Amadou

[timtom1]

I've seen on a fly fishing website a patch of Amadou I was just wondering if I bought it what preparation would be needed for fire lighting?

Marc Petitjean Amadou Sheet
http://www.flytek.co.uk/acatalog/Feather.html

 

[Toddy]

£10.90 !! for amadou the damned stuff grows on trees, it kills birch by the tonne, literally, around here.

What do they do to it to make it worth that much ?

cheers,
Toddy........who has just remembered the huge pan of drying boiled up fomes that she promised some folks..........need to refind the other thread

 

[timtom1]

could i buy some prepared amadou off you toddy?

 

[Mike Ameling]

In shelf and hoof mushrooms, there is a thin layer between the hard outer shell and the "gills" that make up most of the rest of the mushroom. For traditional Amadou, that layer is cut out, lightly hammered to "fluff it up" a bit, then soaked in a strong solution containing potassium nitrate. That PN then gets into the fibers. When it then dries out, it will catch a spark fairly fast, and burn ... actively! The PN adds oxygen to the sparks, so it really burns well and is hard to put out. Great for fire starting - especially with some damp tinder.

The Vikings got their potassium nitrate by boiling down urine to concentrate it. Then putting their future "amadou" in it to boil for a while until thoroughly saturated.

Fly fishing sight? I'll have to go follow the link to see just what they are using it for.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[ChrisW]

£10.90 !! for amadou the damned stuff grows on trees, it kills birch by the tonne, literally, around here.

What do they do to it to make it worth that much ?

cheers,
Toddy........who has just remembered the huge pan of drying boiled up fomes that she promised some folks..........need to refind the other thread

They sell it to fly fishermen. That's all they have to do.

Look it up in the dictionary, under the word 'mug' - it says 'a fly fisherman who's got a few quid to spare'

 

[Toddy]

could i buy some prepared amadou off you toddy?

Tell you what, pm me your address and I'll post you a fresh one and some boiled slices that you can beat and dry out for yourself.....or soak in saltpetre or anything else you like.
Just do someone a favour when you can and we'll call it a fair swap
Other members keep doing nice things for me, it's good I can keep the favour moving.

cheers,
M

 

[Mike Ameling]

Aaaah, they are using it like a sheet of CORK - to stick your fishing flies in, with the sheet of amadou then wicking moisture away to help dry the fishing flies.

So who really knows WHAT material they actually are using? Those are pretty large sheets to be that thin layer cut out of a shelf mushroom. I suspect they are just ... using ... the term. And I have ... doubts ... about it being able to be used to start fires with.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Kerne]

Apparently it does come from mushrooms and used to be used to insulate jackets - you learn something every day!

Try this and scroll down:
http://www.mwflytying.com/tools/petitjean.html

 

[inthewids]

I cut the small layers off, tease them out by pulling out lightly all round to thin it slightly, leave it in a lye mix overnight then take it out, dry it for a few days then take of the excess and walla!!

 

[BOD]

How do you get such big sheets from it.

I saw a photo somewhere of a cap made of amadou. Must take a month of pounding