Matches

The manufacture of matches was the first manufacturing industry established in Vietnam by the French - in the 1880s or '90s, I forget exactly. There were two factories: one in Hanoi and one in Vinh. Under central planning the factory in Hanoi was renamed Thong Nhat (Unification) and contines to produce matches to this day. So, outside the traditional handicraft sector, it is Vietnam's longest established manufacturing enterprise.

Centrally planned matches were not so great. The problem was the red stuff, which had to be imported. Poland was a major supplier, but often would not sign contracts because the chemical (sulphur?) could obtain higher prices on the capitalist world market. At world market prices, the Vietnamese government couldn't afford to purchase a sufficient supply. It was not uncommon, therefore, for Vietnamese matches to be dipped in so little of the stuff that they could not ignite. Moreover, the wood is brittle (still). If you strike them too hard they just break. They come in boxes of about 45, but until recently probably only 20-30 were actually usable.