This thread seems to have evolved from matches to butane lighters. FWIW, I have had probably 15-20 butane lighters scattered amongst my hunting equipment for several years. They all have electronic ignition. I recently gathered them all up to see if they still worked. To my surprise, most all the brands would no longer light with the exception of the Cricket lighters, all of which lighted. I checked the other brands one by one and found that they still had gas and would light by holding the thumb lever down and using another fire source to light them. So, the conclusion is that the electronic lighting mechanism had failed as they all still lighted when ignited with a seperate fire source. I will replace the defective ones with new Crickets. I would recommend that any one with butane lighters with some age on them check them to see if they are still operational. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

That is why the ones I carry are flint fired. Plus even without gas you have the flint sparks available. The reason they are not allowed on planes is that planes are one pressurized to between 5 and 10 thousand feet. Most lighters are set to operate at 1000 or lower. Even if it is adjustable that is where most people set them. At the lower pressure they put out an almost blowtorch flame. Very disconcerting. Now with the overblown security they figured any butane source could be used to inflate a container to make a bomb. The explosion from one is not that impressive but several combined could be significant.

But even the the venerable Zippo will cause prioblems if it is overheated. Throw any lighter in a fire is not a wise thing to do. And most problems you here about is some ding dong playing with it in his pocket. If a tight weave the gas can build up and can cause a respectable fire ball in a very disconcerting location.

On most disposables the biggest hit most people clam is they leak and are dead after long storage. Usually this is because of the way such as packing in a small kit they are stored. What ends up happening is the fuel release level is slightlty depressed. Being aware of this and taking the precaution solves this. I found a lighter in a jacket that I haven't used in about 5 years. It still works fine.

The accident scenario with welders usually involves confined spaces and an acetylene torch. Due to the confined space the core of the flame is dipped into the molten material. This will result in a small explosion wich sends a shower of big hot sparks into the vicinty. Again due to the confined space some will always find a way to enter the pockets. Those sparks have enough heat and energy to melt through the tank of a disposable lighter OR ignite the butane gas. After the first hit the gas leaks into the clothing and can be ignited there. With the proper timing this causes a small fire. The resulting injuries are first degree burns or if you´re really unlucky second degree burns. In the vicinity of the pant pockets this would be bad anyway.
The manufacturers warn that the disposable lighter should not be kept at temperatures above 60°C. That temperature is easily reached in a parked car on a hot summer day. So it´s no surprise that leaving it there is an accident waiting to happen.

Raspy, flint was the very reason I went to electronic lighters. I have had, over the years, several flint lighters where the flint degraded so badly that it actually turned to powder. I guess there are good and bad in all butanes. Just a matter of finding the right combination. But, based on all past experiences, from now on I am going with electronic Crickets. I have not had one to fail yet. Only thing I don't like about Crickets is that some of them do not have a flame adjustment lever on them.

Yep. I still love the much denigrated Zippo.

Why electric ignition??? Go with flint & spark wheel, it won't "die" without use, the flints almost always outlast the fuel, and you've still got a viable source of spark after the fuel's gone to fall back on in an emergency, not to mention, that a flint lighter is a lot easier to dry out and use after an accidental dunking than an electric ignition.

Troy

At Philmont Scout Ranch, in Cimarron, NM, the horse wranglers would check each scout to make sure there were no lighters or matches in their pockets. All that friction against the saddle resulted in one scout having a tragic experience many years back.

Yes. There is nothing as dangerous as a scout that is able to make a fire--unless it's one with a blade. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Regards, Vince

To get back to the original posting, I have put paper matches in water overnight and then tried to dry them out. More often than not, the match head actually dissolves away and you are left with nothing to dry out but perhaps a slight residue embedded in the match head. I doubt very much it would be possible to strike them again; I imagine it would be the same for wooden safety matches as well. The match head seems to undergo some sort of physical or chemical change and becomes very crumbly. If there's enough of it left, you might be able to ignite it with a spark or a magnifying glass, but I don't remember if I've ever tried that.

I read that the older strike-anywhere could be dried out and then struck on the original striker paper, or any rough surface. However, I don't know if the author of that book had ever done it himself. (A lot of early survival manuals were compiled by people who hadn't actually tried the techniques for themselves, I suspect.)

It would be simple enough to experiment with some matches - drop them in water for varying lengths of time (1 minute, 5 minutes, 1 hour, overnight) and see if you can dry them out and strike them successfully.

A solution you may want to consider is using a different brand of matches (ie: NATO or REI waterproof matches) or just keeping your current brand of matches dry (ie: a different match case or carry method)

It could be all you need.


* NATO / REI matches

* Match Cases