Flamers natural firelighters

[mick91]

Picked up a box of flamers natural firelighters from http://www.certainlywood.co.uk/flamers and was impressed enough to warrant a little review!
I know. Firelighters are firelighters, and firelighters are cheating. But these are a little different. For a start they're made of wood!
They come nicely packaged and arrived in good time. The box was bigger than I expected, as are the lighters themselves

I was a little dubious at first as to how well they worked, but I can honestly say they burn brilliantly. Used one to light a woodgas stove running on twigs and it performed as well as if not a little better than the usual blocks of parraffin. And left no residue and burned with no smoke or smell.

After a quick phone call with company, I learned they are supposedly waterproof, handy. And I can confirm they are. To test and you all know I don't do things by halfs Ive submerged one in water since Monday and it lit first time with no issues bar a little spitting as the water boiled out of it

and burned away solidly just like a dry one.
The lighters themselves are made from wood wool, sustainably sourced in the UK, a nice touch. And soaked in a kind of wax. The website claims a burn time of 10 minutes, and they aren't far off

All in all a good product and they're staying in my tinder pouch. They seem to burn very hot and don't seem too sensitive to wind or water. And helped up have a backyard bushcrafty brew!

During the phone call I did mention our little corner of the internet and offered the possibility of a discount code with bcuk members, and seems a thoroughly nice fellow. They also worked nicely to light coal in the forge, and my wood burner. If you see them in a garden center I would recommend picking a box up, or they can be ordered online of you're interested (the delivery from big river trading is a little steep mind)

Oh and they also have this chap as a mascot, and I liked that too!

[video=youtube;_H1uZgkKmZs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H1uZgkKmZs&index=2&list=PLpBIqJS9_Na7Njs37_2UyOTf gM_WP4iIX[/video]

They do have a YouTube clip showing them working etc.

 

[mick91]

Also just realised you can't see the flames on the soaked one. But I assure you it was burning strong

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Given the postage is steep, would a group buy be worth while?

What's the dimensions of the box they come in?

J

 

[John Fenna]

They look pretty good.
Having had a look at their website the Flamers appear to be wood shavings - twisted into a "rope" - dipped in hot wax.
I make my own fire lighters from sawdust soaked in wax and that works pretty well too.
As my source of free wax has dried up I may investigate the flamers when my current supply of DIY firelighters runs out....

 

[mick91]

Given the postage is steep, would a group buy be worth while?

What's the dimensions of the box they come in?

J

140x120x250 (mm) for the 50 boxes. group buy is always an option. He's kindly offered free delivery on boxes of 200 to our members though. After seeing one light after 6 days underwater I do think they're worth it. Can't help but think chemical ones would have turned to a white sludge in that time

 

[bopdude]

Looks like a nice addition to a kit, you bring any to the NE meet Mick ?

 

[mick91]

They look pretty good.
Having had a look at their website the Flamers appear to be wood shavings - twisted into a "rope" - dipped in hot wax.
I make my own fire lighters from sawdust soaked in wax and that works pretty well too.
As my source of free wax has dried up I may investigate the flamers when my current supply of DIY firelighters runs out....

They're exactly that John. The twist is very tight on the inner layers though so they burn for an age. Reckon you could do the same kind of thing at home but simply not as well short of putting wood shavings in a lathe chuck like.

 

[mick91]

Looks like a nice addition to a kit, you bring any to the NE meet Mick ?

I will be Al aye give them a once over there mate good but of kit I have to say I was pleasantly surprised

 

[bopdude]

I'll take a look-see at the meet

 

[mick91]

I'll take a look-see at the meet

Aye not a bother. I'll stick a good few in my bag if anyone wants to try them at home too

 

[Willcurrie]

I've just bought a couple of bags of 60 from Amazon for my wood burner, when the arrived I immediately threw a couple into my tinder bag. A handy edition for anyone.

 

[spiritwalker]

just seen this i use these at home for the wood burner you can buy them in rightway if you have a nearby shop...

 

[spiritwalker]

Although they are not as good as the fire it up pine blocks i have as they take a spark from a ferro rod not sure if clas olsen still sells them as i bought 5 sacks a while back which are still going strong. Heres an old link to a review i did http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64102 which might help you identify the packet

 

[Chiseller]

i cant see the pics but they sound the same as these ?

i prefer homemade fire biscuits but here's my cheat....
pomegranate usually come in boxes lined with wood wool....
(Mr fenna....heres a couple of useful sources of free or dirt cheap wax...charity shops throw out part burnt and whole candles....small donation and they will save you them.....churches throw out alot of part burnt candles....very often really good candles with no soap in them ...tallow or high parrafin content are often used....again a small donation can secure a good bag full )
so get familiar with local fruit & veg shops melt your wax safely (very dangerous overheating wax) dip your wood wool in for a good coating....now compact your wood wool into a plastic tube of some sort....and let cool. or you could even insert a dried bramble or twig and do some spinning inside a tube to give you the twirl they have.
hey presto..cheap home made flamers....remember...practice & imagination can make improvements.....enjoy.

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[Chiseller]

They look pretty good.
Having had a look at their website the Flamers appear to be wood shavings - twisted into a "rope" - dipped in hot wax.
I make my own fire lighters from sawdust soaked in wax and that works pretty well too.
As my source of free wax has dried up I may investigate the flamers when my current supply of DIY firelighters runs out....

see above post John i also like to make fire cakes from sawdust and wax....take some breaking up if i use too deeper pan or over compress them ....

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[Toddy]

I think for folks that don't make their own, they'd work fine. Neat and tidy, no fuss.

For those who do…..there are multiple sources of cheap or free or left over wax, and dry pine cones soak it up and hold onto it in their crevices, very well indeed The pound stores sell cheap aluminium pots that hold and melt the scraps very tidily I find, though a washed out soup or beans tin does a good job too, and it doesn't cost a ha'penny

Wrap and knot a bit of string around one of the pineconesand it comes with it's own 'fuse' so to speak

M