Source for period-style matches?

1/23/2022

Most of us are familiar with the ubiquitous lucifers sold at sutlers, yet another style of matches was just as common during the 19th century: the sheet match. There are excellent recreations of box style matches available to the reenactor, but the absence of the sheet match has long puzzled me. I've had some originals in my collection for years and even pondering trying to recreate them. Even to the point of weighing the dangerous option of trying to create a mixture for the match head. I'm still glad I didn't pursue that idea.
Well, due to climate change and increasing burn bans during the reenacting season, I admit I have been farbing out my food with a haversack full of foreign MREs. At our last event last year, I was feasting on a German MRE and as I explored the accessory pack, I of course found a pack of matches to use for the stove. At first, I didn't think anything of it. As I waited for my food to heat, I flipped the top of the pack and was astonished to find someone is still making sheet matches! I then stashed them in such a safe place in my gear, I practically lost them.
Here they are, photographed in side by side for your consideration. As you know, I am interested in diversity of gear represented in the hobby as much as I am about accuracy. Diversifying you kit with a set of sheet matches might be something for you to consider. Of course, they didn't come in the modern cardstock packs they do today but they are strikingly similar (pun intended). The cover can also be easily discarded for increased authenticity. You will see they vary in form in length and thickness but are otherwise the same with the benefit of being better constructed and more reliable, too.
Whether they meet your historical requirements or not is up to you. You could ask yourself, when was the last time you saw someone reach for and use a sheet match? Now the tricky part of this is, I haven't found a direct source for these matches aside from the imported MRE which I purchased from MRE Mountain. If you do find a source let us know our Facebook page.

4 Comments

Gator

1/23/2022 08:56:47 pm

https://devambez.com/products/twelve-matchbooks

http://getmatches.com/announcing-another-exclusive-european-style-wooden-stick-custom-match-books/

Tim Sterling

4/26/2024 03:01:03 pm

This fellow talks about how to upgrade 'strike on the box' matches to 'strike anywhere' matches, using toy gun caps bought at the dollar store. Might be worth a stab at recreating your own!

Adam Levin link

4/17/2026 03:41:12 am

This is a fantastic example of how small, often overlooked details can add a surprising amount of depth to historical interpretation.

What really stands out is your curiosity about something as simple as matches. It’s easy to focus on the big, visible pieces of a kit—uniforms, weapons, cookware—but items like this are what truly bring a lived-in authenticity to the experience. Sheet matches are one of those details that most people wouldn’t think twice about, yet they were clearly part of everyday life.

Your hesitation around trying to recreate the match heads is also worth highlighting. It’s a good reminder that authenticity has its limits, especially when safety is involved. Sometimes the best solution isn’t to replicate every process exactly, but to find modern equivalents that capture the spirit without the risk.

The discovery in the German MRE is a great example of how history quietly persists in unexpected places. It’s interesting that something we might consider obsolete is still being produced and used elsewhere. That overlap between past and present adds another layer to the conversation—what we think of as “historical” isn’t always gone, just less visible.

I also like your point about diversification of gear. Reenacting can sometimes lean toward uniformity, where everyone gravitates toward the same commonly accepted items. Introducing something like sheet matches, even if subtle, can spark conversation and encourage others to think more critically about the variety that likely existed historically.

The challenge of sourcing them adds a bit of intrigue too. It turns what could be a simple gear addition into a bit of a hunt, which honestly feels very in the spirit of the hobby itself.

Overall, this is a great reminder that authenticity isn’t just about accuracy—it’s also about curiosity, observation, and a willingness to notice the small things that most people overlook.

Jessica link

4/17/2026 03:41:34 am

This is one of those posts that reminds you how much history lives in the smallest, most ordinary objects.

Matches are such a routine part of life that it’s easy to assume they’ve always existed in the same form we know today. But your focus on sheet matches opens up a different perspective—one where even something as simple as making fire had variation, evolution, and choice. It’s a great example of how material culture isn’t static, even for everyday items.

What’s particularly interesting is the gap you’ve identified. We often have access to well-reproduced “standard” items, like boxed matches, but less common variations quietly disappear from modern interpretation. That absence can unintentionally narrow how we imagine the past. Your post helps widen that lens again.

The unexpected rediscovery through a modern MRE is also a great moment. It shows how historical forms don’t always vanish—they sometimes survive in parallel systems or different contexts. It’s almost like stumbling across a living artifact hiding in plain sight.

There’s also an important point here about practicality versus purity. In reenacting, there’s always a balance between accuracy, safety, and convenience. Your decision not to pursue recreating the match composition reflects that balance well. Sometimes authenticity is better served by thoughtful approximation rather than risky replication.

What I also appreciate is how this encourages others to look closer at their own kits. Not necessarily to overhaul everything, but to question assumptions. What small items are we overlooking? What variations might have existed that we’ve simplified away?

In the end, it’s not just about sheet matches—it’s about paying attention. Because often, it’s the smallest details that make the past feel real.

Uniforms and Gear

Source for period-style matches?

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