What Surfaces Can You Strike a Match on

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When information technology comes to starting a fire, matches are one of the oldest and well-nigh reliable options around. Matches use the heat created from rubbing against a rough striking surface to ignite a pocket-size corporeality of flammable fuel. While matches are generally an piece of cake, prophylactic way to start fires, knowing a few dissimilar means to calorie-free them tin can be a helpful skill if yous're ever stuck with an unfamiliar type of matches. Once you principal the basics of lighting matches, you can fifty-fifty learn how to strike them on many unlike surfaces as a useful pull a fast one on!

If you already know how to lite matches unremarkably and want to learn a few fun lighting tricks, click here.

Wooden Matches

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   Grasp the match firmly at its midpoint. Use your your arrow (alphabetize) finger and your thumb to concur the match about halfway down the wooden stick. Y'all tin gently wrap your other fingers around the base of the stick for support if needed.

   • If this is the commencement fourth dimension yous've e'er tried to low-cal a match, stick with wooden "strike on box" matches for now — these are generally the easiest to low-cal for beginners. Once you lot go confident with these, you can motion onto paper matches and "strike anywhere" matches.

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   Press the match head into the striker. Wait for a crude red or brown strip on the side of the box. This is called the "striker." Hold the box in the hand you're not using to concord the match and press the match caput (the round, colored function at the end) into the striker without moving it to either side even so.

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   Quickly drag the match head along the striker. Without letting up the pressure, rapidly slide the match head from one end of the striker to the other. This movement should be quite quick and hard. Information technology's almost as if you're trying to rub the match head material off in a single rough motility. If you do this right, the match head will immediately catch fire, then don't be alarmed when this happens!

   • The exact amount of force per unit area you'll need to calorie-free the match here volition vary from match to friction match and striker to striker. There's a "happy medium" between pressing so hard that the match breaks and pressing so gently that the match doesn't light. Within a few tries, you should go the hang of it.

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   If needed, try again. Matches don't always light on the kickoff attempt. Don't worry if you don't get a flame immediately: simply repeat the striking motion again until you lot get a result. You may want to use a fiddling extra pressure if you're worried that yous were too gentle the first time.

   • After a few unsuccessful attempts, the flammable material in the match head (usually a mixture of potassium chloride and ruby phosphorus) volition rub off.^[1] If this happens, attempt striking with the other side of the match head.

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   Concur the lit match away from the matchbook. Y'all volition know equally presently as you light your match successfully. Information technology will fume and burst into flame nigh instantly. At this indicate, grip the match near its base to protect your fingers from the flame and use the match to practice whatever you lot need to do. Fix the matchbook bated somewhere safe and so that you don't accidentally catch it on fire. Congratulations — yous've just lit your first match!

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Paper Matches

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   Tear a single match from the booklet. Paper matches virtually e'er come in small cardboard fold-over "book" — slip the flat piece of cardboard up to reveal a scattering of pocket-size paper matches joined to the booklet at their bases. To become a match ready to light, grab one of the matches, fold it and then it points away from the others, and tear it out at its base.

   • Paper matches are a picayune harder to lite than wooden matches, just with a trivial practise, they're hands mastered. Don't worry if y'all have to attempt the tricks in this department several times until y'all find a method that'due south right for you.

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   Concord the match apartment against the striker. There are a few different ways to lite newspaper matches, but the easiest is a little different than the mode you'd low-cal a wooden lucifer. Start by laying the friction match down over the striker (which is usually a small colored strip on the back of the matchbook). The caput of the match should exist in about the eye of the striker and the base of the match should stick out a little past the border of the booklet.

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   Fold the paper flap over to cover the lucifer. Without moving the match, bend the "cover" of the matchbook backward and fold it over the lucifer. You lot should only exist able to see the base of the matchstick poking out of the side of the matchbook. Experience for the round match head underneath the paper-thin. Take hold of the matchbook here, putting gentle force per unit area on the match head through the cardboard with your thumb.

   • Endeavour to keep the match head well-covered by the cardboard cover. If the edge of the match caput is exposed when you strike the friction match, you can fire your thumb.

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   Squeeze and pull! Grab the base of the match that is sticking out of the folded matchbook with your ascendant paw. Utilise your other hand to hold the booklet, pressing down on the match head. In one quick movement, squeeze down on the match caput equally you pull the lucifer out of the booklet to the side. If done correctly, the friction between the striker and the lucifer caput should ignite the friction match head as yous yank it out.

   • As with wooden matches, the match tin can sometimes neglect to lite even if yous do everything. Exist ready to effort repeating the steps above a few times. If you don't go any results, flip the match over to expose the other side of the match head to the striker.
   • Be careful — if you lot squeeze the matchbook too hard, yous can tear off the match caput when y'all try to light the match. This wastes the friction match, and so endeavor to avoid information technology if you're running depression.

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   Alternatively, effort lighting the match without folding the volume. You lot can also lite a paper match without squeezing it between the matchbook cover and the striker. This is a little trickier for beginners because it's easier to burn your fingers this way, but it is slightly quicker. To try this method, use these steps:

   • Hold the match in your dominant hand right with your thumb and middle finger. Put your index finger backside the match head. Hold the matchbook in your not-dominant manus.
   • Press downwardly with your alphabetize finger and elevate the match beyond the striker strip in a single quick motion — roughly similar how y'all'd light a wooden match.
   • As soon every bit you observe the match lite, move your index finger away from the flame or transfer the match to your other hand. Y'all have to practise this quick to avert burning yourself.

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   For best results, use "strike anywhere" matches for these tricks. You lot don't have to use the included striker to light most matches — as long as you lot build up enough friction to heat up the match head, you lot tin can strike many matches almost anywhere that's dry. However, this is commonly easiest if you use strike anywhere matches. As their name suggests, these matches are designed to low-cal well on various surfaces.

   • Strike anywhere matches are commonly wood matches identified as such on the packaging. They are not especially expensive: a 250-lucifer box may cost equally little as $ii.^[2]
   • Strike anywhere matches just work on dry surfaces.

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   Try striking on a rock. This trick is a must for campers, hikers, and anyone else who might want to improve their wilderness survival skills. For best results, you'll want to find a apartment dry out rock with a slightly "crude" or annoying surface. The texture should be like to sidewalk concrete. As noted above, the rock also must be dry. If y'all can't find a dry out rock, find a suitable wet stone, wipe it on your clothing, and carry it in your pocket for a few hours or set it somewhere dry.

   • Hold the match between your center finger and thumb and use your index finger to press the caput into the rock. This is the same technique you'd use to light a paper match without folding the cover over. The rougher the rock's surface is, the lighter you'll want to press to hit the friction "sugariness spot" for lighting a flame.

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   Try striking on rough building materials. If you're still in civilisation but stuck without access to a lucifer striker, y'all can usually use the materials around you in a pinch. Just strike the match the same way you would if you lot were using a normal striker or a rock, using less pressure level for rougher materials. For this to piece of work, however, the material y'all use must be completely dry. Just a few possibilities for materials to use include:

   • Concrete
   • Grout (between tiles, etc.)
   • Brick
   • Ceramic
   • Keep in listen that hitting matches can go out small marks on whatever material you're using, so yous may non want to practice it on other people'southward possessions.

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   Sandpaper. This play a joke on is handy when you're caught without a matchbook in the garage or workshop. Very fine finishing sand papers work best for this — rougher Sandpaper can rub the match head off without lighting it. Just lay a small patch of the sandpaper on a flat surface, and so press the lucifer head into information technology and elevate it across just similar you'd employ a normal striker.

   • Never light matches around dry wood shavings (which are common in many places sandpaper tin can be plant). This highly flammable material tin easily outset fires.

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   Try cautiously hit on your zipper. This is great as a party trick, just it's something yous'll want to attempt carefully to avert pain yourself or others. Open the front fold of your pants to expose the zipper. Use ane mitt to stretch the material of your pants so that the zipper is every bit straight and flat as possible. Hold the match in your other mitt, press it into the top of your zipper, and strike downward with light pressure level. This can be very tricky to get right, so don't be surprised if information technology takes many tries.

   • Always strike downwardly towards the floor, not upwards towards your body. This way, if y'all lose control of the match, it will fall to the floor, rather than flying into your shirt.
   • Only attempt this if yous are wearing pants fabricated from a sturdy, thick textile similar denim that is unlikely to grab fire. Practice not endeavor this when you are wearing shorts or open-toed shoes.

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   Attempt hit on a window. Believe it or not, even perfectly-smooth glass windows tin lite matches. You demand to use a expert amount of pressure for this method, so endeavour putting your alphabetize finger right backside the match head and then you can squeeze it into the surface of the glass with a piddling extra force. Press the match head into the drinking glass, so describe it rapidly downwardly in a single quick motility, keeping strong pressure behind it. Motion your index finger away from the lucifer head as soon as information technology lights to keep from called-for yourself.

   • This can leave streaks on the window, so you may not want to do this on a window where people are likely to notice information technology. Even so, the streaks can usually be washed off without issues.

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   For an extreme claiming, try striking on your teeth. This fob is sure to become the attention of people around yous, simply just endeavour information technology if you're willing to protect yourself and others with enough of common sense. First, get the fronts of your teeth as dry as possible with a make clean rag or paper towel. Then, property the tip of the match head against your teeth, whip it across them while applying business firm pressure. Concur the friction match away from your oral fissure immediately, even if you don't call up you've lit it successfully. Wash your mouth out with water when you're done.

   • Another variation on this trick involves holding the match backside your front two teeth and pulling it downward and out.
   • It should go without saying, but this trick requires lots of caution to pull off safely. It is very possible that you may fire your oral fissure and lips with this fox. Repeated attempts are not recommended, equally the furnishings of the chemicals in match heads on the teeth are not well known.

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   Agree the match at a slight downwards bending to keep the flame called-for. As a full general rule, fire burns all-time when information technology can travel uphill.^[three] This is truthful fifty-fifty on a very small-scale scale. Holding a lit match so that it points very slightly towards the flooring will give it a gentle uphill path to travel every bit information technology consumes the matchstick.

   • This keeps the flame burning bright without having it travel towards your fingers too fast. Y'all tin always adjust the bending of the match upward to wearisome down the flame if you need more time.

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   Hold the friction match at a very low angle to get a large flame. If you want to get a big flame on your match as quickly every bit possible, try dipping the matchstick downward for just a second or two. The flame should travel up the stick fairly quickly, giving yous a larger flame. Nonetheless, this flame volition also exist hotter and closer to your fingers, so exist very careful with it.

   • Endeavor to avoid pointing the matchstick directly downward. This will make the flame leap upward the stick toward your fingers and is a slap-up manner to get burnt.

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   Concur the lucifer directly up for a small flame that fades. Holding the matchstick upwardly will make information technology hard for it to consume the fuel in the matchstick. The flame will shrink and burn more than slowly. Over fourth dimension, information technology will either travel gradually downward toward your fingers or go out on its own.

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   Exist aware of the air current. Be careful for breezes if you are lighting your match outdoors. These can blow your lucifer out after information technology's lit, wasting your friction match. You lot may desire to move to a place with no breeze or wait for the current of air to die down earlier you attempt to light the match.

   • If you accept to light a match in the air current, a skillful play a joke on is to shield the flame by putting your body and hands between it and the wind.^[4]

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Add together New Question

• Question

  What type of sandpaper practise I use?

  

  William Jose

  Community Answer

  You tin utilise well-nigh whatsoever sandpaper if washed correctly, then more pressure for a finer sandpaper and less for a more coarse paper. I personally detect it easier on a medium grit, so mayhap about an 80 grit or even slightly higher or lower.

• Question

  How tin can I light a stick with no materials?

  

  Lightly wrap your strand of hair around the match and pull the lucifer down. This will crusade enough friction to light the match.

• Question

  Did men used to strike their stick matches on denim bib overalls to light them?

  

  Yeah, they did. Because former matches used to be fabricated with carmine and white phosphorus, you could strike them on your teeth, fingernails, or a pair of denim overalls pulled tight to your leg.

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VideoRead Video Transcript

• When using fireplace matches (which look like extra-long wooden matches), put your fingers about half an inch from the head so you don't break the stick when you strike the match.

• After the burn down goes out, the smoke of the lucifer tin can be ignited again.

• In addition to all the tricks above, y'all tin also light any match but by holding the lucifer head over an open up flame, like a stove burner, a bivouac, or even a flame from another friction match.

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• Never, e'er light matches around flammable materials like fuel, kindling, chemical solvents, and so on.

• Matches are still quite hot after you blow them out. Subsequently using a friction match, run it nether water to be certain that it volition not light anything else on fire in the garbage.

• Always strike abroad from your body or in a downwards position.^[5] You don't want to accidentally hold a lit lucifer close to your body.

• E'er exist enlightened of your environs when lighting a match. Don't low-cal them almost children, pets, or anything else that may be vulnerable to an open flame.

• Do not let children handle or play with matches.

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Article Summary Ten

To light a lucifer, first grip the middle of the friction match between your thumb and alphabetize finger. Then, printing the caput of the lucifer confronting the striker on the matchbox. Finally, quickly drag the lucifer head across the striker to light the lucifer. If you don't have a matchbox, elevate the friction match head beyond another rough surface, similar a rock, a brick, a piece of ceramic, or a sheet of sandpaper. For help lighting newspaper booklet matches, or communication on how to concord a lit matchstick, read on!

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Light-a-Match

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