Relax, I'm not trying to start another flame war <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The "Homeland Security" travel recommendations are that you can only carry book matches - in theory, at least, this means the security guards can confiscate windproof, waterproof, or strike-anywhere matches. (How they'd know you had a box of Redbird matches in your pocket if you didn't tell them is beyond me - it's not like they'd show up on the metal detector, but I digress.)

Some years ago, at the Hotel Bogota in Vienna, I picked up a book of *wooden* safety matches. It's the only time I've ever seen wooden book matches. I've no idea where they are now, but I may write to my brother in Berlin and ask him if he sees any such critters in his travels, to grab me a handful ;-)

Anyway, it got me to thinking. After reading about the "book matches only" policy, I wondered if it was possible to waterproof a book of matches (other than putting it into a waterproof container). I found out it's damn near impossible; the paper match gets soaked and the water seeps up to the match head and destroys it - after it dried out, I couldn't set fire to it even with a mini-torch.

But with a wooden book match, you might have a chance.

I can't believe the Hotel Bogota is the only place in the world that these matches are available, or that they had them made up specially for their elite clientele. (They let me and my brother stay there, after all <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> )

Has anyone else seen these, or have a source for them? I'd love to get a couple of dozen books and just experiment with them.

After all, you never know when that airliner you're on is forced to ditch at sea, your Bic lighter gets smashed as you're exiting the plane, and you wash ashore on some godforsaken island with only a waterlogged Zippo and four books of matches soaked by seawater. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

aardwolfe

The victorinox survival kits come equipped with wooden book matches. The larger kit refills for book matches are eight to a book, smaller kit has 5 to a book. But they are all wooden.

You might want to check out the SAK web sites which sell replacement items.

swiss army

swiss-knife

BTW, the signal mirror in the surival kits have been upgraded to glass ones. The old crappy plastic ones have gone the way of the do-do. You might want to check those out as they are smaller than most signal mirrors and have the aiming hole.

i have seen books of wooden matches suplied with german ration packs, the book were packed in mylar.
the german rationpacks i have seen was however older than i am.....

I guess they still pack wooden book matches. I´ve got some from younger packs. In Germany the wooden matches are standard. It´s really hard to find the paper ones.