Tinderbox

Household tinder boxes had to be large so that they would not be lost and were easy to find in the dark. They consisted of a large top compartment which contained charred rag tinder, and smaller compartments in the base which stored the flints, steels and a supply of "brimstones", matches made from thin strips of wood tipped with sulphur. The fire steel was held firmly and hit with the flint, which created sparks that fell onto the tinder. Once the tinder was smouldering it was used to light the match, which in turn lit the candle. The whole process could take several minutes.