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Fewmets ... gunpowder ... deer droppings ... and John Fenna

Elen Sentier

Elen Sentier

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 8, 2012
4,197
2
Kingdom of Ergyng (Herefordshire)
www.elensentier.co.uk
Did you know ... Dragon fewmets are often the source of gunpowder in such books and games, allowing black-powder weapons into the fantasy genre ... ??? I immediately thought of John as I believe he is our particular wizard in this regard.

This all came about from searching for the correct word to describe deer droppings - can anyone help with that? I was hoping for some word like spraint ... Dougster, any comments ???

However finding that you can make balck powder from dragon fewmets I found utterly fascinating and am now hot on the trail of making silver bullets to fire with this magical stuff. No doubt i shall need to be making both bullets and gun for the cutomary year-and-a-day ??? All advice and suggestions gratefully received :D
 
santaman2000

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,120
67
Florida
The normal term for deer "droppings" is deer scat. Same for bear scat, etc. As far as I know black powder can only be made with charcoal, sulpher, and saltpeter (potassium nitrate)
 
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British Red

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,872
2,112
Mercia
The source of saltpetre was traditionally guano from bats and birds. It was also made from urine (bovine and human) using a process caleed the nitre bed. No reason not to suppose the excrement of other creatures would work with a suitable process.

Silver bullets are moderately more problematic as pure silver is rather too hard to grip the rifling. In a muzzle loading rifle, paper patching would work, in a modern rifle a sabot would be ideal. In a shotgun, plain balls of silver would be fine.

[/nerd]
 
santaman2000

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,120
67
Florida
British Red said:
The source of saltpetre was traditionally guano from bats and birds. It was also made from urine (bovine and human) using a process caleed the nitre bed. No reason not to suppose the excrement of other creatures would work with a suitable process.

Silver bullets are moderately more problematic as pure silver is rather too hard to grip the rifling. In a muzzle loading rifle, paper patching would work, in a modern rifle a sabot would be ideal. In a shotgun, plain balls of silver would be fine.

[/nerd]
Click to expand...

Might work in an unrifled musket as well.
 
R

realearner

Forager
Sep 26, 2011
200
0
kent
Elen Sentier said:
Did you know ... Dragon fewmets are often the source of gunpowder in such books and games, allowing black-powder weapons into the fantasy genre ... ??? I immediately thought of John as I believe he is our particular wizard in this regard.

This all came about from searching for the correct word to describe deer droppings - can anyone help with that? I was hoping for some word like spraint ... Dougster, any comments ???

However finding that you can make balck powder from dragon fewmets I found utterly fascinating and am now hot on the trail of making silver bullets to fire with this magical stuff. No doubt i shall need to be making both bullets and gun for the cutomary year-and-a-day ??? All advice and suggestions gratefully received :D
Click to expand...

Sorry am I missing something here very confused :confused:
 
H

Huon

Native
May 12, 2004
1,327
1
Spain
Fewmets ... gunpowder ... deer droppings ... and John Fenna

These are a few of my favourite things....
 
Goatboy

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
18
Scotland
santaman2000 said:
The normal term for deer "droppings" is deer scat. Same for bear scat, etc. As far as I know black powder can only be made with charcoal, sulpher, and saltpeter (potassium nitrate)
Click to expand...

Scat is good but one of the words we used was spoor though it doesn't just relate to poo, it can also mean other form of trace like tracks or scent. But mainly poo.
 
boatman

boatman

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 20, 2007
2,444
8
78
Cornwall
In a Louis L'Amour western novel a women cooks "bear sign" that attract cowboys from all over. It seems that hot grease and flour were involved so I assume some sort of doughnut. Anyone over there know why they might be called bear sign. Were they like bear droppings or its tracks perhaps? Always wondered.
 
santaman2000

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,120
67
Florida
Goatboy said:
Scat is good but one of the words we used was spoor though it doesn't just relate to poo, it can also mean other form of trace like tracks or scent. But mainly poo.
Click to expand...

Yeah I've heard spoor too. With exactly the definition you give. It's not a real common word over here (outside Tarzan novels) and we normally think of it as the scent or tracks though.
 
santaman2000

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,120
67
Florida
boatman said:
In a Louis L'Amour western novel a women cooks "bear sign" that attract cowboys from all over. It seems that hot grease and flour were involved so I assume some sort of doughnut. Anyone over there know why they might be called bear sign. Were they like bear droppings or its tracks perhaps? Always wondered.
Click to expand...

Bear "sign" would be the same thing Goatboy describes as "spoor."

What LL novel was that? I'd like to read that one.
 
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