I thought they were made illegal in PA but last night while cruising our local grocery store, I just happened to look up and behold! Diamond Strike Anywhere Matches. Thy aren't the old reliable Ohio Blue Tips, but seem to be of good quality. Needless to say, I grabbed a three pack! My wife didn't really understand why I was so excited.... wonder why?

I remember reading recently (within the last year) that the blue tips went away because too many amateur bomb-makers, i.e. teenaged boys, were stuffing them into pipes and such in misguided efforts to follow vague and usually stupid/dangerous instructions for making same that they found on the web.

I heard the same thing. That was why I was surprised to see them in the store. Apparently the big thing was to stuff them into tennis balls. Gee, that seems like a dumb way to start a fire...

I did a little research on Ohio Blue Tips and it seems Diamond Brands bought them out and closed them down. There is only one other brand I have ever found recently in the USA, they are Penley brand with a West Paris, Maine address. The quality is better than the Diamonds although they are apparently made in China. They all look consistent in diameter and heads are all "full" instead of the Diamond inconsistent sticks and heads. I bought them in a little country store to light a BBQ after a cabin we rented was found to be without a stove. I actually also still have a big box of Ohio Blue Tips and unfortunately they are so old they will usually not light at all. Just a token reminder of my campng days as a youth:)

I recall a canadian brand also;either a bluebird or red cardinal on the logo-or was it a big canadian snow goose like my friends from Barrie that moved down here? Maybe our canadian members can report. <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Might that be a swan?? We had Swan brand here, a yellow box with a swan on it. But I do not remember where they were produced.

Burak

I think it's Redbird - I'll check when I get home, I have a big box of them. You can either buy a big box or you can buy a "six-pack" of smaller boxes, like the kind my dad always used to carry. Canadian Tire sells them in the Camping Section, and so does Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC). I've probably seen them in the local Safeway, for that matter. I've never had any trouble lighting them, unless it's obviously deformed (which happens but not very often). I've never heard any complaints about them. If you're up near the Canadian border, swing across and ask the Customs guy if there's a Canadian Tire nearby <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

For those who are interested in the Diamond brand of strike anywhere matches, they seem readily available. I usually get them at OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware). My wife thinks they are also available at local supermarkets.

John

I still have a box of Blue Tips that I guess I should ration since they are no longer available. Is there a way to properly store them for an extended period of time?

I would say in U.K.


Alain

Willie, You got me to thinking and I do not know of any way to really preserve the matches. They all seem to have a shelf life and over time go bad. After reading your post I took my box of Blue Tips out to the garage and tried to strike a few on the floor, none worked. I tried a few on the striker on the box and had 66% success. 2 out of 3 actually lit. These have to be 20 years old. They will not strike anywhere, so I never carry any Blue Tips in the wilderness, always use fresh matches! More importantly have more than one method of firemaking with you! I use a Swedish FireSteel, a Scripto lighter and an old Boy Scout matchsafe with some fresh Penley matches in it. Most fires get lit with the lighter! Cheers!

I'll start with an introduction since this is my first post. My name is Jack and 30+ years ago I was a US Marine. I've been interested in survival/preparednes issues ever since.
I really like the articles on this site and was very impressed with Mr. Ritter's "Why this is not a survivalist website" essay.
It's a shame that the term survivalist has taken on a negative conotation, but that's just a reality of language.

At any rate, I too have been looking for strike anywhere matches, which are still manufactured by Diamond Match.

None of my local stores have them, and I must confess I have not yet ordered any but I did find a website that sells them.
I hope this is os use to someone out there.
Jack
http://www.emergencyresources.com/er_p11.html

I was right, they're called "Redbird". I didn't see them in Safeway but Mountain Equipment Co-op had 10 boxes of 30 each for $1.25 (Canadian, of course).

Most camping stores in Calgary seem to carry them; I don't know about other places.

Seems like us US Citizens have to go north of the border to buy all of the products our government prohibits to protect ourselves. Obviously, you Canadian must be dying off by the thousands becasue of Strike Anywhere matches and lower priced prescription drugs. <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like we need to rotate stock on our matches in the PSK as well as the drugs. Thanks

C'est incrediblement!!!

Do you mean that the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia actually allows an ordinary and morally acceptable product** like Diamond's Strike Anywhere Matches to be freely and readily available for sale when they are prohibited or restricted in other states. I'm awestruck. Clearly the state government has somehow overlooked this matter.

** Note: This should not to be confused with those products generally deemed illicit or immoral elsewhere which may be found readily for sale in the PRK)

John

>>Seems like us US Citizens have to go north of the border to buy all of the products our government prohibits to protect ourselves. Obviously, you Canadian must be dying off by the thousands becasue of Strike Anywhere matches and lower priced prescription drugs.<<

Don't forget that the Canadians have no fresh water because of their silly insistance on keeping toilets that flush properly in one try... that's something else we can thank thank our government for protecting us from.

Of course, there may be a downside. I'm told that there's now a flourishing business in smuggling toilets across the border for people who don't want to pay a half-million to build a house where the toilets don't work. If it's a business, it's organized, and since it's illegal, that makes it "organized crime".

Having learned nothing from prohibition, it seems we're determined to create a Toilet Mafia...

I wonder if they have a manufacturing plant there, which would eliminate intrastate transportation regulations.

A quick internet search re Diamond Brand Matches has revealed only their Cloquet, Minnesota corporate address. Presumably, their manufacturing is done there.

They also list a help phone number: (800) 777 - 7942. Perhaps they may be of help to those who cannot locate strike anywhere matches.

Good luck,

John

Interesting little site. Did you notice the Strike-A-Fire firestarters? Here's their description,"Strike-A-Fire™ is an innovative new product from Diamond Brands which combines the convenience of a fire log with the fire starting ability of a match. Essentially, it's a 12-minute match!

Strike-A-Fire™ is a superior fire starter for lighting charcoal or wood fires in just one step requiring no fluid, lighters or kindling! It is made of non-toxic sawdust and wax - making it the safest, most natural way to start any fire.

Diamond Strike-A-Fire™ comes in retail packs of 8 or 48. Ask for it by name!"

Dang it Willie, too bad those won't fit in my old BSA match safe!! Looks like a useful product. I wonder what the shelf life is? Cheers!

I sent their customer service an email asking about shelf life and proper storage for matches. I would assume the fire starters would be similar. I'll post their answer when and if I get it.

I actually saw something like that on the Coghlan's web site some time ago, and went back today to find that product is marked "coming soon." Looks like they got beaten to the punch!

Willie,

I'm glad you noticed that product; I had overlooked it. It appears to be potentially very useful. Let us know what you hear re its shelf life. I have tried pieces of Duraflame logs. Although they make useful tinder, they have a more limited shelf life than I need.

John

FWIW, these on the shelves in S. Fla. Publix and Winn Dixie grocery stores (found them in the BBQ section by charcoal, long stick matches etc.)

Haven't tried them, but having looked over the package and read the blurbs, they seem OK. Too big for the venerable Altoids container, however they would be just right in BOB's.

Regards,
Comanche7

A little snip with a pair of wire cutters to bring them down to the proper length, bundle them with a rubber band and dip the burning end in wax or melt candle wax on them and it could work in your Altoids can. Should not be a problem to break them out of the wax one by one; an old Boy Scout trick to help keep them waterproof.

I recieved an email for UPS tracking for the matches I ordered from http://www.emergencyresources.com/er_p11.html .
They should arrive 11/25.
You have to order at least $10.00 worth.
Jack

I learned that in the Scouts many years ago too. Unfortunately, in practice, the matches really "go bad" quickly after being waxed. It may be because the wax seeps into the heads and renders them useless after a short time. I found that a clear lacquer works better, but I stopped doing that too. I carry SA matches in my old BSA match safe and a Swedish Firesteel, let it rain:) Cheers

FWIW, another source for the strike anywhere matches...currently visiting family in North Carolina, and was in a "Harris Teeter's" grocery store this morning, they have the SA matches (bundle of 3 boxes) for $2.50. Each box contains 250 pcs.

Same brand as referenced by JackM.

Comanche7

Also found them at Ralph's grocery stores here in S. Cal.
The three box package for the same price.
Found some of the smaller 1.5 inch versions as well.

The 1.5 " version of the strike anywhere matches, 32 per box, can also be found at REI.
However, the kitchen size matches at REI are only the strike-on-the-box version.
FWIW.

Today I purchased 2 multi packs of Strike Anywhere Matches at Galyans which just opened here. .99 for an 8 pack w 32 in each.

IzzyJG99:

It is illegal in Wisconsin to stuff black cats with firecrackers and make them go off.

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

There was a UK brand called Swan Vestas, but I've not seem them recently. England's Glory are another UK brand of strike-anywhere matches which are still available. (I have found them better than some brands of emergency match.)

Swan Vestas are fantastic matches. The only place I have been able to find them in the US though has been in tobacco shops and they are usually really expensive. Yet most tobacco shops here look at me like an alien when I ask about tobacco tins.

Of course, it could be my giant head and antennae. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

In California strike anywhere’s are in almost every supermarket and corner store. I dip there in hot wax to keep them water resistant any improve their shelf life.

I think it's a county-by-county thing or something like that, because that's all I can get around here (Bucks County).
I think the fact that they make for a heck of a cool improvised incindeary device makes them illegal in some places.

I recall reading about prisoners who were scheduled for execution by their countries and the ways they cheated the society that condemned them by committing suicide.

One of the individuals who knew what kind of plastic playing cards were coated with, stripped playing cards of the plastic and crammed the plastic into a pipe he scavenged from his bed. After filling the pipe (I have no clue as to how many decks he had to strip.), he beat both ends of the pipe shut and held the pipe over a flame source, which I believe was a single small cooktop in his cell (Must have been somewhere in Europe) until the pipe exploded and killed him.

There are powerful components in everyday items if you know what to look for.

Bountyhunter

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS IS A VERY OLD THREAD.

I thought it worth reviving this ancient thread regarding strike anywhere matches.
These have now become almost unobtainable in the UK and elsewhere.
Some reports suggest that these matches are now illegal, others state that they are not actually prohibited but are regarded as hazardous materials and therefore prohibitively costly to transport.

In the UK "Swan Vestas" were the most popular brand of strike anywhere matches and very popular. Whilst the swan vestas brand still exists, current production is safety matches that strike only on the box.

At least one UK fleabay seller still offers the original strike anywhere swan vestas, these are stated to be old stock and no longer manufactured.

THIS IS A VERY OLD THREAD AND PREVIOUS POSTINGS MAY HAVE BEEN OVERTAKEN BY EVENTS.

Might be easier to list whats not illegal in the UK :P

In the USA I still find boxes of kitchen size strike anywhere at Cabelas.

In Germany they are available via mail order from Amazon for around 15 to 20€ per 1000 matches including shipping.

Strike anywhere matches are so 20th century! I typically use a Bic rather than matches. I do carry matches, either in their box or with the striking surface from the box. Very fancy match cases have striking surfaces which will spark matches.

For all of that, I have lit many critical fires with matches. They do get the job done.

Paper matches are more reliable than the green tips etc now that the formula for strike anywhere matches has been changed.

Bic lighters leak and fail once in a while. Seems backups are needed for any method of fire starting.

I like paper matches for most things since you can light them and toss them a short ways at white gas stoves, BBQ starter fluid etc.

Bic's and/or Ferro Rods with tinder make good backups to the paper matches.

When I was a kid, my mom would wrap our sandwich in waxed paper for hunting trips. The waxed paper made a great starter for a lunchtime warming fire. We had a long white cotton sack for the sandwich and an apple, which we tied to the back of our belt for carrying. At the time we didn't worry about wearing a "White Tail" when looking for deer. Now I have a blaze orange pack and nothing white. Don't know how I survived a day in the woods without a pack full of gear when I was 14.

My bare minimum bag contains matches in a waterproof capsule, a Bic lighter in a protective case, a ferro rod, and a Mora Light my fire knife with an integral ferro rod. The knife once worked capably for a week, lighting a gas stove when the lighter croaked.

I believe in redundancy when it comes to lighting a fire.

Do you have a link? I looked on their website and came up goose eggs.

Are the genuine articles still produced anywhere?

You can find the Green Tip most any grocery etc. However they are basically safety matches and won't strike on your pants, zipper, teeth, axe, even sandpaper, etc like the original formulations. and about 2 out of 3 won't even light on the box. I usually strike three 3 at a time to get a light.

I've found them at the checkout line, and its sometimes random if they will have the strike anywhere or strike on box only, so when I see them I grab some.

I wonder if issues with shipping or that they are only like $1.50 makes them not worth listing on the web site.

Believe the EU effectively banned strike anywhere matches. Didn't like the white phosphorus.

Still made in Canada - Redbird Strike Anywhere. Redbird

Interesting thought, while we still have strike anywhere matches here, we can't buy firecrackers but its opposite in the US.
Gun suppressors (silencers) are available in Britain and the US but not in Canada.
Strange, eh?

Yeah, sometimes there's no immediately obvious logic in the different laws in different jurisdictions. Though it's interesting to trace the why's and wherefore's, for those who are inclined.

Across the line in Alberta, fireworks are readily available. Although municipalities regulate their sale and restrict their use, which is correct because a forest fire can cause millions (or hundreds of millions) in damage.

I recently came across antique strike anywhere matches when cleaning out a house. They are huge, and kept dry they appear to age quite well. I have had no such luck with Redbirds: they are half the size, and the tips turn to mush with any hint of moisture. If I were to carry them, I would always have a "safety match" striker stip in the box, wrapped in plastic.

In general, the matches readily available these days seems to be inferior to those obtainable in the past. The matches I carry now are of a souped up variety,something like:

https://www.rei.com/product/106184/uco-stormproof-match-kit

On overnight trips, I usually carry a lightweight canister stove - very easy to ignite with a sparker or ferro rod.

Matches of decent quality are essential. I have lit a fair number of critical, "must have" fires with them.

Yep, the current crop of matches seem to be designed for something other than reliability and performance. That said, I can light most matches with my lighter and then use the match to reach places the lighter’s flame won’t go.
Signed,
Agwcmtowomf (another-guy-who-carries-more-than-one-way-of-making-fire)

I made this video a few months ago about Stike Anywhere Matches, figure it might be of some interest

[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/W0dgv5aLPOQ[/video]

In Canada they have become quite common again, most common are Redbird made in Chile or UCO out of the US but made in Chile as well.

Why bother with marginal commercial strike anywhere matches when there are so many alternatives available?

Or perhaps the issue might be better framed as "What are the most reliable, fool proof means of starting a fire?" This could lead to considerable experimentation, given constraints on weight and bulk,as well as considering different conditions - windy vs calm, cold vs warm, wet vs dry, presence of daylight, etc.

I have a lot of matches, almost all UCO Stormproof. Yes, they're relatively expensive at least compared to strike-anywhere matches (when they can be found in the US, which is almost never it seems). It's still a minor expense IMO. A box of UCO Stormproof matches is around $3 for 25 matches, not all that bad. Usually I use a firesteel or a BIC with the matches being a backup. And it's a rare situation when it requires more than one or two of them, so a box lasts quite a while.