It might have taken him 32,000 man hours over 15 years, but David Reynolds has finally accomplished his dream. Using over 4 million matchsticks, he has built the world’s largest matchstick model. His inspiration wasn’t a F1 racer, Viking longboat, or Middle Earth, but the Brent Bravo North Sea oil rig.
Just how big is the world’s largest matchstick model? It’s 12 feet tall, 21 feet long, and at one point, was split into 14 sections! There have already been offers from museums and collectors for the Guinness World Record-holding mode, but Reynolds isn’t saying if he’s willing to sell or not. In fact, he’s already working on his next project, an armada of matchstick ships.
The funniest aspect of this whole story is Reynolds’ wife, Julie. Unlike most wives in these stories, she kind of hates his projects, but accepts them because they keep him out of trouble. “I am absolutely sick to death at the sight of a matchstick but I think there is still more to come, unfortunately. But at least I know where he is and what he’s doing, so I’d rather have him there than down the pub.”
How often do you see someone’s honest reaction to her husband’s nutty hobby in one of these pieces?
Tags: Brent Bravo North Sea oil rig, world’s largest matchstick model, matchstick oil rig, David Reynolds, unusual models, 4 million matchsticks used in a model, Guinness World Records, Southampton, England