. Tree Bark. It is a reason the real ones sell for a premium on eBay (you know, assuming they are real, which I doubt many are these days) to survivalists/outdoorsmen.
“stuffing them into a tennis ball, then pitching it to my brother who hit it and it was like the animations in video games seeing a flaming ball fly.”
Man, I bet that was fun!
according to this article:
https://www.99boulders.com/why-have-so-many-strike-anywhere-matches-been-discontinued
it’s the cost of Shipping.
Well, Not Shipping per-say, but Hazmat Surcharges by the Shipping companies.
One manufacturer said it was being Charged $35/BOX by UPS to ship. bye bye profit margins if it costs you $35 to ship a box of matches.
Video version of article: