cramp balls advice please

[treadlightly]

Over the weekend, it being so dry, I thought it was a good time to practice lighting a fire using a cramp ball and flint and steel.

Although I used them twice and it worked both times, it took a very long time to get a spark to "take" on the cramp ball on each occasion.

The fungus was dry and I had split it so the sparks hit the ridged inside rather than the smoother outer surface. Lots of sparks hit the surface but made no impression until eventually one hit home. I was left with the feeling that it must be more efficient than this and that I was doing something wrong or at least could be doing something better.

Any advice please on how I can make the process more efficient?

 

[Mesquite]

What were you using to 'ignite' the cramp ball? A traditional flint and steel or a fire steel?

Normally they're used as a 'spark extender' so you light a bit of char cloth or the like, apply it to the cramp ball then when it takes to your tinder bundle.

 

[treadlightly]

Aha! That explains a lot. So best with char cloth rather than on their own? I was using a fire steel so the sparks were hot.

What were you using to 'ignite' the cramp ball? A traditional flint and steel or a fire steel?

Normally they're used as a 'spark extender' so you light a bit of char cloth or the like, apply it to the cramp ball then when it takes to your tinder bundle.

 

[Mesquite]

Aha! That explains a lot. So best with char cloth rather than on their own? I was using a fire steel so the sparks were hot.

Ah right... I thought you might have been using a flint and steel.

It should have taken without much trouble with a fire steel. I know you said the fungus was dry but was it recently harvested and felt dry or had you dried it for some time?

 

[The Big Lebowski]

They do take a traditional flint spark better if you put your knifepoint into the underside and 'drill' to make a fine powder a little, same go's with a ferro rod If its proving trickey to take...
Strike the spark onto the powder resting the cramp ball upside down.

You still have to work for it though but thats half the fun!

hth, al.

 

[treadlightly]

Ah right... I thought you might have been using a flint and steel.

It should have taken without much trouble with a fire steel. I know you said the fungus was dry but was it recently harvested and felt dry or had you dried it for some time?

Harvested some time ago and kept dry in the interim.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Just go easy on collecting them. A certain weevil - platyrhinus resinosus relies on these and aren't particularly abundant in numbers. You certainly don't need to use a whole one as fingernail sized piece is enough to get a decent ember to transfer to your tinder.

 

[treadlightly]

Thanks mesquite and lebowski for those tips.