When I was younger, we used to make bottle rockets with rolled up paper closed at the front, and we used only the tips of strike anywhere matches.

Controlling direction of flight once it left the bottle was not possible, so you had to have really good reflexes and feet.

The rubber band guns we made with clasp type clothes pins for the trigger and regular clothes pins for ammunition were upgraded by putting light nails in the head of the regular clothespins.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

When I was a kid we "played Army" in the woods with BB guns. Of course that was before kids wore protect gear to do anything. We had a "no head shots" rule but it was rarely obeyed once tensions got high. It's a good this they were just the spring-powered daisy's and not the powerfull BB guns of today or I probably be blind and pretty scarred up. <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> ... ahhhh the memories. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like you had a REALLY interesting childhood, bounty. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

Yeah it sound like Bounty's, really the guy that's been there done that (in some case wont do it again) ran off with the tee shirts. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

But going back to the thread <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />, I too have the lifeboat matches it's just that I would like to buy a sheet say of the emery paper strike paper found on the top of life boat match cases, glue a strip say on the back of the P38, another to the handles on a sak, so should the one on the case get ripped up I've got at least two other places where they'll work. Any idea where to get such a marvelous product?

.... take it from other match boxes ??.................

Hi Frenchy

That's an option but then I'd have to buy more box's and destroy them to get the striker part. By having a sheet, I was thinking along the lines of contacting the manufactures and see if it's not possible to buy a sheet, cut it up in to several pieces and do as I suggested. I bought two packets of the lifeboat matches plus the storm matches you kindly donated. I think that enough spread around my various kits. So buying more just for the striker seems a little silly although if "such a marvelous product" does not exist or is unobtainable than your suggestion may prove to be the best alternative.

If any one does know where "such a sheet" can be found 12"x12" could not only serve me but quite a few members here to.

What I mean, is take striking surfaces from 'normal' safety matches, not Lifeboat ....

I seem to remember I tried using Windproof matches on ordinary safety matches striker and it worked.

Just a tip - you might want to try those lifeboat matches on regular strike-only striker material. My experimentation with it revealed that although I could get a faint spark now and then from the striker material, it never was sufficient to ignite the LB match. The ONLY material that I found that would light the LB matches was that which is supplied on the lid of the LB match container.

I tried the "special" matches on the regular safety strikers diplayed on the right side (a standard safety box and a paper matches booklet).



The 4 different waterproof or windprof matches are :
- on the left, Coghlan's matches
- center : german tempest matches and another brand, in the round plastic box

All four lighted easily on regular strikers.