Char cloth

[Gary]

Anybody tried making char cloth out of cotton wool or raw cotton (not cloth) ?

No?

Give it a go - its a little brittle on the flint but when it takes the spark its really takes the spark!

 

[Adi007]

Cotton wool is great and really lights easily. I've also had good sucess with thistle heads too.

 

[den]

No not tried that.

The only thing else I’ve every tried was char cramp ball when I was having trouble getting flint and pyrite to work. Worked well but very fragile.

 

[leon-1]

I seem to recall The Viking mentioned this once before and a lot was said about why bother charring it when cotton wool is good as it is, he didn't however mention raw cotton .

If it wasn't The Viking that mentioned it I beg pardon, but it has been mentioned before, out of curiosity Gary why did you try it??

 

[Adi007]

Charring cotton wool makes it a LOT easier to use with a traditional flint and steel - at least i find it a lot easier!

 

[Ed]

why bother charring it when cotton wool is good as it is

Cotton wool works fine when using a modern fire steel, but when you are trying to take sparks from pyrites (which are alot cooler) charred cotton/wool will work much better.

Ed

 

[Gary]

I seem to recall The Viking mentioned this once before and a lot was said about why bother charring it when cotton wool is good as it is, he didn't however mention raw cotton .

If it wasn't The Viking that mentioned it I beg pardon, but it has been mentioned before, out of curiosity Gary why did you try it??

Why? Because it was there mate! Seriously, I have now adopted flint and steel as my primary fire lighter and as such i have been playing with all sorts of combo's ect - tried dropping sparks onto cotton wool but then decided to try charring it. Raw cotton too, I just happened to get hold of some and tried that, I'll still be using my normal char cloth most of the time (mainly because I have loads) but its nice to have other options.

Interestingly, while playing, I made a Huron firecone out of birch curls and used this with the ember and it worked ok (as used expect) but I also tried an ember with dew damp grasses and found this worked really well. Even with the grass being wet (odd eh) it would never of worked so well with a modern striker me thinks?

Any how more tricks in our armoury!

 

[Adi007]

Huron firecone? :?: Wossat then? :biggthump

 

[Gary]

Its a cone made out of Hurons - :rolmao:

 

[Adi007]

And Huron's are ... :rolmao:

 

[Gary]

North west coast native americans as in Last of the Mohicans!!

The cone is one of their tricks and is (i guess) used to help blow an ember to life in the rain or very damp conditions.

 

[Adi007]

North west coast native americans as in Last of the Mohicans!!

The cone is one of their tricks and is (i guess) used to help blow an ember to life in the rain or very damp conditions.

Ahhhh, I get it now ... cool! Thanks!

 

[falling rain]

Why? Because it was there mate! Seriously, I have now adopted flint and steel as my primary fire lighter and as such i have been playing with all sorts of combo's ect - tried dropping sparks onto cotton wool but then decided to try charring it. Raw cotton too, I just happened to get hold of some and tried that, I'll still be using my normal char cloth most of the time (mainly because I have loads) but its nice to have other options.

Interestingly, while playing, I made a Huron firecone out of birch curls and used this with the ember and it worked ok (as used expect) but I also tried an ember with dew damp grasses and found this worked really well. Even with the grass being wet (odd eh) it would never of worked so well with a modern striker me thinks?

Any how more tricks in our armoury!

Talking of damp tinders, I was out at the weekend playing with my new toy that Santa brought me A Sami knife. BRUSLETTO KNIVSMED STRØMENG 9” SAMEKNIV (attleborough accessories) http://www.attacc.com/acatalog/Attleborough_Accessories_Knives.html Well the back of the blade is just excellent for the Swedish firesteels. Absolutely the best shower of sparks from one of these firesteels I've ever seen. I collected some Clematis which was fairly damp to give it try and showered the sparks onto it and presto it caught alight. I am extremely impressed with this knife all round in fact and havn't really stopped playing with it since Christmas day, splitting Hazel and willow and trimming bark, splitting kindling, sharpening it etc. I'm no knife buff, but I love this tool and will will be a constant companion everytime I go bushcrafting. It feels comfortable to use and despite it's size not at all tiring. (My Mora is now my back up knife which is a great little tool in it's own right.) Another thing I like is it's extremely easy to shave a pile of the firesteel metal with and you can collect a pile quickly which REALLY goes up well.
Sorry this started out as a reply about damp tinder and has ended up more appropriate in EDGED TOOLS. Go on mods, move it if you have too :rolmao:

 

[Bob Hurley]

North west coast native americans as in Last of the Mohicans!!

Sorry, but the Huron are a northeastern Great Lakes tribe (as in "Lake Huron"). Last of the Mohicans is an entertaining movie, but that's the extent of its worth.

 

[Gary]

Sorry, but the Huron are a northeastern Great Lakes tribe (as in "Lake Huron"). Last of the Mohicans is an entertaining movie, but that's the extent of its worth.

Bob your right they are eastern - what a typo derr

And yes it is a good movie but not close enough to the book for my liking - especailly being made in the period when is was cool to knock the british - IMO Hawkeye wasnt at all anti-brit in ah well.

 

[al]

i`ve been using yellow dusters for my flint and steel ever since gary shouted it a while back , the challenge is to try and "not"to get it to light which is impossible,when ever i get someone to make fire for the first time i always get them to do it with flint ,steel and charred yellow duster as you cant go wrong and its always nice to see the "i`ve just made fire" grin on their faces when the tinder bursts to flame. a friend of mine has built a wooden shack/bar in the garden with all sorts of carvings and ethnic goods etc hanging in it and his primary ciggerette lighter is flint steel and charred yellow duster always goes down well.

 

[Skippy]

i remember the first time i made char cloth, it had been raining heavily, and i was wearing one of those green army peaked caps, i decided to dry it out by the fire, (it does not pay to become distracted while drying your hat).

it turned from a nice green hat, to a nice dark brown char cloth, to a nice orangey fireball all in a matter of two mins.