Frequently Asked Questions

Fatwood is the resin-saturated heartwood of naturally aged pine trees. Over decades the wood becomes dense with natural resin — a highly flammable, all-natural substance that makes fatwood one of the most reliable fire starting materials in existence. Monster Matches are made from Songmingzi wood — a rare, resin-rich wood derived from centuries-old Korean pines found in Heilongjiang Province, China. It is one of the most resin-dense fatwood varieties in the world.

Most fatwood on the market comes in small chips or thin sticks meant to go under a bigger fire as tinder. Monster Matches are oversized, about 4 to 4.5 inches long and an inch thick, and every box is half match sticks and half plain fatwood blanks. The match stick has a safety match head. The blank becomes your tinder and kindling.

Shave a blank into a pile of curls (or baton it into kindling), strike a match stick on the included pad, and lay it into the shavings. It's a match, not a lighter, so some strikes take a couple of tries. Once the fatwood catches you get 8–10 minutes of flame, which is long enough to dry out your kindling and get it burning on its own.

No lighter fluid. No ferro rod.

Each Monster Match burns for about 8–10 minutes. That's long enough to cook the damp out of your kindling and get it to catch, instead of a bright few seconds and back on your knees with a lighter.

Only Storm Proof. Storm Proof sticks have a match head sealed against water. We left one submerged in a jar, pulled it out, shaved the seal open with a knife, and built a fire with it. It took a few strikes. Original Monster Matches have a standard match head and are not waterproof, so keep them dry like any match. The fatwood itself stores indefinitely.

No — Monster Matches are designed for outdoor use only. They produce an open flame and should never be used indoors, in enclosed spaces, or near flammable materials. Always follow basic fire safety practices.

A 1 lb box holds roughly 13–15 match sticks and 13–15 plain fatwood blanks, plus strike pads. Boxes are packed by weight, so counts vary a little with the density of the wood. Every stick is about 4 to 4.5 inches long.

Yes, and that's what the blanks are for. Use a knife to shave thin curls off a blank for tinder, score the surface so it catches faster, or baton it down into kindling. Fatwood shavings catch fast and burn hot, so your tinder is the same resin-loaded wood as the match.

Indefinite. The natural resin in Songmingzi fatwood does not degrade over time — in fact older fatwood often burns better as the resin concentrates further. Store your Monster Matches in a cool dry place and they will be ready whenever you need them.

Monster Matches are currently manufactured in the Hubei Province of China using Songmingzi wood — a rare resin-rich fatwood sourced from naturally aged Korean pines in Heilongjiang Province. Our long-term vision is to bring production to the United States as we grow. Every order is packed and shipped by hand from Venice, Florida.

1. Shave a blank into a small pile of thin curls with a knife, or baton it into thin pieces. That's your tinder bed.
2. Strike a match stick on the included strike pad. Some strikes take a couple of tries.
3. Lay the lit match into the shavings and let the fatwood catch.
4. Stack kindling loosely over it, leaving gaps for air, and add bigger wood as the flame builds.

Storm Proof: shave a sliver off the sealed head with your knife before striking.

Shipping is free on every order. Orders ship within 2–3 business days and arrive 5–8 business days later, so allow 7–10 business days total. Monster Matches are UN1944 safety matches, so they ship USPS Ground Advantage only, within the contiguous U.S.

Two reasons. Matches are classified hazmat, so by law they can only travel by ground, never air. And we're a small business in Venice, Florida that packs every order by hand. Thanks for your patience and for supporting an independent brand.

30-day guarantee. If Monster Matches don't do the job for you, email support@burmaresearch.com within 30 days of delivery and we'll refund your order in full. You don't need to send anything back. Full refund policy.

Email us at support@burmaresearch.com. You're talking directly to Peter — founder of Burma Research. We typically respond within 24 hours Monday through Friday.