Long strike any where matches in UK?

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
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Rossendale, Lancashire
Just received a care package from a pal in the US and in it was two brass K & M match safes, one slightly longer than the other.

I'm now looking for long strike anywhere matches to put in them. The only long matches I could find in the local shops were all safety jobs which I'd much rather not use. Could anyone name a brand I should be looking for in the UK?

ATB

Tom
 

tomtom

Full Member
Dec 9, 2003
4,283
5
38
Sunny South Devon
To the best of my knowledge, and I have looked, you can't get American type strike anywhere matched in the UK due to various regulations. I don't know how swans get around it but they seem the be the only ones.

If you find them, I would be interested to know where.

:)
TT
 

g4ghb

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 21, 2005
4,323
247
55
Wiltshire
There used to be 'blue headed' strike anywhere matches but I can't for the life of me remember who made them and I haven't seen them for ages! :(
 

bushwacker bob

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 22, 2003
3,824
17
STRANGEUS PLACEUS
Or in Scotland you can buy 'Bluebell' brand matches which are long,have blue heads and are strike anywhere. Never found the same brand south of the border tho'.
 

atraildreamer

Member
May 10, 2006
33
1
75
Providence, RI, USA
There used to be 'blue headed' strike anywhere matches but I can't for the life of me remember who made them and I haven't seen them for ages! :(

They were called "Ohio Blue Tip" strike anywhere matches. I used to dip the heads in candle wax to waterproof them and make them burn longer. I can't find them over here in the states. Seems that too many idiots were putting them in their pockets and setting them off.:yikes: Since no one here wants to take responsibility for their stupid moves,:censored: the lawyers and liability issues drove them off the market.:nono: I can only find the type that strike on the box. Most of the backpacking types over here use the Bic Mini cigarette lighter.
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
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Rossendale, Lancashire
Cheers!
after much shifting of boxes (we've only been here 3 years you don't expect me to have unpacked yet do you?! ;-{D) I found a old box of Cooks Matches, which are 2" long. When I next pass a Saisburys I'll stock up on them.

The shorter K&M could take matches 2 3/8" long and the longer one 2 7/8" so in a ideal world I'd like them that long at least. Cutting them down to fit would be no problem as the kids are into match modelling so have those neat little match cutters and love anything vaguely bushy!

http://www.kmmatchcase.com/index.html

Thanks!

ATB

Tom
 

traderran

Settler
May 6, 2007
571
0
74
TEXAS USA
To the best of my knowledge, and I have looked, you can't get American type strike anywhere matched in the UK due to various regulations. I don't know how swans get around it but they seem the be the only ones.

If you find them, I would be interested to know where.

:)
TT

If you can not find them. send me a PM And I will send you some. My treat:cool:
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
55
Rossendale, Lancashire
I also fancied getting some of the loooong REI Stormproof matches so I tracked down (OK, stumbled on) the manufacturer out in India to see if they exported the same items to anyone in the UK.

http://www.rajexim.net/safety-matches.html

They don't, nearest country they do is Spain, although they did kindly offer to ship a container load...

Is anyone au fait with the restrictions on posting such items from overseas? I'm pretty sure air is completely a non starter but is there any secure packaged shipped-in-a-lead-dustbin way of getting them surface?

ATB

Tom
 

g4ghb

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 21, 2005
4,323
247
55
Wiltshire
Or in Scotland you can buy 'Bluebell' brand matches which are long,have blue heads and are strike anywhere. Never found the same brand south of the border tho'.

Bluebell - that rings a bell :rolleyes: - Reccon they used to distrubute to darkest Wiltshire at some point in the 80's then :D
 

TheGreenMan

Native
Feb 17, 2006
1,000
8
beyond the pale

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
55
Rossendale, Lancashire
3 excellent links! Thanks :-{D)

Herself has bid on the matches and if I wasn't such a coward I'd have a go at making some of the ones as described in the second one.

ATB

Tom

PS, visited the local pound shop and found a couple of boxes of safety matches for lighting barbeques 11 inches long so untill I get something with a little bit more umph I've chopped 15 down to fit (2 7/8th") and stuck a disk of the stiking board onto the inside of the cap with carpet tape.

Incidentally for striking proper matches on, skateboard grip tape is wonderful stuff, I've had some on a couple of match cases for about 20 years and its still going strong. They used to sell it by the foot but I scrounged a piece off a mate.

I know where theres a couple of real tobacconists so I'll see what they have match wise

http://www.foylemarketing.co.uk/bbq-and-cigar-matches.htm

Cigar matches look promising.
 

TheGreenMan

Native
Feb 17, 2006
1,000
8
beyond the pale
3 excellent links! Thanks :-{D)

Herself has bid on the matches....

I was tempted myself, but as I'm only a Space Cadet, I didn't think I was qualified to bid on Cosmonaut kit.

Hope you got them, by the way :)

...PS, visited the local pound shop and found a couple of boxes of safety matches for lighting barbeques 11 inches long so untill I get something with a little bit more umph I've chopped 15 down to fit (2 7/8th") and stuck a disk of the stiking board onto the inside of the cap with carpet tape.

Incidentally for striking proper matches on, skateboard grip tape is wonderful stuff, I've had some on a couple of match cases for about 20 years and its still going strong. They used to sell it by the foot but I scrounged a piece off a mate.

I know where theres a couple of real tobacconists so I'll see what they have match wise

http://www.foylemarketing.co.uk/bbq-and-cigar-matches.htm

Cigar matches look promising.

Spoken like a man possesed. Excellent! Blummin' nice tip about the skateboard grip tape, too.:cool:

Cheers, Tom,
Paul.
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
55
Rossendale, Lancashire
Cheers! herself won them for the 99p start price, although what with ferrying the lads to the centenary scout camps and my obsessively making a KeilKraft Soarer-baby into the early hours of the morning we have't actually paid for them yet.

Some where I have the rest of the piece of grip tape I've dragged around for the last 20 years. I also used it on a little thumb dagger I got from SASS, just a piece on the thumb side of the handle and it greatly improved the grip on that, not that I've carried that for a loooong time despite it being very handy for small jobs.

Back to making the wings now...


ATB

Tom
 

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