i'm looking for marcasite

[storm]

does anyone have a lead on a marcasite supply! i've been looking for a few years, without any success. over here in the states, a lot of abos would very, very much like to get some. i'll certainly pay for it, plus shipping, etc. although flint and steel is neat, i don't want to use steel...

thank you!

 

[Keith_Beef]

does anyone have a lead on a marcasite supply! i've been looking for a few years, without any success. over here in the states, a lot of abos would very, very much like to get some. i'll certainly pay for it, plus shipping, etc. although flint and steel is neat, i don't want to use steel...

thank you!

I got hold of a nice sized chunk from a shop selling all sorts of "healing stones" in Paris... Minerales do Brasil. http://www.midobras.com/

In the US, similar shops, and those catering for mineral collectors would eb able to supply you.

http://mineral.galleries.com/scripts/item.exe?LIST+Minerals+Sulfides+Marcasite

Keith.

 

[Motorbike Man]

Are you sure it's Marcasite you want as the empirical test to distinguish Marcasite from the almost identical Iron Pyrites is that Marcasite does not throw a spark.

 

[Moonraker]

Are you sure it's Marcasite you want as the empirical test to distinguish Marcasite from the almost identical Iron Pyrites is that Marcasite does not throw a spark.

Looks like it is OK Jon. Check out this web page on the subject:

Tracker Trail - Fire From Two Stones - Marcasite & Flint

 

[Motorbike Man]

All I can say is good luck, I sell the stuff and Marcasite is not something I'll be trying

 

[Keith_Beef]

All I can say is good luck, I sell the stuff and Marcasite is not something I'll be trying

The link Moonraker posted mentions bashing the flint against the lump of marcasite twenty times, or so.

It works, but takes some perseverence.

If I've understood correctly,

• with a flint and steel, you're relying on the flint being hard enough to knock shards of white hot metal off the steel
• with iron pyrites and steel, you're trying to get shards of white hot iron from the pyrites,

Is this how it works?

I think that Storm is trying to recreate paleolithic firestarting techniques, so he doesn't want to use smelted metal like iron or steel; he just wants a hard mineral.

Maybe flint and pyrites, or pyrites and marcasite would be a useful combination?


Keith.

 

[storm]

I think that Storm is trying to recreate paleolithic firestarting techniques

quite correct. i wan't to excise modern iron from my doings (i'd love to try a meteorite out, though!).

i've had fantastic success starting fires with the one piece of marcasite i've had (in conjunction with a very dense flint). i think the rounded nodules of marcasite work infinitely better than any sort of cubic iron pyrite variety. the piece of marcasite i had was gold and silver colored...

 

[passengerplanetearth]

All I can say is good luck, I sell the stuff and Marcasite is not something I'll be trying

Excuse me? You SELL Marcasite? Did the original poster ever get back to you?

If you still sell it, I'm interested, could you please let me know?

all the best

Al.

 

[passengerplanetearth]

quite correct. i wan't to excise modern iron from my doings (i'd love to try a meteorite out, though!).

i've had fantastic success starting fires with the one piece of marcasite i've had (in conjunction with a very dense flint). i think the rounded nodules of marcasite work infinitely better than any sort of cubic iron pyrite variety. the piece of marcasite i had was gold and silver colored...

that was a sad tailing off of your message, storm, did you piece of marcasite go the same way as mine? I have loads of marcasite splinters now, not much use at all... Did you ever find what you wanted?

all the best

Al.

 

[Toddy]

This thread is now a very sad redundancy,

Storm was very ill, and recently took himself off into the woods and did not come back out.
Motorbikeman has resigned from the forums for personal reasons.

Could I ask that this thread is allowed to die, and you start another on the marcasite topic if you wish more information ?

cheers,
Toddy

 

[passengerplanetearth]

Sorry Toddy, of course I had no idea. Sad subject for you. Consider it dropped.

Al.