You put liquid lighter fluid inside of it. And there is a striker strip on the side of it. So you dip the match is the lighter fluid and strike it down the side like a match.
These are great! They never die. Plus they're waterproof, just wipe off the flint and you're good. Great to wear on a necklace for camping, canoeing, rafting, etc,... (dog-tag ball chains are perfect)