American Breweriana Journal September/October 2013

Rich Strisofsky Collection of Match Safes

By Rich Wagner ABA 2360

I’ve had the pleasure to get to know Rich Strisofsky (and his collection) over the years. He first suggested a photo layout featuring his post-prohibition tap marker signs that were in use before “ball knobs” became the standard (ABJ November 2010). ABJ’s January 2013 issue contained images  of some of  the “Years of Service Pins” that he’s collected over the years.

 Before throw-away Bic lighters there were Zippo lighters, many of which undoubtedly outlasted their owners. But there was a time when it was quite a convenience to “strike a match” to light a fire instead of relying on a magnifying lens or getting a flame from a fire that was already going. Therein rose the need for “match safes” that would keep those barn burners dry and handy. Along with this came a perfect opportunity for manufacturers to emblazon their name on yet another personal item to keep their products in the public’s consciousness.

 These images of match safes in Rich’s collection have been arranged alphabetically by company name, but you can get a rough idea of “match safe evolution” by looking at the different varieties. For more information check out: http://www.matchsafe.org/

Match safes from the following are featured: Bauerlein, Cambria, Daeufer, Dubois, Fritsch, Hazel, Hippley, Keystone, Lebanon, Liebert & Obert, National, Northampton, Robinson, Scheidt, Standdard, Stegmaier, Uhl, Wacker, Washington and Widman. (6 pages).