alternative for charcloth and horsehoof fungus

[rich59]

No, I do mean from flint and steel. The spark lands, glows and suddenly the fibres are alight. It's quite astonishing at first. I had struggled to do it with retted flax and all I could get were glowing sparks that took a lot of nesting and blowing to get a flame, but the raw stuff, just crushed up between the hands, was no bother. Remember flax is the source of linseed oil. I tried it later with nettle that had gone seedy and dried with the seeds on and it too worked. It was *very* dry though. Hemp, I'm a spinner and weaver, not all hemp has the narcotic properties and I was given some of the stuff suitable only for textiles and it worked the same way.


cheers,
Toddy

Wow,

I must try this.

 

[Lush]

How about the fluffy stuff in cattails? I tried it for a bit whithout succes. Did anyone have luck with it?

The best stuff I have tried was true tinder fungus. But only a small part of the fungus. It's just like one of those magic party candles; hard to get it to stop smoulder. It makes VERY good incense as well...

 

[SOAR]

The fluff from Poplar is good.

 

[falling rain]

Well I'm pleased to say that I have just got a cramp ball lit from a flint and steel. And it didn't take hundreds of strikes, but probably up to about 50 until I got a nice spark to catch. It was a good dry cramp ball that had been in the house for a couple of weeks but at least I know now that this method works.

Geoff

It's easier to hold the steel just above the crampball (broken open, rings showing) and strike down with the piece of flint rather than the steel. So the steel stays still hovering above the crampball and the flint gets struck downwards against the steel. You can direct the sparks better.

 

[Geuf]

OK, I'm trying to get an image of all the possibilities. Some things are a bit unclear to me yet but maybe someone can explain them. so far we've got:

Charred wood (or any charred plant materials)

true tinder fungus

cramp balls

Flax fibres

hemp fibres

punky wood
( can someone explane me what that is?)

mullein stalks

seed heads from thistles

poplar fluff
:? Also this doesn't ring a bell. are these the flaky kinds things.

 

[Galemys]

OK, I'm trying to get an image of all the possibilities. Some things are a bit unclear to me yet but maybe someone can explain them. so far we've got:

Flax fibres

punky wood
( can someone explane me what that is?)

poplar fluff
:? Also this doesn't ring a bell. are these the flaky kinds things.

The picture you have found is from another plant called New Zealand flax (if I recall correctly), it is not related to regular flax ('vlas' of 'lijnzaad' in Dutch) but should also be a good plant for fibres/cordage

Punky wood is 'verrot hout', wood that is so far gone it's become dry and crumbly, I have never tried it for any firestarting technique.

Poplar fluff is the downy stuff from 'populierbomen'. Every season it gathers in huge quantities in the neighbourhood of the trees. It tends to flash when I spark it with a firesteel.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[JonBaker]

Ther is also this artical:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/articles/skills--general/natural-tinders-for-flint-and-steel.html

 

[rich59]

Mullein pith - the fluffy stuff inside the stem.

Cramp balls - you want the black ones not the brown - brown is too young.

Punky wood - this is basically rotten wood - breaks into pieces with just finger pressure. Some woods are better than others.

 

[Neanderthal]

Split a dead piece of Elder and char the pith.

When it catches a spark it seems to draw the glowing area into itself until like cramp ball fungus. Stor it in a box or tin as it can crush easily.

Only tried this with a modern firesteel as I've not got a 'proper' one.

Stu

 

[Toadflax]

It's easier to hold the steel just above the crampball (broken open, rings showing) and strike down with the piece of flint rather than the steel. So the steel stays still hovering above the crampball and the flint gets struck downwards against the steel. You can direct the sparks better.

Must try that next time. After lighting the crampball (held on top of the flint) with the flint and steel, I noticed a couple of pin-***** points of blood on the ball of my thumb and they are a bit sore this morning (a couple of days later). When I look at my thumb, it looks as though there are a number of tiny dark splinters embedded in the skin. Have some of the 'sparks' buried into my skin? Looks like they could well be tiny shards of metal from the steel...time to try the sliver grippers that my son bought me for my birthday.


Geoff

 

[Ogri the trog]

I noticed a couple of pin-***** points of blood on the ball of my thumb and they are a bit sore this morning (a couple of days later). When I look at my thumb, it looks as though there are a number of tiny dark splinters embedded in the skin. Have some of the 'sparks' buried into my skin? Looks like they could well be tiny shards of metal...time to try the sliver grippers that my son bought me for my birthday.


Geoff

Geoff,
I doubt if they are "Sparks", but I think you might just have found out how sharp flint shards can be. Welcome to the world of the painfull paleolithic!

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Toadflax]

Geoff,
I doubt if they are "Sparks", but I think you might just have found out how sharp flint shards can be. Welcome to the world of the painfull paleolithic!

ATB

Ogri the trog

I wasn't sure if it was shards of metal or flint - I had assumed metal as I understood that the 'sparks' were shards of hot metal and sparks were definitely landing on my thumb. I haven't encountered this (i.e. splinters) when lighting charcloth from the flint and steel, but maybe it's the thumb position in holding the cramp ball and the number of strikes needed to get the cramp ball to catch. Charcloth usually goes with only one or two strikes. I'll have to examine the splinters when I manage to get them out of my thumb!


Geoff

 

[Mang]

I keep looking for Crampballs with no sucess Found in dead Silver Birch trees isn't it?

As it is 100% cotton can Cotton wool be made into charcloth like material? I've got a treacle tin packed with cotton ,old shirt, natural fibre rope and a duster which I haven't treated yet.

Can I just check here-What colour should the smoke be and how hard does it issue from the hole in a treacle tin lid? I did my first lot and the lid blew off and the cotton material scorched. I replaced the lid and silvery grey smoke came out like a kettle-I assumed combustion and stopped.

Some material is charred but maybe not enough as I can't get a spark in it. Also, does Denim take longer?

 

[rich59]

I keep looking for Crampballs with no sucess Found in dead Silver Birch trees isn't it?

As it is 100% cotton can Cotton wool be made into charcloth like material? I've got a treacle tin packed with cotton ,old shirt, natural fibre rope and a duster which I haven't treated yet.

Can I just check here-What colour should the smoke be and how hard does it issue from the hole in a treacle tin lid? I did my first lot and the lid blew off and the cotton material scorched. I replaced the lid and silvery grey smoke came out like a kettle-I assumed combustion and stopped.

Some material is charred but maybe not enough as I can't get a spark in it. Also, does Denim take longer?

Cramp balls are usually on ash.

Cook the tin (with a hole in the lid) until no more smoke, any colour. Turn it over a couple of times to make sure all sides are cooked. The charcloth should be black. Shades of brown are no good.

Keep experimenting and let us know how you get on.

 

[falling rain]

Don't worry about getting the whole of your roll of cloth charred all in one 'firing'. As Rich says lay the tin on it's side and turn a bit every few minutes. You may find the centre of the roll isn't quite done so just peel/tear off the stuff that is done and 'fire' again.
I'm not necessarily so sure about the waiting for smoke to stop issuing out, but certainly wait till it has diminished to a small stream.

 

[Mang]

Cramp balls are usually on ash.

Cook the tin (with a hole in the lid) until no more smoke, any colour. Turn it over a couple of times to make sure all sides are cooked. The charcloth should be black. Shades of brown are no good.

Keep experimenting and let us know how you get on.

Thanks for the tips, quite literally barking up the wrong tree!

Don't worry about getting the whole of your roll of cloth charred all in one 'firing'. As Rich says lay the tin on it's side and turn a bit every few minutes. You may find the centre of the roll isn't quite done so just peel/tear off the stuff that is done and 'fire' again.
I'm not necessarily so sure about the waiting for smoke to stop issuing out, but certainly wait till it has diminished to a small stream.

Sorry to throw in a PS but do you sit the tin in embers or flames?

 

[rich59]

You can cook your tin anywhere that it will get hot most of the sides. I usually surround it with burning wood, but mostly burying it in hot coals sounds fine in principle.

 

[Toadflax]

Around here, I see cramp balls on quite a number of different woods. Birch in particular, but also on elder. I tend to check out any fallen branches /trunks in the woods.

Unfortunately, after my initial success with lighting a cramp ball using flint /firesteel, I had a go again a couple of days later and shattered my firesteel into several pieces . Ah well, something else for my Christmas list.


Geoff

 

[John Fenna]

I just tried cramp balls - a LOT of strikes were needed!
I roughened a slice of the slice and eventually a spark landed instead of bouncing off...charcloth is MUCH easier!

 

[mrsfiremaker]

Forgive me if I have repeated someone here. I didn’t have the time to read the whole post.

There are all kinds of things that work with traditional flint and steel. The trick to get the things to light is to lay it on top the flint, very close to the edge that you will hit with your striker, you just need a small piece.

Mullein pith, cut a slice horizontally so its larger.
Feathery bark from mullein works too, but falls apart easily so be prepared for that.
You may also char the mullein pith for a third tinder.
There are other Piths that work as well; Yucca and Sunflower

Chaga, aka tinder fungus will work awesome, if its in your area. Again, a thin slice on your flint.

Milkweed, the dry ovum on the inside. Just a small piece of it on your flint.

This link will take you to Tinders for your fire Piston but they work with flint and steel as well. Its loaded with a billion pictures that identify the plants Ive mentioned.
http://www.primalconnection.com/3c3FTindersForYourFirePiston.html

Becky