Friction-Firelighting method on telly (South Pacific)

[Joonsy]

Hi, i was watching a programme called South Pacific on sunday night on BBC2, the natives used a friction firelighting method i haven't seen before, they seemed to be using something like a length of leather (not sure excactly what though, may have been root or something) ends held in each hand and pulled back and forth fast underneath a piece of wood with the tinder placed beneath wood, they did not use a drill at all, at the time i had visitors so was distracted and may have missed something, did anyone see it or know of the technique they used.

 

[Asa Samuel]

I think it's the fire thong http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCnLByXGO8o&feature=related

I've been looking for it too, should've thought about youtube

 

[Melonfish]

aye i caught that the other night too. odd one wannit?

 

[Asa Samuel]

I've seen pictures of it in ray mears essential bushcraft but I don't remember seeing an explenation of it, it seems like quite a good way of doing things.

 

[Joonsy]

I think it's the fire thong http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCnLByXGO8o&feature=related

I've been looking for it too, should've thought about youtube

Thanks for link Asa Samuel, unforunatley i'm having difficulty with you-tube at present for some reason so can't watch it, will try again later though, it seemed an unusual method but clearly worked well, i couldn't see how the ''coal'' collected, would be interested to know full set-up of method and materials.

 

[Asa Samuel]

In the youtube video he uses a split down peice of rattan as the "thong" then a peice of wood maybe three or four fingers-width wide and one fingers width thick laid flat down slightly split at one end just enough to fit a small wedge in then the thong just behind the wedge so it is underneath the split.

That wasn't the best explenation, it's pretty simple when you see it

 

[Joonsy]

In the youtube video he uses a split down peice of rattan as the "thong" then a peice of wood maybe three or four fingers-width wide and one fingers width thick laid flat down slightly split at one end just enough to fit a small wedge in then the thong just behind the wedge so it is underneath the split.

That wasn't the best explenation, it's pretty simple when you see it

Thanks i understand that perfectly, good description actually, i imagine coal collects in split. after googling it appears to be a method common in the tropics. Thanks. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#PPA87,M1

 

[spamel]

It seems the rattan is the important piece, somebody tried using the technique a while back using vines and ivy here in UK IIRC. Nothing was substantial enough to work, so rattan must be really strong and abrasion resistant.

 

[Asa Samuel]

Yeah, the rattan does seen important, apparrently you can use green bamboo too.

 

[BOD]

bryanr started a thread on this a few years ago.

the types of rattan etc are discussed here along with a heap of links from galemys

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10517&highlight=Papua+Guinea

How is the green bamboo used? Not in a fire saw?

 

[Galemys]

How is the green bamboo used? Not in a fire saw?

Hi all,

An article on this technique by American Barry Keegan ("Making and using a fire thong apparatus") says that the 'green bamboo' is used in advance; flexible strips of bamboo are pulled of the green stalk and left to dry. If you try to do this with dry (brown or grey) bamboo it will be too brittle.
There are many kinds of rattan and not all species are tough enough to withstand the abuse of this technique.

I can mail the Keegan article and some others on the fire thong to anyone interested, just send me an E-mail at t.lourensXsanquin.nl (replace the X with @)

Cheers,

Tom

 

[BOD]

must be long strips so does that mean long internodes???

 

[Galemys]

must be long strips so does that mean long internodes???

From the Keegan-article:
"bamboo is best when fresh dried, and of a green color. If it's yellow, beige or brownish, save it for a fire saw. The 8-mm thick strip is best if the nodes are farther apart than 7 inches so you don't have to try pulling the node-bulge through the hearth board. bamboo is more brittle and doesn't let you reuse the thong much but it makes a very fast fire!"

Cheers,

Tom

 

[Purdy Bear]

page 81 of Ray Mears Bushcraft book has a drawing of it.

I hope it doesnt cause blisters!

 

[trekkingnut]

my personal vid on this:

[video=youtube;qCSNp0nlTOY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCSNp0nlTOY[/video]