Fomes fomentaria

[jakunen]

Ok, managed to get myself a couple of these fungi from a tree outside one of the offices I work in. There were three on one, quite healthy tree.
But the question is...
How do you prepare them for use as tinder?
I know you only use one layer of the flesh, but I've had a look in a few books, Including on by TMN, and can't seem to find otu how to prep it.
HELP!!!!

 

[Paganwolf]

these look like birch polipor(?),did they come from a birch? need to be dead and dry before there much use for tinder ect, they go black and hard with a velvety texture on the upper part the underneith being the woody support for the bracket fungus.

 

[jakunen]

Yes, they were on a silver birch. I'm still learning my fungi so I may have mis-identified them.
But I thought that the Birch Polypor (Piptoporus betulinus), was more bracket shaped and tan on the upper surface whereas the Horse's Hoof Fungus (Fomes fomentaria) was shaped more like a horse's hoof, hence the common name and more of a creamy colour...

 

[Paganwolf]

only going off the top of my head i know they are birch fungus, and there not much cop till dead and dry, ill have a look in my fungi book n varify it, if i can get home in time!!i think you are right though, i think the polypor is more bracket like, no im sure your right :roll: these may be young form Formes i saw loads in the wood near me the weekend.

 

[jakunen]

Any help would be appreciated.

It's a shame that we can't do the same here as they do in France. Apparently you can take fungi into chemists and they will ID them for you...

 

[TheViking]

I prepared my first horses hoof fungus, by letting it dry and then sliced it into slices. These were dipped in lampoil and dried further. They are not that good, but I have now charred them! It works a lot better...

 

[steve a]

Jakunen, that a Piptoporus betulinus,aka birch polypore aka razor strop fungus, to my knowledge no good as tinder but can be used as a strop when sliced and mounted on a wooden board or as a plaster for cuts, or cut to form a circular pad with a hole in the middle for blisters. Also used to be soaked in saltpeter and used as a fuse.

 

[Paganwolf]

should trust my first thoughts, :rolmao:

 

[Realgar]

birch polypore aka razor strop fungus, to my knowledge no good as tinder but can be used as a strop when sliced and mounted on a wooden board

I also use it as a polishing pad for stones. I've seen several references to its use as tinder but I can't figure out how it would have been used unless that arises out of confusion with the use of it in fuses. Soaked in weak saltpetre it might hold an ember well like lighting the corner of a whole horse hoof fungus.

Realgar

 

[jakunen]

Damn! Oh, well guess I can still use it to polish the jewellery I make, so it's not a complete loss...

 

[george]

Dry it out and cut it into strips - lights easily and burns well - with a sooty oily black flame' a bit like burning strips of inner tube. Doesn't hold a spark well but thin strips of it burn nicely once you've got a flame.

George

 

[jakunen]

Cheers George.

 

[Roving Rich]

I've used it when dead and dry, to extend a coal from a bowdrill. Its very difficult to put out one smoldering though. I have also used its smoke to get rid of mossies.

The Horse hoof fungus is supposed to be quite rare down south.
Again i believe it is a bracket fungus, but builds up in layers one on top of the other. So has this ridged layered edge to it, with only the top layer being alive. Talking to a guy at the WG, its this top layer that you need, and it has to be soaked in Salt peter or stale horses pee. Then dryed , and works best charred. I dunno the ins and outs of it, and we had a job getting to light from a flint and steel. - If i ever find some (likes Beech trees apparently) I'll look the guy up and find out...

Cheers
Rich

 

[grahamclayton99]

I have regularly taken Birch Polypore, disregard the outer skin and pores underneath, Cut the middle in to 1cm thin slices and thread on a string, hang in warm environment to dry for a couple of day's.

A slice of this fungus will now easily take a spark from firesteel, dont expect flames though, it will only smoulder but this can easily be blown in to flames with some tinder.

Fomes Formentarius (which grows on birch and beech in the north, very few records of it being found in south), the process / preparation of this fungus you speak of is called Amadou, a search on this word should yeald instructions.

Hope this post has been of some use.

 

[tomtom]

Ok, managed to get myself a couple of these fungi from a tree outside one of the offices I work in. There were three on one, quite healthy tree.
But the question is...
How do you prepare them for use as tinder?
I know you only use one layer of the flesh, but I've had a look in a few books, Including on by TMN, and can't seem to find otu how to prep it.
HELP!!!!

am i missing something or is not the picture intended to illustrate this thread?

 

[hootchi]

Im slightly confused. Maybe the picture has changed recently if it was linked to another site :?: Im no computor buff so I dont know how it works!! :shock: :?: :shock: :?: :shock: :?: :shock: :?:

No-one mentioned it earlier so i think it used to be the correct picture. :?:

 

[steve a]

Hay Jak pick me a couple up next time you pass that tree mate :biggthump

 

[tomtom]

Hay Jak pick me a couple up next time you pass that tree mate :biggthump

:rolmao:

i think the image URL must have changed since then.. what are the chances :?:

 

[jakunen]

Whilst quite nice, NO! that was not the orignal set of pictures I downloaded from my camera!!!

God only knows what some prankster has done there!

Whoever it was, please forward her phone number and vital statistics. LOL

Original pic:

 

[hootchi]

Wherever that lady was she has now got some, as she may call it, mouldy fungi where her picture was :?: :rolmao: