If this is the first time you’ve ever tried to light a match, stick with wooden “strike on box” matches for now — these are generally the easiest to light for beginners. Once you get confident with these, you can move onto paper matches and “strike anywhere” matches.
The exact amount of pressure you’ll need to light the match here will vary from match to 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 get the hang of it.
After a few unsuccessful attempts, the flammable material in the match head (usually a mixture of potassium chloride and red phosphorus) will rub off. [1] X Research source If this happens, try striking with the other side of the match head.
Paper matches are a little harder to light than wooden matches, but with a little practice, they’re easily mastered. Don’t worry if you have to try the tricks in this section several times until you find a method that’s right for you.
Try to keep the match head well-covered by the cardboard cover. If the edge of the match head is exposed when you strike the match, you can burn your thumb.
As with wooden matches, the match can sometimes fail to light even if you do everything. Be ready to try repeating the steps above a few times. If you don’t get any results, flip the match over to expose the other side of the match head to the striker. Be careful — if you squeeze the matchbook too hard, you can tear off the match head when you try to light the match. This wastes the match, so try to avoid it if you’re running low.
Hold the match in your dominant hand right with your thumb and middle finger. Put your index finger behind the match head. Hold the matchbook in your non-dominant hand. Press down with your index finger and drag the match across the striker strip in a single quick motion — roughly like how you’d light a wooden match. As soon as you notice the match light, move your index finger away from the flame or transfer the match to your other hand. You have to do this quick to avoid burning yourself.
Strike anywhere matches are usually wood matches identified as such on the packaging. They are not especially expensive: a 250-match box may cost as little as $2. [2] X Research source www. industrialrev. com/strike-anywhere-matches. html Strike anywhere matches only work on dry surfaces.
Hold the match between your middle finger and thumb and use your index finger to press the head 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 “sweet spot” for lighting a flame.
Concrete Grout (between tiles, etc. ) Brick Ceramic Keep in mind that striking matches can leave small marks on whatever material you’re using, so you may not want to do it on other people’s possessions.
Never light matches around dry wood shavings (which are common in many places sandpaper can be found). This highly flammable material can easily start fires.
Always strike down towards the floor, not up towards your body. This way, if you lose control of the match, it will fall to the floor, rather than flying into your shirt. Only attempt this if you are wearing pants made from a sturdy, thick material like denim that is unlikely to catch fire. Do not try this when you are wearing shorts or open-toed shoes.
This can leave streaks on the window, so you may not want to do this on a window where people are likely to notice it. However, the streaks can usually be washed off without problems.
Another variation on this trick involves holding the match behind your front two teeth and pulling it down 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 burn your mouth and lips with this trick. Repeated attempts are not recommended, as the effects of the chemicals in match heads on the teeth are not well known.
This keeps the flame burning bright without having it travel towards your fingers too fast. You can always adjust the angle of the match upward to slow down the flame if you need more time.
Try to avoid pointing the matchstick directly downward. This will make the flame jump up the stick toward your fingers and is a great way to get burnt.
If you have to light a match in the wind, a good trick is to shield the flame by putting your body and hands between it and the wind. [3] X Research source
