Horses Hoof Fungus

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Oct 16, 2003
154
3
57
Surrey
I got back from the Highlands last week. While up there I went foraging through a birch tree wood at the back of a friends house with the specific purpose of trying to find horses hoof fungus. It is the first opportunity I have had to find some in its native environment. My 10 year old spotted the one I eventually brought home and then we spotted some higher up, but couldn't reach them without damaging the living trees.

Anyway, I cut away the cuticle, boiled for 24 hours (over 4 nights) and then hammered it flat and dried it. I haven't reboiled in hardwood ash or added salt petre, but simply fluffed up the surface a bit and dropped a spark on. To my delight I was successful first time and the ember is far hotter than the cotton charcloth I have have previously produced.

I tell you, I feel like I've achieved something.

I've asked my friend to send me some more fungus when he has removed the larger higher ones, as there is something strangely therapuetic and satisfying in the process.
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
That would be greatly appreciated. I am interested in all aspects of firelighting and have figured out friction with bow, but I now want to make a start on the fungi. I got some crampballs when I came back to the UK last year which I still have a bit left, as I haven't found it here. It is apparently very rare outside of Britain, but I am very interested in the production of amadou.

I have spotted what I believe to be razor strop, a very large white bracket on the side of a silver birch which I am sure there is a post about it being used to start fires, and I know that Fomes Fomentarius does grow here in Germany, although I haven'e found any near here yet. I visited a place near Hameln, of Pied Piper fame, that had allsorts of animals in a woodland enviornment. Part of the walk was a fungi walk, where you saw all sorts of different fungi growing on the ground and on dead wood. After going through the fungi walk, I started seeing them throughout the reserve, but I couldn't start chopping the place up!

After I find some, I intend to make my own amadou, as I think it would be another great tool in my quest for fire!
 

qweeg500

Forager
Sep 14, 2003
162
1
55
Hampshire
I've recently found a horses hoof fungus on a decaying log - possibly beech, in my local woods in North Hampshire.
It's pretty small so I'm not that hopefull it will yield much amadou but I'm giving it a go.
I've cut away the hard top surface and the spongy mass from inside leaving a mid brown, rock hard shell shaped sheet. It's been soaking in a bucket of water for a couple of days but alas it's still hard as nails.
I'll give it a a week or so and maybe try boiling if I get too impatient.

Anyone know if we can paste in pics to BCUK yet?

Matt
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
I found quite a bit of fomes on trips during the Great Crash, and had a go at producing amadou. Some of it came out well, some other stuff is a bit brittle but seems to do the job. An expert tutorial would still be greatly appreciated!!

Spamel
 
B

bombadil

Guest
bushbasher said:
Great stuff! I only wish we had Horses Hoof growing down here in Wales. :wink:

I have found horses' hoof in the Aberystwyth and Snowdonia areas before now on old Beech. Anybody else know anything about it's distribution in Europe?
 

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