feather sticks

[Biddlesby]

Something dry and seasoned. Ray says "in particular wood that is white", but I don't quite see why it would matter. I believe willow works well, and I've had success with pine (although they may have been treated).

[edit] Have managed a couple of times to get a feather stick lit with a firesteel, but it wasn't really worth the chunks of firesteel that were scraped away to get that final magic spark.

 

[Topcat02]

...unless your name's Ray

I managed to get dry kindling to light from a firesteel, but it had been dry stored for about 6 months previously.

 

[Stuart]

I find the most important point to remember when making feather sticks, is to use more force to press the bevel flat against the surface of the wood than you are using to push the blade forwards.

Lock the wrist, flex the elbow and push down with your upper body, using most of the force to press the bevel flat against the wood and the rest to push it down in one smooth movement.

also if you angle the blade at 45% or use the curved section of the blade the feathers will curl more, you can also encourage more curls by alternating the blade 45% point up for one cut then 45% point down for the next, this causes the curls to spill of to the left and the right which makes them bunch up nicely.

remember that feather sticking is easier with a single flat bevel as it is easier to keep the bevel flat against the wood with the necessary force.

it is possible to light a feather stick with a firesteel, when you have made your feather stick, add a number very small (a few millimetres in diameter) extremely fine, tightly curled feathers in the split behind the last feather. This series of tiny fine feather is where you need to direct your sparks.

I have found the best wood for producing feather sticks is driftwood picked up on the beach which is bone dry, hard, grey/white in colour and deeply checked.

(it doesnt seem to matter what wood it was before it ended up as drift wood as process of being at sea appears to turn almost all wood into supurb fire wood)

 

[falling rain]

You'll not get far trying to light a featherstick directly with a firesteel, no matter how well feathered it is or what the wood is. You need a better tinder to start with - birch bark and thistledown is my usual choice. The sparks light the tinder, the tinder lights the featherstick(s), then on to larger sticks.

Have to disagree with you there gregorach.

It definately IS possible to light feather sticks from a firesteel. you need things to be right however. Namely - very fine shavings on the sticks and closely bunched. The right wood (pine and cedar work well), and a good striker and technique (as with most things in bushcraft)
I've been practicing this a fair bit recently. A knife that produces good sparks from your firesteel is very important and the striker that comes with the firesteel are in my opinion not that great.
I use the back of my NL5 idun fallkniven and get fantastic sparks from that. easily enough to light the shavings. I know the woodlore knife produces good sparks too and people with more knowledge than me on knives could probably recommend others that give equally good sparks. It's all about practice..........As everything is

 

[tyrcian]

thanks, I've never actually made a firestick but next time I'm out in the woods practicing the wonderful art of bushcraft I'll give it a go

 

[gregorach]

Have to disagree with you there gregorach.

It definately IS possible to light feather sticks from a firesteel. you need things to be right however. Namely - very fine shavings on the sticks and closely bunched. The right wood (pine and cedar work well), and a good striker and technique (as with most things in bushcraft)

Yeah, my mistake has already been pointed out, and spurred on by this thread, I have subsequently managed to do it myself with a little practice...

 

[Shinken]

This is will cause responce

But i find Scandi grinds on knives much easier than convex when making feathersticks! I find it bites into the wood better. Just my experiance and i garuntee others will have differing experience. :sad6:

 

[nooky]

This is will cause responce

But i find Scandi grinds on knives much easier than convex when making feathersticks! I find it bites into the wood better. Just my experiance and i garuntee others will have differing experience. :sad6:

Shinken are you trying to cause trouble again.