Matches

I think Swan still have proper matches, but they are a bit short for lighting fires I suppose.

I always used Swan matches, could strike on the wall if you had to. I bought them in the local paper shop but finally gave in and bought a long Bic gas lighter. After twenty years of lighting my fire from the bottom, I saw a YouTube video where someone lit it from the top - it took much faster.

Our local Tesco sell them both Swan and Bryant & May.

i have a cigarette lighter in the form of a luger pistol with silencer attached.
i'm sure you can get other styles of things that produce a spark.

Supermarkets sell long matches.

Definitely go for a long gas lighter, they are refillable and so much more convenient!

We have a wood burner and always buy the long ‘Cook’s Matches’ from Sainsbury’s .

I've just found out, the UK haven't manufactured 'strike anywhere' matches since 2018 (EU ruling). All Swan matches are 'safety' matches now.
Also the long 'cook's' type.

Well that shows how long I must have had my box of swan!

ha ha same here Ilovecheese, still have some left too!

Use a gas lighter, long one like ovens used to have, we use them to light the bbq.

Don’t buy Aldi matches. I thought I’d save a few pennies but they can break off at the end and bits of flame go shooting through the air to land who knows where? ? ?

It was back to brand names for me.

It seems (from Google) that original matches that strike anywhere - side of the chimney, stone, concrete, sandpaper - contain phosphorus (?) in the red tip. Modern matches (safety) have it in the strike paper on the side of the box.
The old strike anywhere type could, and did, self ignite in transport by the friction of the tips ribbing together just through movement.
You live and learn.
I'm going to have to learn how to light newspaper and sticks with a cigarette lighter.

DFiL once had non-safety matches explode in his pocket when gardening.