The first "friction match" was invented by English chemist John Walker in 1827. Walker discovered a mixture of antimony(III) sulfide, potassium chlorate, gum, and starch could be ignited by striking against any rough surface. Walker called the matches congreves, but the process was patented by Samuel Jones and the matches were sold as lucifers. The early matches had a number of problems - the flame was unsteady and the initial reaction was disconcertingly violent; additionally, the odor produced by the burning match was unpleasant. Lucifers reportedly could ignite explosively, sometimes throwing sparks at a considerable distance.
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