Hit-anywhere matches ignite when struck against various surfaces, but work best on rough, dry ones. The first matches were sulfur-coated sticks in China and flammable string in Europe. Safety matches were developed in the 1840s, and less volatile versions followed. Storm matches light in damp or windy conditions and are useful for camping and emergencies.
Hit-anywhere matches are matches designed to ignite when struck against a wide variety of surfaces. As anyone who has experienced these matches knows, the name is a bit of a misnomer; they work best when hit against rough, dry surfaces and don’t literally ignite when hit against something. Because they are easy to ignite, however, they can be somewhat dangerous and are limited in some regions by concern about spontaneous ignition or careless handling.
The first matches appear to have emerged in China, where people coated sticks with sulfur for the purpose of making fire starters. In Europe, pieces of string soaked in flammable material were known as matches; these were designed to light cannons and pistols, and such devices are now known as “fuses”. The modern friction match was invented in 1827 by John Walker, a British chemist, who realized that a mixture of certain chemicals would ignite if struck against a surface. He came up with the idea of dipping a piece of wood into the mixture to create a self-contained lighting fixture.
These early versions were hit-anywhere matches, meaning they would catch fire when struck against a variety of things. Indeed, they were somewhat volatile and sometimes ignited spontaneously, leading to the development of safety matches in the 1840s. Safety matches have flammable materials but no chemicals to ignite them; to get them to ignite, people have to bump them against a specially designed surface which will create a spark.
After the invention of safety matches, ones that could be struck on almost anything became less common, even though there were still many uses for them. In the late 1800s, chemists developed a less volatile version, using a form of phosphorus that wasn’t poisonous or explosive. Today, several companies still strike out matches everywhere for consumers who prefer convenience.
Some matches are specially treated so that they light when damp or in strong winds. These are known as storm matches and can be particularly useful. Many camping supply stores sell storm breaker matches and they are stocked in emergency kits in lifeboats and other survival kits. They tend to be more expensive than other types of matches, but their versatility can be worth the cost.
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