Catching Sparks

[Brian Curnel]

Aside from Charcloth.... Are there any other Natural materials that will catch a spark well enough to produce an ember?
Using flint and steel

Mullein I had no luck with
Chaga Too tough
Cedar good with firesteel but no on flint and steel
Cottonwood NO

any others?

 

[RovingArcher]

Give thistle seed fluff and cattail seed fluff a try.

 

[Brian Curnel]

Give thistle seed fluff and cattail seed fluff a try.

Thanks Archer.. I did try Cattail.. No Luck though

Thistle seed..Ouch but ill give it a go (Bull thistle)
I also experimented with Mimosa (silk tree) Nope

 

[Tony]

Aside from Charcloth.... Are there any other Natural materials that will catch a spark well enough to produce an ember?
Using flint and steel

Mullein I had no luck with
Chaga Too tough
Cedar good with firesteel but no on flint and steel
Cottonwood NO

any others?

Do you mean traditional flint and steel, or the firesteels (ferro rods) it makes a bit of difference to what will catch from it!

 

[Brian Curnel]

Hi Tony traditional flint and Steel ...No Ferrous rod like magnesium matches. Just a piece of rock and a piece of steel.

 

[rich59]

I was bored at Center Parcs one year and went out collecting all manner of stuff to see if I could get it to take a flint and steel spark. I charred everything in sight!

I had one success - the charred fibres from the inner bark of the Lime Tree. It is excellent, if a bit fragile for journeys, but turning it into cordage before charring tends to hold it together better.

Others may tell you about charred rotten wood and lightly charred material from polypore fungi.

 

[Brian Curnel]

Thanks Rich i'll try to char some material and see if I have better luck.

Bri

 

[RovingArcher]

Yeah, cattail is difficult with the flint/steel and so is milkweed thistle, which we have here. I'm assuming that Bull thistle has a similar seedpod, but maybe not. I still use flint and steel with cotton patch charcloth and cotton dryer lint. Charcloth is the only way to go from my experience, but then, I'm not all that experienced using flint and steel. I much prefer to carry the BSA Hotspark, which lives up to it's name.

Have you tried birchbark? Scraping the inner bark with a knife produces some fine dust, which ignites with a ferro rod.

 

[bambodoggy]

Hey Brian,

Have a look at post one on this thread, Patrick has done a very good tutorial on how to prepare tinder fungi. In this case he has used Fomes Fomentarius but there are plenty of other fungi that can be used and prepared in the same or very similar way.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=8071&page=2&pp=10

I use Fomes Fomentarius myself having brought a bit back from Sweden last year and if preped properly beforehand it catches a spark from my traditional flint and steel more or less on the first strike. It then burns very hot and quite slow so is a dodle to transfer to a tinder bundle.

Hope that's of help Mate,

Bam.

 

[Brian Curnel]

Thanks Bam, The link helped out alot plus some experimenting on my part LOL I amstill alive so thats a plus...

Bri

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Aside from Charcloth.... Are there any other Natural materials that will catch a spark well enough to produce an ember?
Using flint and steel

Mullein I had no luck with
Chaga Too tough
Cedar good with firesteel but no on flint and steel
Cottonwood NO

any others?

Mullein pith is difficult but will catch with patience
Good chaga or Inonotus Obliquus is the easiest and will ignite if you look at it the right way. Seriously, this often catches on the first or second strike.
Next easiest is milk weed pod.
Punk is more difficult than mullein but worth experimenting with because it is so plentiful.
I have posted here in the past with photos on the technique involved.

 

[oops56]

Mullein pith is difficult but will catch with patience
Good chaga or Inonotus Obliquus is the easiest and will ignite if you look at it the right way. Seriously, this often catches on the first or second strike.
Next easiest is milk weed pod.
Punk is more difficult than mullein but worth experimenting with because it is so plentiful.
I have posted here in the past with photos on the technique involved.

Jeff i guess now that the weather is better almost no snow left try that new piston out some more and set the woods on fire. he he

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Now...dont be burning down the woods with that thing. I do understand however. The aroma of smoldering tinder fungus is a bit adicting.

 

[oops56]

Ok now i will bring this stove a pot with some coffee and my back up fire starter flint & steel or just start two fires piston & flint[ P. S. it all will fit in my possiable bag but the pot got to wear as a hat ]

 

[Stoker37]

You might try Cramp Ball fungus.

I've had a little sucess getting that to take a spark from flint and steel

Stoker
________________________________________________________
If wishes were horses then beggars would ride

 

[Jeff Wagner]

I've heard that works unfortunately I dont it grows on this side.

 

[Adrian]

you've probably been asked this before Oops, but where did you get that little stove?