Candle lighting with flint and steel

[Culicoidis]

Has anyone on this site had any success in lighting a candle with flint and steel, without utilising the usual large ball of tinder.
I have tried the method in the link below but only got lots of smoke so far, need mre practice.

http://staff.washington.edu/gcthomas/psg/fire.html

Any help appreciated, otherwise I think I will make some old fashioned sulphur matches.

 

[Culicoidis]

I have also found this link, so it appears possible.

http://www.xmission.com/~drudy/hist_text-arch4/msg02624.html

Must practice more.

 

[Wayland]

Yes I use the flint and steel to light candles or oil lamps in living history situations quite often.

I use a sulphur "match" to create a flame from the char cloth.

Take a peice of resinous pine or some such and split it into match wood.

Shave the ends to a point and dip in molten sulphur to coat the tips.

When dry, store in your tinderbox.

To use, touch the sulphur tip to a glowing ember and the sulphur will ignite.

Wait a moment and the burning sulphur will light the wood splint.

Use this to ignite your candle.

Mine are double ended and I keep a few in my firelighting kit.

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

I seen it done at the bushmoot, but i carnt remember the blokes name, he had his arm in a sling tho !

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Several weeks ago I uploaded a video clip showing how to ignite a single flame using charcloth and a wood shaving.

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2100431105

 

[Neanderthal]

Culicoidis

Not tried it with flint and steel but can manage it with a modern firesteel and back of a knife.

2 Tips.

1. Use a candle which has been used before, the burnt area catches the spark.
2. Fluff out the wick so that the fibres are smaller but provide a greater surface area.

Good luck
Stu

 

[wanderinstar]

Spikey,
That could have been Graham S from Bonnie Scotland.

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Spikey,
That could have been Graham S from Bonnie Scotland.

Thats the man Cheers

 

[Ogri the trog]

So guys, where can us ordinary mortals get hold os some sulphur to give this a whirl?

Ogri the trog

 

[Wayland]

A garden centre shoulld have sulphur in a couple of different forms available.

I used a sulphur candle which is made up of "beads" of sulphur melted in a metal cup.

Don't breathe in the fumes though if you can help it, nasty stuff.

 

[rich59]

Flint and steel to lighted candle by shortest route?

I would use "cigar tinder". Make a cigar from a rolled dry leaf, or birch bark, or news paper. Stuff a piece of car cloth in the end. Light char cloth, blow twice and the cigar turns to flame. Light match.

 

[Neanderthal]

Boxes of 'Flowers of Sulphur' used to be available from the chemists.

Stu

 

[weaver]

We use the concentrated pitch wood that we find in old pine stumps. I don't know if you have that in GB.

When a Pine tree is cut or dies naturally it will leave a stump and root that are rich in pine sap. The same stuff they use to make turpentine. There are several species that do the same but the most common here are Southern Yellow Pine, Longleaf Pine, Virginia Pine.

We take this rich wood and scrape small shavings into a tin to keep for starting fire. A teaspoon will burst into flame at the touch of a spark and burn for a few minutes. Easy enough to light a candle from that.

 

[Culicoidis]

So guys, where can us ordinary mortals get hold os some sulphur to give this a whirl?

Ogri the trog

Ogri,

I get it from a chemical/medical supply company, within limitations any adult can order chemicals as long as they are not controled. Failing that some chemists do stock it. If you have a hard time getting hold of it PM me and I will see what I can do.

 

[Graham_S]

Thats the man Cheers

yup, that was me
the secret is to tease the end of the wick until it's very fine and fluffy.