Razor strop fungus

[atlatlman]

On Sunday I went for a walk in the woods and found two large razor strop fungus. I have heard they make great plasters and have a lot of medicinal properties. I cut my thumb a few weeks back making an atlatl and it was bleeding quite badly. I went to the house first aid box to get a plaster but they were useless. They kept coming unstuck every ten minutes and had hardly any absorbent padding. I must have got through about twelve before the bleeding stopped. What happened to the plasters we used years ago that stayed stuck and left a dark sticky gum on your finger for days after taking it off.

Sorry for going off topic. What I wanted to ask was can you cut the plasters in advance off the razor strop or do they have to be cut fresh? Will drying them out make it lose it's anti-sceptic properties? I soaked one of the plasters I made in water and I was surprised at how much water it held. I could have done with that plaster a few weeks back. LOL. Next time I go camping I am definitely taking some with me.

 

[Clouston98]

I've used it for a plaster before, really good! As the name suggests its a pretty good strop too, and I've charred it and it makes good tinder uncharted if sliced thinly and dried too!

I though that if you dried it out it would go hard, like it did when used as a plaster, but soaking it in water makes it soft and pliable again, so maybe you could use it as a plaster after it had been dried?

It's a great fungus and one that's always seems to be there, especially one birch trees with no top, so you could rely on finding one when out but that's very risky if you've gashed yourself. It's very useful though!

 

[atlatlman]

I've used it for a plaster before, really good! As the name suggests its a pretty good strop too, and I've charred it and it makes good tinder uncharted if sliced thinly and dried too!

I though that if you dried it out it would go hard, like it did when used as a plaster, but soaking it in water makes it soft and pliable again, so maybe you could use it as a plaster after it had been dried?

It's a great fungus and one that's always seems to be there, especially one birch trees with no top, so you could rely on finding one when out but that's very risky if you've gashed yourself. It's very useful though!

I've heard they are also good if you have worms The ice man otzi had some razor strop in his leather pouch. That'll teach him not to wash his hands.

 

[Clouston98]

I've heard they are also good if you have worms The ice man otzi had some razor strop in his leather pouch. That'll teach him not to wash his hands.

Lol! I hope I never have to use it for that!

 

[tom.moran]

what? you eat it to get rid of worms? are they edible?

 

[atlatlman]

what? you eat it to get rid of worms? are they edible?

I'm sure I read somewhere that you can make a tea with it. Don't take my word for it though.

 

[atlatlman]

Just found this.

http://www.iceman.it/en/node/288

 

[atlatlman]

I've used it for a plaster before, really good! As the name suggests its a pretty good strop too, and I've charred it and it makes good tinder uncharted if sliced thinly and dried too!

I though that if you dried it out it would go hard, like it did when used as a plaster, but soaking it in water makes it soft and pliable again, so maybe you could use it as a plaster after it had been dried?

It's a great fungus and one that's always seems to be there, especially one birch trees with no top, so you could rely on finding one when out but that's very risky if you've gashed yourself. It's very useful though!

I cut one of them into different size plasters and the other one I made into a razor strop. Had to use a carpentry saw to cut them, my knife just wouldn't do it.

 

[MarvTommo]

I read if you cut it with a knife it blunts the edge. Used a laplander saw to cut it in a strop which i have used a few times. Huge thing was the size of a frying pan!


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[atlatlman]

I read if you cut it with a knife it blunts the edge. Used a laplander saw to cut it in a strop which i have used a few times. Huge thing was the size of a frying pan!


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Even my machete wouldn't cut through it. I never realised how tough they were.

 

[John Fenna]

I harvest and process (slice and dry) masses of Birch Polypore for my Flint and Steel kits.
I just use my normal belt knife and have never had a problem.
Fresh the fungus slices like meat, dried it slices like hard EVA foam.
If you have probs cutting it then
A/ you have misidentified the fungus
B/ have a very blunt knife (which is perhaps why you wanted a Razor Strop fungus in the first place!)
After slicing up about 6 BPPs I then simply use some of the fungus to strop the edge of my knife back to a good edge.

 

[atlatlman]

I harvest and process (slice and dry) masses of Birch Polypore for my Flint and Steel kits.
I just use my normal belt knife and have never had a problem.
Fresh the fungus slices like meat, dried it slices like hard EVA foam.
If you have probs cutting it then
A/ you have misidentified the fungus
B/ have a very blunt knife (which is perhaps why you wanted a Razor Strop fungus in the first place!)
After slicing up about 6 BPPs I then simply use some of the fungus to strop the edge of my knife back to a good edge.

Thanks for the tips. I went wrong by cutting it a bit too thick for use as a razor strop.

 

[tom.moran]

can you guys put some pictures up of how you cut these for use as a strop

 

[atlatlman]

can you guys put some pictures up of how you cut these for use as a strop

Here you go.

[video=youtube;pgp1apsQhXE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgp1apsQhXE[/video]

 

[tom.moran]

great! thanks

 

[atlatlman]

Yesterday I was wondering what else I could do with some of the birch polypore I had left over and thought why not try making some as a wick. So I cut a slim piece about double the thickness of a matchstick and three inches long. I then made a small bowl out of kitchen foil and poured a small amount of vegetable oil into the bottom and then placed in the wicks. I then left it for a few minutes to soak before lighting. I expected it to smoke black and burn down like a rocket fuse but it lasted for 35 minutes with no smoke or odour at all. I was really surprised with the end result. The birch polypore is one amazing fungus.:You_Rock_

 

[Elgatoloco]

Their smoke is also great as insect repellant, only thing is you need to cut really fine pieces, as sometimes the thicker ones won't smoulder so easily.
Btw. On the day of harvesting this bad boy I cut my finger really badly, so I can guarantee that it works well as a plaster

They are not great tinder, however what I do I just soak some small pieces in saltpetre and it works like a charm, catching even the tiniest spark

 

[atlatlman]

I have mine drying out on my windowsill. Is that ok?

 

[Elgatoloco]

I have mine drying out on my windowsill. Is that ok?

That's what I do, or not to close to radiator, so it can dry slowly without bending, make sure to flip it every day.

 

[atlatlman]

That's what I do, or not to close to radiator, so it can dry slowly without bending, make sure to flip it every day.

Thanks for that.