I have bought NATO-approved weatherproof safety matches from www.sportsmansguide.com ($6.97 for two containers w.25 maytches each). For my car, I'm just going to include the entire container as is because there's enough room they are sealed and I don't want to break the seal.<br><br>But for my personal kit, I'm going to break the seal and put in only a few becasue of size constraints. However, these come with a single striker surface that's glued to the cap. What else can I use or can I get striker material elsewhere (such as from a match box)? <br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

Have you read Doug's note on striking Lifeboats?Yes,they are prone to snapping. Thats why I use a P-38 to hold them. Try to get the largest possible striking surface. they can be lit with a small rectangle from a regular matchbox,but it takes several attempts.I use a cuttoff striking panel from a large safety match box.Coglans has indeed improved their version .<br><br>

>>>Thats why I use a P-38 to hold them. <br><br>Okay, I give up. What's a "P-38?" (Besides a cool WWII fighter plane.)<br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

I have not read Doug's piece yet. Should have known he has all the bases covered. <br><br>Regards<br>Bruce Geissen<br><br>

It is a pretty cool airplane…<br><br>In this context, a P38 or P-38 (I don’t know which is correct) is a very small (1.5 inch long) stamped-steel can opener that used to be included with military canned rations (C-rats) when the military used such things. They’re small, very lightweight, durable, cheap (I bought 10 for $5 fairly recently on eBay) and work surprisingly well. They’re small enough to be carried on a keyring, in a wallet, or, traditionally, around your neck with your dog tags. They make an excellent “striker” for artificial flints, and an indifferent but useable screwdriver.<br><br>Chris said about them: “I've used mine for fish lures, emergency ice cleats, splitting roots for cordage, sewing thimble and small vise for holding needles and matches. Canned rations and water are still in widespread use worldwide."<br><br>I generally carry on my person a single-blade folder and a Leatherman Micra, which fills out the commonly-used everyday tools that one might have with a Swiss Army knife, but even the combination lacks a can opener, so I have a P38 currently living in my wallet, that fills that gap.<br><br>As you can see, some of us are rather fond of these little gizmos- it the sort of thing you can carry for years without a thought, but it's there when needed. I’ve had one in particular that I’ve had and used for at least 20, maybe 30 years now, it has all the finish worn off, but it still works fine, and it’s saved me a deal of trouble on more than one occasion.<br><br><br>

I posted this in another thread awhile back:<br><br>"I like to get the "storm proof"- "NATO lifeboat" matches in a MATCH box. Same exact matches. You still get 25 matches BUT there 1/2 the price ($1.50) as the ones that come in the canister. I put mine in 35mm film cans that I get FREE from my local grocery stores photo lab. The cool thing is the box of matches comes with the striker on BOTH sides of the box. I just cut them off, and put them into the film can."<br> <br>I got them at my local ARMY surplus store. <br>But I found this link on the web with a pretty good deal 2 boxes of 25 and comes with a 5-Pak of Slow Burning Emergency candles for $3.95<br><br>http://www.janddsurvivalproducts.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi?category=kits<br><br>It's the last item on the page.<br><br>Also the p-38 can openers That I got from the same ARMY store works good for some things mentioned BUT really aren't able to open the heavier canned food items of today.<br>I bent 2 tryin to open a can of beans the last time I went out.<br>But they have many other uses.<br><br><br><br>"Stay Frosty"

>>Also the p-38 can openers That I got from the same ARMY store work good for some things mentioned BUT really aren't able to open the heavier canned food items of today.<br>I bent 2 tryin to open a can of beans the last time I went out.<br>But they have many other uses.<<<br><br>Not certain what the problem might have been, but are you sure you got the "real thing"? There have been cheap asian knockoffs made of these since at least the early '70s, and those don't hold an edge, and fall apart.<br><br>My impression is that even steel cans were a lot heavier in the period these were designed and used most in than they are now (as were the linings- canned food does not last as long as it used to). I've never had a problem with beans, or Dinty Moore, or dog and catfood, and I did open one #10 restaurant can once.<br><br>The ONLY real problem I've ever had with one is that, after much carry and use, it doesn't "snap" open and closed anymore, it just flops- still works, but it needed a bit of tape or a small rubber band to hold it closed on a keychain so it wouldn't snag stuff.<br><br><br>

I'm not sure if these are the real thing or not. The blades do flop on all 5 of the ones that I got. I didn't know they should snap open and closed. Also I have never seen any instruction on how to use it. So it's very possible I was using it incorrectly. <br>BUT It bent pretty easy when I was trying to puncture the can lid. I thought (I read once) that can food cans today are a little more heavy duty than the ones used in the 40's when the p-38 was used. I could be wrong on that as well. <br><br>But I still have a couple in my kit and use them for other things.<br><br>Any Ideas on what I could have been doing wrong???<br><br><br>"Stay Frosty"

>>I'm not sure if these are the real thing or not. The blades do flop on all 5 of the ones that I got. <<<br><br>Hmmm. Well, I have a couple marked "MIL- J- 0837" that just sort of flop. The rest are all marked "U S Speaker", and they snap open and closed when new. Not all the way closed, though.<br><br>>>Also I have never seen any instruction on how to use it. So it's very possible I was using it incorrectly. <br>BUT It bent pretty easy when I was trying to puncture the can lid... Any Ideas on what I could have been doing wrong???<<<br><br>From "bent pretty easy" I'm pretty sure it wasn't what you were doing, it was the opener. I don't think I could bend these with finger pressure alone- too tough and too small, no leverage. If the opener were too dull, or the can too tough, I think I just wouldn't be able to twist it hard enough for it to puncture, I don't think it wold bend. I just tried to bend a couple with both hands, and then with both hands and one end on the desk, and they're stronger than my fingers- and I'm a big guy. I think you'd need a vice, or pliers, or something to bend these.<br><br>Anyone else have experience with this?<br><br>

Hi,<br><br>Just a question WHERE can I get some of the Original P38 can openers for our scouts and not the Coghlans knockoffs because these have a tendency to bend and also fall apart.<br><br>Perhaps somebody has a few good original ones and could let me know what they would cost sending to Holland (Europe).<br>Any help is appreciated, best scouting wishes from Holland,<br><br>Bagheera <br><br><br>

Bagheera, A quick search turned up 20@ $7.97 from www.sportsmansguide.com WAY TO MUCH! A really nice Swedish copy ( a bit larger and robust) goes for 10@ $2.49 from www. MajorSurplusNSurvival.com. Either of these companies are going to charge exhorbitant shipping to Europe. How many do you need?They are a common item, and another source for P-38s is out there, if that is what you want. Maybe somebody over here can add some to an order, and then ship them seperately to you. I wish I had a nickle for all the ones I used once and tossed in the service :(<br><br>

P-38 kick bahaawell you know.<br><br>GOD bless the U.S.

My favorite source for striker material is the end of a highway flare cap. Very tough striker, you can cut it off of the cap and have a little disk of striker material that will fit inside of many match safes.<br><br>

Excellent information, OldBadGuy. <br><br>

Thanks...But I'm a nice Bald guy, not a bad guy. Hahahaha<br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Hatch wrote:<br><br>"I like to get the "storm proof"- "NATO lifeboat" matches in a MATCH box. Same exact matches. You still get 25 matches BUT there 1/2 the price ($1.50) as the ones that come in the canister. I put mine in 35mm film cans that I get FREE from my local grocery stores photo lab. The cool thing is the box of matches comes with the striker on BOTH sides of the box. I just cut them off, and put them into the film can."<br><br>I got them at my local ARMY surplus store. <br>But I found this link on the web with a pretty good deal 2 boxes of 25 and comes with a 5-Pak of Slow Burning Emergency candles for $3.95<br><br>http://www.janddsurvivalproducts.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi?category=kits<br><br>It's the last item on the page.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>I checked this link. Here's the image they have there:<br><br><br><br>I emailed them. They are very friendly and have great customer service! They sent me a test sample for free, just so I could see if I liked them. I was amazed. I'd love to be able to recommend them and their product, but...<br><br>...what I got looked more like this:<br><br><br><br>Instead of the nicely even and smooth two-tone brownish flammable material that is on the Lifeboat matches, there is, instead, a monotone coating of unevenly applied reddish flammable material. I'm hoping the images do justice to what I'm trying to describe, so everyone can know what to expect if they order.<br><br>I have also seen these same NON-Lifeboat style "Storm" matches inside some sort of "survival kit" I saw at REI, even though the illustration that was on the package for these kits depicted the other genuine Lifeboat matches instead.<br><br>I can only guess that once upon a time you actually could order Lifeboat matches in boxes, but that the company manufacturing (or at least, packaging) these "Storm" matches has at some point changed from using "real" Lifeboat matches to some other make.<br><br>They must be struck on a strip of abrasive designed specifically for lighting matches, so they are not "strike anywhere" types. They burn nicely, even after I soaked them in water, so they're not a rip off by any means. They're fine. I just wanted to let everyone know, in case they might order some of these expecting something else, and be disappointed.

These matches that Jet got in the mail look like Coghlan's wind/water proof matches in place of the original ones. I bought some of these recently and they look like they are supposed to, with the brown top similar to Lifeboat matches and to the first pic posted. I am suspicious.

I love the Coughlan's windproof/waterproof matches*. I also love the REI stormproof matches. They both are great. The difference in appearance from the BCB lifeboat matches is that the REI ones are bigger and the Coughlan's ones are red. I use the Coughlan's for commercial airline travel, because they are almost as good as the lifeboats, but look more like "normal" matches in a cardboard box than the lifeboats do in their white plastic bottle. I prefer them for travel over REI's because they are normal sized, whereas REI's are oversized. I don't want to give any security officer any reason whatsoever to do a double-take when (s)he looks at them.

And yes, you're right. Of the three I just mentioned, the matches I got from this service look most like the Coughlan's. They're not oversized, and they're not two-tone, and they're not brown. However, the Coughlans' are consistenly and evenly applied and the burnable material has a glossy finish. These looked like they might be knock-offs of the Coughlan's style, but the burnable material had been unevenly applied and has a splotchy, flat finish which looked quite different.

Please understand me, they work just fine; there's nothing wrong with them. I have carried them and used them and like them well enough not to complain. They're completely acceptable, and yes, they are rather waterproof and hard to blow out. I'm not complaining about them at all, though I guess my earlier post may have sounded like that. Sorry for not being clearer. I guess I was just disappointed, because I got my hopes up.

But, I'm a gear snob, I guess, and prefer to pack BCBs in my PSKs. I carry Coughlan's when flying, 'cause they look normal. I usually carry REIs when hiking or camping, because I like the longer burn time of the larger matches. Since I got these matches from the above link though, I've been substituting them for the REIs, and I guess I'll continue to do so until I use them all up.

I don't have a problem with these matches, I just wanted everyone to know what was what, so they weren't surprised if they ordered some too.


*I always like to point out that I'm not talking about Coughlan's "waterproof" matches. Those are different.