Self indicating try tinder.

[Wayland]

I was lighting a fire the other day while in Viking mode and a member of the public (who later turned out to be a scout master) was amazed to see me using a couple of pine cones for kindling.

I have used these things so long it never occurred to me that other people might not know how good they are for lighting fires.

I tend to pick one or two up and drop them into my pocket when they are closed. When they are open they are like ready made fuzz sticks.

 

[Moonraker]

Nice tip Wayland. Often the simple ones what are the best. We go out with the kids and make a game of collecting them and then use them for lighting the log burner during the winter. Nice organic firelighters

Reminds me that whilst out during a fairly hot day a few weeks ago on the Causse (limestone plateau) where it is 99% juniper, I passed a Scots Pine and was amazed by the noise the cones were making as they opened in the heat. Seemingly all at once, it was quite clear to hear. Like putting your ear to a bowl of 'Rice Krispies'

BTW, what is the larger of the two bone handled knives on your web site? Saxon? Do you have any links to info on those. Lovely work and good looking web site

 

[RovingArcher]

Yep, great firestarter. When the wife and I lived in the Sierra Mtns., we gathered boxes of them every year to get the home fires burning quickly on cold mornings.

 

[Wayland]

BTW, what is the larger of the two bone handled knives on your web site? Saxon? Do you have any links to info on those. Lovely work and good looking web site

It started life as a victorian kitchen knife but now does good service as a leatherworking knife for the period. Such knives are usually identified by archeaologists because of their thin blade profile. I reshaped it and set it in an antler handle.

I use it during leatherworking displays like this one at Borg on Lofoten

 

[Toddy]

A bit off topic

Pine cones....I know it's possible to buy stuff to paint them with to make *pretty* fires, but has anyone got any idea what's in the dust/paint or what else we could use to make coloured flames? Similarly, coloured wicks for candles. Got an idea for Beltane

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[bombadil]

I've been working in the forests here in Portugal, and everyone uses them. Two cones from Pinus pinaster and a couple of logs of Cork oak as thick as Tysons arm and Hey Presto!-instant roaring blaze. People here don't seem to need tinder or any other kindling, and they laughed at me when I set about building a fire in the usual way we do in Blighty!

 

[Moonraker]

It started life as a victorian kitchen knife but now does good service as a leatherworking knife for the period. Such knives are usually identified by archeaologists because of their thin blade profile. I reshaped it and set it in an antler handle.

I use it during leatherworking displays like this one at Borg on Lofoten

Thanks for the info. It looks a very useful knife especially with that curved antler handle.

 

[Wayland]

Just thought I would share a little tip that Toddy gave me at the last Dark Age Meet.

She gave me one of these which is such a simple idea I feel like and idiot for not thinking of it myself.

It's just a pine cone tied with a bit of string and dipped into melted wax.

I use left over old candle stubs that just get thrown into a pot and melted down from time to time.

The remains of the string make a wick for lighting it and as a test I burned this one on it's own and it kept a good flame for about ten minutes, good enough for most fire lighting jobs by my reckoning.

Not backpacking stuff perhaps but useful on a longer term camp.

 

[lab72]

Been using pine cones for years great tinder ! love the idea of dipping them in wax

 

[ged]

...has anyone got any idea what's in the dust/paint or what else we could use to make coloured flames?

You can get strong colours from metals in flames. Sodium (yellow) potassium (purple) copper (blue-green) so if you dissolve metal salts in water and soak the cones and then dry them you should see something. I can't give any guarantees, this is from the school chemistry lab 40-odd years ago. I haven't tried it with anything like a pine cone -- nowadays if I want a flame it isn't for show!

 

[pango]

Hi Wayland, you're absolutely right in saying that some things we do regularly and take as obvious can be a revelation to others. It may not be so obvious if you live in an area without pine/fir trees.

The gathering of pine-cones was for centuries a means of subsistence in Scotland. I remember coming across documents in the National Library relating to wagon loads of pine-cones being delivered to Edinburgh from Perthshire in the 1700's. It probably had something to do with foraging rights, whereas the cutting of timber may well have lead to "a gibbet's tassle" (a hanging). It seems to have been a practice which had gone on for centuries, which may go partly towards explaining the demise of the great Caledonian Forest, although tar making, charcoal and lime burning and iron works, in places now renowned for their scenic beauty, from about 1700 until relatively recently probably makes that and The Great Sheep less significant with regard to deforestation.

Cone gathering still continues in the Middle East, it's a profession in Turkey, although is probably a necessity in many less wealthy countries!

Have you ever read The Cone Gatherers by Robin Jenkins? A dark tale of the new versus the old, of domination, deceit, betrayal and murder. A typically cheery Scottish number which I can recommend!

Sliante!

 

[ScotchDave]

Sorry to be thick, but how do you light these? I can't see them taking sparks from flint and steel?

Dave

 

[EdS]

Teasles dipped in wax are also very good fire lighters.

We get loads of midges & mozzies ate home this time of the year. So put a few pine cones in an old mini chimera thingy (one of the pot ones that had candles in). Light the cones, then once alight blow them out so they smoulder -- the smoke keeps most of the little sods away.

 

[superc0ntra]

Thanks for the tip

 

[Wayland]

Sorry to be thick, but how do you light these? I can't see them taking sparks from flint and steel?

Dave

Sorry, I suppose kindling would have been a better title wouldn't it.

 

[ScotchDave]

Sorry, I suppose kindling would have been a better title wouldn't it.

Thanks Wayland, makes more sense that way! Was worried I was having "a moment". Sounds like a good idea, I'll remember it.

Dave

 

[Melonfish]

grab some of SWMBO's cotton wool pads, they take a spark fantastically well. just peel one open to reveal the fluffy stuff, wedge into a cone or between two and strike.
small fire going in 30 seconds

gonna give this a try at the weekend btw simon, i like the idea of wax dipped cones! got lots of candle stubs and bits left over in the bottom of tealights.