Amadou

[leep45]

Hi,
I am having a little difficulty with my Amadou processing.
It seems there is not a lot of discussion regarding the intricacies of spore tube removal. It seems no person is having the kind of stumbling blocks I am encountering.
How far into the Trama does the spore tube penetrate, it appears that I have removed more than is necessary yet as I proceed with the next operation, boiling and pressing, gentle beating and stretching, my Amadou simply pulls apart.
I can not seem to get the voluminous fluffy stuff but only a very sparse hard to teas out finished product.
Could I get some education from any of you fine people.

 

[Broch]

From my limited experience, the trama is actually a very thin layer just below the hard crust - think in terms of a few millimetres depending on the size of your fungus.

The reason my experience is limited is because when I have gone through the whole process I have found only marginal improvement in its tinder properties - probably my bad, but it has never seemed worth the effort

Others, with more experience, will no doubt correct me

 

[Toddy]

It's worth the effort, but unless you have very fresh ones, it's an awful lot of work.
Basically good amadou is like thick suede, like a piece of cloth.
That's the good stuff but middling quality and poor quality will still catch a spark just fine.
It's a kind of show off thing to make really, really good stuff.

The hard shell is a right royal pain to remove, especially if you've let the fungus dry out a bit.
If you have, trust me on this, it's easier to just work from the inside out, and don't throw away those tubular bits because they'll carry an ember quite handily too.
You can take a slice of it and get the edge alight, it won't flame but it'll glow. Blow on it and watch it do so.....that's your back up incase you have trouble getting the fire going from your spark/whatever. Take a stick and split the end. Shove the other end into the ground and put that slice of tubular stuff into the split end....the air blowing will keep it alive

Scoop out as much of that as you can, then put the shell into water and boil it. I generally give it half an hour or so, then take the pot off the heat, put the lid on and set it aside to soak. Give it a couple of days and then try slicing off the hard shell again.

This does two things, it soaks the whole thing enough that it'll be flexible enough to let you work it more easily, and it means that when you do get the 'amadou' bit (s) off, then they're handleable enough to rub in ashes more easily. They give a little, it's a sitting by the fire kind of job. Just gently working it as you blether.

You can add ashes to the pot that you're boiling up the shells in too, but it's incredibly messy, especially when you still have to remove the hard stuff.

It's not rocket science, it's patience, it's everybody's got a different way of doing it.

Me ? I like easy on it I cut mine fresh as I can, but when I can't, I core them and then I boil them up and work it from there.

M

 

[SaraR]

Hi,
I am having a little difficulty with my Amadou processing.
It seems there is not a lot of discussion regarding the intricacies of spore tube removal. It seems no person is having the kind of stumbling blocks I am encountering.
How far into the Trama does the spore tube penetrate, it appears that I have removed more than is necessary yet as I proceed with the next operation, boiling and pressing, gentle beating and stretching, my Amadou simply pulls apart.
I can not seem to get the voluminous fluffy stuff but only a very sparse hard to teas out finished product.
Could I get some education from any of you fine people.

Would this description from Beaver Bushcraft help at all? https://www.beaverbushcraft.co.uk/page_4140610.html

 

[Toddy]

Would this description from Beaver Bushcraft help at all? https://www.beaverbushcraft.co.uk/page_4140610.html

That's a nice clear article you linked to, @SaraR

 

[FerlasDave]

It’s not an easy product to make despite what people think. There are a few key things I’ve found though firstly the quality of the fungus, you want the bigger ones really with a very thick trama layer. Also I would try soaking the trama for a few days apposed to boiling it, for some reason I’ve found it to be less brittle that way. Once it’s been soaked make sure it’s still damp when you beat it and finally let it dry fully before stretching.

It should fluff up with a scraping tool easily after that but even if it breaks into smaller pieces it will still be usable so don’t panic too much.

 

[leep45]

It's worth the effort, but unless you have very fresh ones, it's an awful lot of work.
Basically good amadou is like thick suede, like a piece of cloth.
That's the good stuff but middling quality and poor quality will still catch a spark just fine.
It's a kind of show off thing to make really, really good stuff.

The hard shell is a right royal pain to remove, especially if you've let the fungus dry out a bit.
If you have, trust me on this, it's easier to just work from the inside out, and don't throw away those tubular bits because they'll carry an ember quite handily too.
You can take a slice of it and get the edge alight, it won't flame but it'll glow. Blow on it and watch it do so.....that's your back up incase you have trouble getting the fire going from your spark/whatever. Take a stick and split the end. Shove the other end into the ground and put that slice of tubular stuff into the split end....the air blowing will keep it alive

Scoop out as much of that as you can, then put the shell into water and boil it. I generally give it half an hour or so, then take the pot off the heat, put the lid on and set it aside to soak. Give it a couple of days and then try slicing off the hard shell again.

This does two things, it soaks the whole thing enough that it'll be flexible enough to let you work it more easily, and it means that when you do get the 'amadou' bit (s) off, then they're handleable enough to rub in ashes more easily. They give a little, it's a sitting by the fire kind of job. Just gently working it as you blether.

You can add ashes to the pot that you're boiling up the shells in too, but it's incredibly messy, especially when you still have to remove the hard stuff.

It's not rocket science, it's patience, it's everybody's got a different way of doing it.

Me ? I like easy on it I cut mine fresh as I can, but when I can't, I core them and then I boil them up and work it from there.

M

Thanks for your advice, I'm at present soaking some trama is it advisable to dry in the Sun or less rigorously, say in a shadier spot?

 

[leep45]

From my limited experience, the trama is actually a very thin layer just below the hard crust - think in terms of a few millimetres depending on the size of your fungus.

The reason my experience is limited is because when I have gone through the whole process I have found only marginal improvement in its tinder properties - probably my bad, but it has never seemed worth the effort

Others, with more experience, will no doubt correct me

Thank you.

 

[leep45]

It’s not an easy product to make despite what people think. There are a few key things I’ve found though firstly the quality of the fungus, you want the bigger ones really with a very thick trama layer. Also I would try soaking the trama for a few days apposed to boiling it, for some reason I’ve found it to be less brittle that way. Once it’s been soaked make sure it’s still damp when you beat it and finally let it dry fully before stretching.

It should fluff up with a scraping tool easily after that but even if it breaks into smaller pieces it will still be usable so don’t panic too much.

Thank you.
Is it advisable to dry slower in a shady spot or will open space air drying work? I am trying a variety of methods at the moment, though I seem to striations appear which crack when manipulated, as though I need to process more from off the spore tube side although I have cut as close to and beyond the trame layer, or so it appears to me.
This is indeed more intricate than is being portrayed on the channels I have watched.

 

[Toddy]

Thanks for your advice, I'm at present soaking some trama is it advisable to dry in the Sun or less rigorously, say in a shadier spot?

I've never found it to matter, tbh. Though that said, here sunshine is generally a rare treat.
I just put the pieces on the bench under the canopy at the back door. It sort of dries out like cardboard....well, egg box type cardboard.
You can char the pieces too if you're in a hurry. They'll char much like pieces of linen do. Makes it a bit fragile if it's very thin stuff though.

 

[leep45]

I've never found it to matter, tbh. Though that said, here sunshine is generally a rare treat.
I just put the pieces on the bench under the canopy at the back door. It sort of dries out like cardboard....well, egg box type cardboard.
You can char the pieces too if you're in a hurry. They'll char much like pieces of linen do. Makes it a bit fragile if it's very thin stuff though.

Cheers for that, I get the egg box reference. I'll dry my next batch more slowly I think see what results I get from that.
Thank you.

 

[Toddy]

Cheers for that, I get the egg box reference. I'll dry my next batch more slowly I think see what results I get from that.
Thank you.

Interested to hear how you get on. Everyone's got a different take on it, I have heard so many different ways of doing it. To be honest I think the ideal perfect piece is an awful lot of work for something you can make work just fine from not perfect.
I wouldn't discourage anyone because really good skills are worth practicing
It's peaceful sort of work, well, once you've got it out of the hard shell it is

M

 

[leep45]

Interested to hear how you get on. Everyone's got a different take on it, I have heard so many different ways of doing it. To be honest I think the ideal perfect piece is an awful lot of work for something you can make work just fine from not perfect.
I wouldn't discourage anyone because really good skills are worth practicing
It's peaceful sort of work, well, once you've got it out of the hard shell it is

M

Yeah, I sure keep you informed.

There are quite a few issues not really addressed, that I can find. Looks as though I shall have to go hunt more Fomes down and keep on this journey for a while longer.

Thank you for your help, I will keep you in the loop as I find results to my search for better amadou.

 

[SaraR]

That's a nice clear article you linked to, @SaraR

I remembered reading it over Easter and hoped I could find it again.

 

[Suffolkrafter]

I haven't tried this for a while. But I found that I got better results from small to medium sized horses hooves. I also stopped try to get the trama layer in one piece, and instead sliced the fungus as though slicing a loaf of bread. This resulted in smaller pieces of trama layer, but still functional. I found the serrated blade of a leatherman (the bit that's like a bread knife) more effective than a normal blade.

 

[leep45]

I haven't tried this for a while. But I found that I got better results from small to medium sized horses hooves. I also stopped try to get the trama layer in one piece, and instead sliced the fungus as though slicing a loaf of bread. This resulted in smaller pieces of trama layer, but still functional. I found the serrated blade of a leatherman (the bit that's like a bread knife) more effective than a normal blade.

Thanks Mr Krafter,
I have also tried the same methods, it is the lack of depth to the trama that seems to be thwarting my attempts at getting a softer fluff from the resulting product.

I am going to try find more Fungi, and attempt more method suggestions in order to reach the goal I desire.

I'll keep you informed of my progress, it may not be for a while. You know how it is, life getting un the way of progress.

 

[Suffolkrafter]

You know how it is, life getting un the way of progress.

I hear you