Making fire.

[Hutch]

Fellow members, I have had no luck whatever in getting a quality product for lighting grills, outdoor cooking appliances, fireplaces, etc.  My favorite has been what my kids (now grown) called the "magic match", a common butane light with a long nozzle for sticking the flame in where you want it.  I have bought no fewer than a dozen over the last coupla years, and fully 1/3 have been DOA.  The others have generally lasted for fewer than 20 - 30 lights.  I am confident that gas is exiting the spout, as I can light them with another flame, but what's the point of that?  I then decided to go seek out a 19th century solution, the good ol' wooden barn-burner kitchen matches.  Y'all remember them?  The "strike anywhere" match?  Wellsir, it doesn't appear that they are common in the marketplace any more.  Even the old Diamond boxes of matches are now "strike on box".  Two questions ensue:

1)  Does anyone know of a quality butane "long" lighter?  If it could be refilled, that'd be a plus, but even one that the igniter lasted as long as the butane would be a huge improvement.

2)  Have the "strke anywhere" matches gone the way of the passenger pigeon?  If not, where can they be obtained?

Thanks, and Merry Christmas.

[Viking]

http://store.everestgear.com/eqdia101.html
Are these what you're looking for?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-TS3000T-Quickfire-Self-Igniting-Torch/dp/B00008ZA0B%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJASE6HSSVXTNREYQ%26tag%3Dsmtfx1-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00008ZA0B

a lil over kill   but i like it

[vaskidmark]

http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-TS3000T-Quickfire-Self-Igniting-Torch/dp/B00008ZA0B%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJASE6HSSVXTNREYQ%26tag%3Dsmtfx1-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00008ZA0B

a lil over kill   but i like it

What do you mean, "overkill"?  It's still suborbital, aint it?  About the only thing more guaranteed to do the job is a MAPP-gas burner.  Want to ask me how I learned you cannot use the same burner assembly with MAPP gas as with propane?   Didn't think you did .

There's always http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/chimney.html or http://www.firepit-and-grilling-guru.com/charcoal-chimney.html which is pretty much idiot-proof providing you remember to add the charcoal on top of the paper.

As for your fireplace woes, this http://www.firepit-and-grilling-guru.com/firewood.html will lead you to this http://www.firepit-and-grilling-guru.com/fire-starter.html which should get you going without having resorted to refined hydrocarbon molitov cocktails being hurled towards the mantle.

stay safe.

skidmark

[Hutch]

Well, duh... "Strike Anywhere Matches" for a search argument in Ebay pulls up a useful amount of information.  The propane kit in the amazon ref looks like it might not fit in the grill pilot hole...  If the butane magic matches would just be reliable, that'd by my choice.

[bedlamite]

Works every time.

[Standing Wolf]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: dynamite.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

I've found Ronson lighters to be perfect for all my arson-committing needs.

[280plus]

Nuke it from orbit.

Actually I find a lot of times the reason those long reach lighters don't light is the speed at which you pull the "trigger". I believe slowly is best. Mrs 280 found one that looked like a dbl bbl SG and made a double flame that was really cool but I wore it out after a couple years and now it won't spark reliably. 

[sanglant]

start with about 1.2 to 2 cubic inches of this stuff buy or build one of these put the fire starter stuff in the bottom of the chimney starter, and light it(make sure it's on something fire proof[a patio square works good{a stack if you don't like bending over}]). then add charcoal a little more than you think to start with, some burns off while it's lighting. put it in whatever you were trying to light, if you want a fire instead of coals stack your firewood on top of the charcoal and, if your using briquettes you owe it to your self to try lump oh and if the handle gets loose, go ahead and replace it. it ain't worth burning your house down over.
if you have a propane stove, i use the one on my smoker. you can just fill the chimney starter and lay it on the burning camp stove.

if you have to have a lighter, i am still looking for the link, i'll find it at some point

oh and heat is killing your stick lighters, there not meant to be on that long

edit: deleted a line i thought i had deleted

[KD5NRH]

Or, if you don't want to spend that much,

[RoadKingLarry]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: dynamite.

There are very few problems that cannot be solved with the appropriate application of high explosives.

[jackdanson]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: dynamite.

He's looking for fire, not explosions.

I have an idea involving iron-oxide and aluminum though.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite

[stevelyn]

Fellow members, I have had no luck whatever in getting a quality product for lighting grills, outdoor cooking appliances, fireplaces, etc.

You don't have much of a future as a pyro do you? 

http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-TS3000T-Quickfire-Self-Igniting-Torch/dp/B00008ZA0B%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJASE6HSSVXTNREYQ%26tag%3Dsmtfx1-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00008ZA0B

a lil over kill   but i like it

That's what I always use whether lighting a woodstove, the sauna or smokehouse. A little bulky to be carrying around in a pack though, so fire starting skills are still a must.

[grampster]

C4 and a common match will start a nice fire, easily.

[Marnoot]

I have one of these lighters, it's worked well for me:

http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-019585-Flex-Stem-Lighter/dp/B002ZHESJK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1261876748&sr=8-2-spell

[zahc]

strike anywhere matches are indeed dead technology. I have searched far and wide, I have posted on cigar forums and so on trying to find strike-anywhere matches of years past that actually work. I remember lighting matches on my teeth, pants, or with the flick of a fingernail. The only strike-anywhere matches available in the US are Diamonds and they are so neutered as to be worthless. You can indeed strike them anywhere, but they are not likely to light anywhere either.

[280plus]

yea, I had the thumbnail down. We used to use our zippers too. Nowadays, if you carry a small survival kit in you pack, you have to include a piece of striker in your waterproof matchcase. 

[AmbulanceDriver]

Nuke it from orbit.

Actually I find a lot of times the reason those long reach lighters don't light is the speed at which you pull the "trigger". I believe slowly is best. Mrs 280 found one that looked like a dbl bbl SG and made a double flame that was really cool but I wore it out after a couple years and now it won't spark reliably. 

*hehehee* my wife found me one of those too.  Sadly, it only fires about half the time now...  :)

[Perd Hapley]

strike anywhere matches are indeed dead technology. I have searched far and wide, I have posted on cigar forums and so on trying to find strike-anywhere matches of years past that actually work. I remember lighting matches on my teeth, pants, or with the flick of a fingernail. The only strike-anywhere matches available in the US are Diamonds and they are so neutered as to be worthless. You can indeed strike them anywhere, but they are not likely to light anywhere either.

It is with sadness that I concur.  In my childhood, they used to light against the rusty side of the 55-gallon drum in which I burned the family trash.   

[Hutch]

Hah!

I have one of these lighters, it's worked well for me:

http://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-019585-Flex-Stem-Lighter/dp/B002ZHESJK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1261876748&sr=8-2-spell

Hah! Again!

strike anywhere matches are indeed dead technology. I have searched far and wide, I have posted on cigar forums and so on trying to find strike-anywhere matches of years past that actually work. I remember lighting matches on my teeth, pants, or with the flick of a fingernail. The only strike-anywhere matches available in the US are Diamonds and they are so neutered as to be worthless. You can indeed strike them anywhere, but they are not likely to light anywhere either.

This is the quality information I was looking for.  You guys so towtally RAWK!!!

[Sergeant Bob]

He's looking for fire, not explosions.

I have an idea involving iron-oxide and aluminum though.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite

An explosion is a fire. It just burns really, really fast.

[sanglant]

don't tell the atf that, we'll have to build bunkers to store our smoke wood

[CNYCacher]

I remember dropping strike-anywhere matches into the barrel of my BB gun and firing them out at hard surfaces (no bb behind it)  they would make a nice pop like a firecracker when they hit.

[Sergeant Bob]

I remember dropping strike-anywhere matches into the barrel of my BB gun and firing them out at hard surfaces (no bb behind it)  they would make a nice pop like a firecracker when they hit.

Or, cut a small hole in a tennis ball and stuff it full of just the broken off match heads, then heave it at something hard.