Making and using Amadou - is it worth the effort

[Toddy]

….he tried to tell me that a hazel spindle and a pine hearth weren't correct too. By that stage I had had rather enough of him tbh.
So I brought out the mugwort and stuffed a bit of birch bark with it and used that to blow up the coal to flame.
Mugwort was another one he didn't know and objected to; apparantly the only fuel to use is thistledown, cattails and birchbark…..and I looked at my basket of 'stuff' knowing damned fine that 'all' of it would burn.

Funny old world sometimes, and I was minded about the adage about minds and parachutes…that they both work best when open.

I like learning, I like seeing other people make stuff, no one knows it all, or every way to do something.
Making amadou is an interesting thing to do, to use, to play around with and improve.

I freely admit that if I need a fire in a hurry I'll use a lighter and a cotton wool pad rubbed with vaseline, or a bit of old inner tube, but if I don't have any of those, I can make fire using just what's around me….most places. I need wood of some kind. Then again, I'm not so fond of heat that I'll be visiting any deserts

M

 

[bambodoggy]

He'll tell you next that a swan can break a mans arm

This is only possible if the Swan is a practitioner of Swanjhitsu and even then, they only get their arm breaking belt after they've mastered breaking bricks with their beaks!

 

[British Red]

I hardly ever use it as I have a lighter

I have a roofing torch. Makes short work of lighting the barbeque

 

[Toddy]

Greek fire ?

or crush coal inside a bundle of dry grass, (plenty of coal in the UK) and spark into it…the gas takes, the miners called it firedamp. It catches with a whoomph and lights the grass.

Is Amadou worth the effort though ? I suspect it's define the worth bit rather than the amadou making.

M

 

[British Red]

Its something that works reliably, can be made in the woods and catches the dullest of sparks. Its worth it in that respect. Individually sealed zip firelighters win for convenience. Depends what you want, learning and simple, accessible means that need effort, or ease of use. Both have their place.

 

[Macaroon]

This is only possible if the Swan is a practitioner of Swanjhitsu and even then, they only get their arm breaking belt after they've mastered breaking bricks with their beaks!

Great stuff, this made me laugh

 

[forrestdweller]

So I brought out the mugwort and stuffed a bit of birch bark with it and used that to blow up the coal to flame.
Mugwort was another one he didn't know and objected to;

sorry if i go a bit but how did you prepare the mugwort?! last year while i was in korea my knee was playing up so my host ""tortured"" (!! it was with my agreement and it helped!!) me with moxibustion... . while i watched a hole being burned into my knee i had a ""HHHMMMM....""" moment- later i grabbed some of the stuff for a test and it ignites easy from a spark thrown with my raku raku striker... . i did a google search afterwards as nobody knew how it's made (bought from shop)-- all i found out it's made from mugwort leaves but no details reg. how to make it... . my own experiements (- collect leaves, crush between your hands, let dry a bit, crush again to remove coarse particles, let dry, crush, repeat process until totally dry) did not manage to reproduce the exact result....

 

[smojo]

Thanks for all the interesting and amusing replies. So the verdict seem to be that it's good stuff but it isn't an easy option. On the basis that bushcrafters aren't in it for the easy option on the whole, then we have to remember that most of us like the "doing" of things, the learning of new and traditional skills, then in that case it's worth having a go at it, just for the fun if nothing else.

So next question is, what is the simplest method for making it, once you have dug it out of the fungus bracket. Boiling in p*ss doesn't sound too good either.

 

[Toddy]

Mugwort…..gather the leaves in bundles by the stalks and hang to dry.
Crush between you hands to make a cigar shape and that'll take the coal no bother.
If you want to make the finer grey fluffy pile then you need to rub until the stems come free, and then vigorously rub the remaining leafy material either in a herb grinder (I don't have heavy callouses on my hands, if you have, use your hands) or rubbing it around on something coarse, like a bit of sandstone.

The Japanese use it in their incense burners under the little bit of mica, how do they prepare it ?

Amadou; I just boil it up in a big pot of water to make dye. I break it up first though.
I find it easier to take the hard crispy shell off when the fungus is fresh. It's a right royal pain when it's dry and hard. It doesn't peel, it need to be cut off. If anyone knows a way of peeling it, I'd love to hear it. The inner tubular bits I break out in chunks.

Alkali, from something like hardwood ashes gently rubbed into it while you stretch it out, or adding ammonia to the water, 'seems' to help, but it works without.

Dozens of good, clear, tutorials about, and dozens of different methods.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Zingmo]

I have a carrier bag of fomes in my garage that I collected and then forgot about over a year ago. I may try getting the outer skin off one with the belt sander one of these days...


Z

 

[Toddy]

Might best check on them; they are devoured by some insect maggots.

M

 

[forrestdweller]

Mugwort…..gather the leaves in bundles by the stalks and hang to dry.
Crush between you hands to make a cigar shape and that'll take the coal no bother.
If you want to make the finer grey fluffy pile then you need to rub until the stems come free, and then vigorously rub the remaining leafy material either in a herb grinder (I don't have heavy callouses on my hands, if you have, use your hands) or rubbing it around on something coarse, like a bit of sandstone.

The Japanese use it in their incense burners under the little bit of mica, how do they prepare it ?

see if i can find someone to answer that question- as i'm ""baka"" and speak only a few words japanese that might take some time (nobody in korea could tell me either when i got the hole burned into my knee nor could i find it out on the net...) guess i'll have to wait until spring when the mugwort grows back and do some more experimenting (on making tinder, NOT burning holes into my skin).....

 

[Toddy]

I should have added that the flowering tops gather, dry and burn very well too. They do fluff up a bit more easily than the leaves, just try to get them before they set seed or you'll have the blooming things sprouting everywhere.

atb,
M

 

[forrestdweller]

I should have added that the flowering tops gather, dry and burn very well too. They do fluff up a bit more easily than the leaves, just try to get them before they set seed or you'll have the blooming things sprouting everywhere.

atb,
M

i guess i'll go mugwort ""hunting"" in spring and summer...

 

[Toddy]

It's along every road side around here

M

 

[forrestdweller]

here, too -but not too much in winter (@ least not that i noticed) ---some old stalks maybe but leaves/ flowers.... . i'll keep an eye open! to go backtowards the original topic: i have not noticed any fomes fomentarius here in japan (or korea) either- so alternatives (for my raku raku striker) are of interest to me...

 

[JFW]

….he tried to tell me that a hazel spindle and a pine hearth weren't correct too. By that stage I had had rather enough of him tbh.
So I brought out the mugwort and stuffed a bit of birch bark with it and used that to blow up the coal to flame.
Mugwort was another one he didn't know and objected to; apparantly the only fuel to use is thistledown, cattails and birchbark…..and I looked at my basket of 'stuff' knowing damned fine that 'all' of it would burn.

Funny old world sometimes, and I was minded about the adage about minds and parachutes…that they both work best when open.

I like learning, I like seeing other people make stuff, no one knows it all, or every way to do something.
Making amadou is an interesting thing to do, to use, to play around with and improve.

I freely admit that if I need a fire in a hurry I'll use a lighter and a cotton wool pad rubbed with vaseline, or a bit of old inner tube, but if I don't have any of those, I can make fire using just what's around me….most places. I need wood of some kind. Then again, I'm not so fond of heat that I'll be visiting any deserts

M

Mary,

I could be that annoying sod, when are you next doing one of your demos? Just think how much I and anyone else watching would learn from you if I kept questioning the validity of what you were doing. I can just imagine you getting more annoyed at each idiotic statement until you asked him very politely to sniff one of your recipes. Wish I'd been there.:You_Rock_

JFW

 

[Toddy]

Hello stranger how are things with you

No, you're more likely to chip in with other things for me to try out too

So, far, I know I'm booked to make bronze/iron age fire for Historic Scotland's archaeology thing in Holyrood Park.
It's always a good hands on, lots of stuff to play around with, day

M

 

[JFW]

Hello stranger how are things with you

No, you're more likely to chip in with other things for me to try out too

So, far, I know I'm booked to make bronze/iron age fire for Historic Scotland's archaeology thing in Holyrood Park.
It's always a good hands on, lots of stuff to play around with, day

M

Hi Mary,
Keeping busy with BBs and scouts and rockbands. So not much spare time. Will need to watch out for some of the historic Scotland events and hopefully bump into you. If I'm in your area I'll pop in for a brew and a blether.
Keep well.
Cheers Jfw

 

[Toddy]

18th and 27th September and the 27th's the big open day, with druid talk/walk and iron age and roman warrior types too.
The Rangers have a team of volunteer supporters who run things like clay lamp making and willow stuff too, so it's interesting for the kids to get hands on, and I do let people play with making fire

I'll even find the biscuit tin

M