Iron pyritese

[IntrepidStu]

Excuse my spelling, But has anyone had any experience of firelighting with flint and iron pyryte. I will be going to hillborogh (again with the spelling) island, on the wiral I think, at the weekend and am going to try to find some, as well as some flint.

Also, has anyone got any pictures of flint or the Iron ..... (I give up), stuff that will help me identify it amongst all the pebbles.

 

[andy_e]

Have tried it and it works, the sparks I got tended to be a little duller and fewer in number than with a steel but that may have been down to my technique.

 

[Phil562]

Been after a piece of this for a while now, if anybody could help that would be great

 

[uncle_stuffy]

Iron pyrites (or fools gold) looks like gold when it is first exposed but the pyrite crystals are actually cubic in shape. You can get sea bed pyrites but PM for more info. Pyrites does rot after a while (oxidation) but I do have some at home (somewhere!). Otherwise call into a shop that sells gems but the samples there are very small. If you think there is much of a call for it, I will source where it occurs naturally and harvest it.

Let me know.

Regards

Laurie

 

[IntrepidStu]

Iron pyrites (or fools gold) looks like gold when it is first exposed but the pyrite crystals are actually cubic in shape. You can get sea bed pyrites but PM for more info. Pyrites does rot after a while (oxidation) but I do have some at home (somewhere!). Otherwise call into a shop that sells gems but the samples there are very small. If you think there is much of a call for it, I will source where it occurs naturally and harvest it.

Let me know.

Regards

Laurie

If I were to look along the shoreline for it, what should I be looking for (shape, colour, etc).
Is it a gold colour straight away or is is only golden on the inside??

 

[uncle_stuffy]

On the shore line, where conditions are right, they are long dark brown lumpy "pebbles" about 2 inches in diam. some round and some oblong. With a hammer, break them open and you will see that the crystals are radial ie there is a little blob in the middle and lines going to the outside. I might have some at home if you are interested somewhere

 

[IntrepidStu]

On the shore line, where conditions are right, they are long dark brown lumpy "pebbles" about 2 inches in diam. some round and some oblong. With a hammer, break them open and you will see that the crystals are radial ie there is a little blob in the middle and lines going to the outside. I might have some at home if you are interested somewhere

Thanks for the offer, but I realy want to hunt them down for myself. Besides that, the postage would be massive

 

[uncle_stuffy]

Goodluck. I'll check my Geological log to see where I found them - probably in the dorest region I memory serves - it is a long time ago now!!!!!

 

[Phil562]

Uncle Stuffy you have PM

 

[Mike Ameling]

Using flint and iron pyrite to start a fire was done for centuries. The archeological digs have found lots of pieced of iron pyrite with a "groove" wore into it, and things that look like a flint knife blade but with one edge fairly worn back/smooth.

But it is far harder to get a fire started with them. The sparks are a lot harder to get, far less numerous, and far "cooler" when you do get them. But with a bunch of experience, it gets easier. And it is considered a "step up" from fire by friction. Having some GOOD material to catch those few dull cool sparks is the key - like charred wood/clothe/mushroom or tinder fungus.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Galemys]

Here´s another thread about this method, it has a link with some pictures:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31641

Cheers,

Tom