Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions
EN
Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions
Hold the match firmly between the first finger and thumb and strike it against the striking surface of the box with the minimum pressure necessary to cause ignition. The match should be held at approximately 15mm from the head or for short and/or flexible matches, at a position consistent with normal use of the product. As soon as the match head ignites, the match should be oriented so that the splint is horizontal. This movement should be complete before the head has finished burning.
A safety match can only be ignited by striking it against a specially treated, chemically active friction surface on the side of the box. Unlike the previous phosphor matches, the safety matches are non-toxic, hence the name.Before the invention of safety matches (by G. E. Pasch in 1844), matches were made with highly toxic yellow phosphorus.
One of the most famous labels is the 'Three Stars' which came as early as 1887. It has been called the 'Mona Lisa of labels' and has been marketed throughout the English Empire.It is probably the world’s most widespread brand of matches. In Sweden, of course, it is Solstickan.
Please send match, outer and inner box with remaining matches for analysis to:
Swedish Match Industries AB,
Attn: Quality department, Box 84,
522 22 Tidaholm, Sweden.
The most important properties are that they should be easy to light, not splash or release burning particles, not break off, not continue to glow when the flame has died out, not contain toxic heavy metals.
Matches cannot self-ignite under normal handling. Matches should be stored dry and away from sources of ignition and hazardous materials.Matches do not ignite when heated unless the temperature exceeds 180 ºC.
Matches should be stored dry and cool.
Exposure to moisture can deteriorate match ignition reliability over time. Our matches undergo rigorous testing for humidity resistance, ensuring optimal performance under adverse conditions.
The best quality matches are made from aspen. The wood must be strong, hard, white and odorless, straight-grained, easy to work and porous enough to absorb paraffin wax.
Aspen has the best combination of all these properties for match making.
The stick is impregnated with monoammonium phosphate and dipped in paraffin.
Swedish-made matches are made exclusively from aspen (Populis tremula).
The wood comes to the factory as barked logs, 3.1 meters long.
The logs are debarked and cut into cubes of approx. 60 cm and turned into veneer the thickness of a matchstick. The veneer is chopped into splints, i.e. sticks without a set knob, which are impregnated so that they do not glow after being extinguished.After the impregnation, the splints are dried and polished – all in a continuous process. The splints are then loaded into magazines that bump them into an endless, walking carpet. As the mat rotates, the splints are dipped in paraffin and igniter, becoming ready-made matches.Finally, the matches are packed in boxes.
It naturally depends on how big the tree is. From one Swedish aspen you get about 1 million sticks.
A modern match machine produces approximately 2.5 million matches per hour. The first continuous match machine was constructed in 1892 by C. Lagerman. It produced 200,000 matches an hour.
Every day, Swedish Match produces around 4 million matchboxes, which corresponds to around 200 million matches.If you put the boxes on top of each other, one minute of production is enough for a pillar taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.If you put the boxes in a row on the E4, one day’s production from Jönköping to Stockholm is enough. The total length of the knitting needles would be enough for Australia.
We exclusively use 100% recycled paperboard for both inner and outer boxes, reflecting our commitment to sustainability.
Our match heads prioritize strength and reliability. Through rigorous testing in our laboratory, we evaluate striking and ignition performance daily using both the EN and MATCHTEK® standards.
Our matches are designed to ignite instantly without any fragmentation of the heads. Contrary to common belief, the size of the match head does not necessarily correlate with better quality.
After ignition, the burning process primarily involves paraffin fumes, akin to a candle. Our match head sizes adhere to the EN standard 1783:1997, ensuring consistency while providing optimal ignition performance.
Variations in the number of matches in a box can occur due to several factors. Despite occasional discrepancies, our statistics show that we consistently meet these standards.
The strength of the splint is crucial for quality and safety. We are committed to ensuring the highest possible splint strength by using premium raw materials, particularly Swedish aspen. Matches made from Swedish aspen exhibit exceptional strength due to their long white fibers.Our production process includes rigorous testing to maintain high splint strength, adhering to our MATCHTEK® standard. Any match heads showing signs of fragmentation during production are discarded.Match head fragmentation typically results from excessive pressure during use.
The durability of the striking surface is evaluated according to both EN and MATCHTEK® standards. For example, a fraction of the surface undergoes testing with 50 matches, representing overall durability.
The honeycomb pattern, introduced in the 1980s, replaced the previous painting process with upgraded printing technology. This change maintained the surface’s function without reducing friction. Additionally, improvements were made to the head mix to comply with legislation, phasing out heavy metals.
