A sulphur match. That is to say a very thin bit of wood with a drop of suphur on the end of it. The heat from the char cloth lights the sulphur which in turn lights the wood, which you use as a match.
Char cloth
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In the UK more usually called a match or sulphur match once other sorts of match started becoming available. Basically its a long thin piece of wood (or straw, or strip of paper or even a thread ) which has been dipped in sulphur and was used in conjunction with tinder of some sort to transfer a flame from the glowing ember (no need to get a flame) to whatever you want to set alight.
The Chinese claim to have invented them but there are Roman references to them from a long time before that. They make life so much easier that they were pretty much universally used in Europe anywhere they could ship sulphur to from the Med or from Iceland once a regular trade from Iceland made the stuff cheap. Every area would have its match maker and seller.
If you don't have a garden centre to hand pet shops sell lumps of the processed stuff as a additive to dogs drinking water bowls. I've no idea why.
If you want char cloth that will practically light first time every time dip it an a potassium nitrate solution and allow to dry. One of these days I'll try dipping the char cloth in strong urine to see if that works. The crystals could be gathered from middens etc to use in gunpowder making in the early days so the stuffs been available from at least the 16th century and probably a lot earlier.
ATB
Tom
Oops, while I was typing that out someone gave a more succinct answer!
The Chinese claim to have invented them but there are Roman references to them from a long time before that. They make life so much easier that they were pretty much universally used in Europe anywhere they could ship sulphur to from the Med or from Iceland once a regular trade from Iceland made the stuff cheap. Every area would have its match maker and seller.
If you don't have a garden centre to hand pet shops sell lumps of the processed stuff as a additive to dogs drinking water bowls. I've no idea why.
If you want char cloth that will practically light first time every time dip it an a potassium nitrate solution and allow to dry. One of these days I'll try dipping the char cloth in strong urine to see if that works. The crystals could be gathered from middens etc to use in gunpowder making in the early days so the stuffs been available from at least the 16th century and probably a lot earlier.
ATB
Tom
Oops, while I was typing that out someone gave a more succinct answer!
Urine on charcloth is NOT to be recomemmed. I tried it a few times and it did not work well at all.
The owner of the camp site we where staying at called the police, saying I was exposing myself at a childrens camp fire and I got a twenty pound fine. YouTube even took the video down. When we ran out of cow dung for the wattle and daub demo, my idea was not well received and I have never been invited back.
The owner of the camp site we where staying at called the police, saying I was exposing myself at a childrens camp fire and I got a twenty pound fine. YouTube even took the video down. When we ran out of cow dung for the wattle and daub demo, my idea was not well received and I have never been invited back.
I found the best char cloth I ever got was from Morrison’s 100% Egyptian cotton face towels (other towels and shops are available no affiliation etc)
Anyway this has a nice texture, a little stretchy so it didn’t crumble like some char cloth I’ve made in the past.
I used to do work at an outdoor centre and I’d teach etc and it was my go to for charcloth,
Just my 2 pence
Anyway this has a nice texture, a little stretchy so it didn’t crumble like some char cloth I’ve made in the past.
I used to do work at an outdoor centre and I’d teach etc and it was my go to for charcloth,
Just my 2 pence
After years of service, my faithful cotton bandanna got too fragile to use. I didn't like to throw it away and left it stored with my kit. Then someone posted a tutorial on making charcloth and my old bandanna got a new lease of life and sits in my pack ready to kindle a new fire.
I hope they'll find a further use for my remains so I don't go to waste after I snuff it! Fertiliser maybe: my wife says I'm full of it.
I hope they'll find a further use for my remains so I don't go to waste after I snuff it! Fertiliser maybe: my wife says I'm full of it.
Hi George. I use this method often with flint and striker. Sometimes just to light a cigarette! Its always interesting watching peoples reaction. Usually they then want to try themselves (flint steel and charcloth not cigarette!!)
Aye it is great stuff, and cracking fun to have a play with. I was very impressed with how ridiculously easy it is to get an ember with a wee lense and a bit of British February sun!
Very thin wood, aromatic cedar works well, dipped in molten sulfur. The sulfur has a very low ignition temperature and will flame from the glow of charcloth. That flame gets the wood spill burning and Bob's your uncle.
The bottom of a can, left over from making alcohol stoves, works well to melt garden sulfur. Heat it over a candle. (Heating it over that alcohol stove will ignite the sulfur very quickly. DAMHIKT.)
Nineteenth-century sulfur matches were made the same way as shoe nails. Saw (rip) a block of wood down the end grain to create small square pegs. Leave the pegs attached to unsawn wood, just as paper matches are left on the stapled bit.
[Tried to post an image but I don't have a working host site. Photobucket went behind a paywall.]
Found them. Not trying to have a conversation with myself, rather posting the pics I wanted to post in the first place.
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