Wood Lore not "woodlore"

tenderfoot

Nomad
May 17, 2008
281
0
north west uk
I wonder if the poor burning nature of poplar as cited in these posts has any relevance to its use for making matches? i was always led to beleive poplars were grown especially to provide the wood to companys like bryant and may etc. anyone know about this? i have seen some threads on home made matches on this forum before.
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
I wonder if the poor burning nature of poplar as cited in these posts has any relevance to its use for making matches? i was always led to beleive poplars were grown especially to provide the wood to companys like bryant and may etc. anyone know about this? i have seen some threads on home made matches on this forum before.

poplar burns okay but very quick in my experience, which is why it is okay for matches but not fireplaces i presume, i have used it in my multifuel stove and it burned very fast and is reduced to ashes very quickly, it is very soft grained.
 

wingstoo

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
May 12, 2005
2,274
40
South Marches
I wonder if the poor burning nature of poplar as cited in these posts has any relevance to its use for making matches? i was always led to beleive poplars were grown especially to provide the wood to companys like bryant and may etc. anyone know about this? i have seen some threads on home made matches on this forum before.

One of my primary school teachers had a husband who worked for Bryant and May back in the early seventies, so we had a trip to one of their plantations of Poplar trees that were going to be going for match sticks...I would hazard a guess that when only 2mm or 3mm wide and dried out they are easy to burn, but I haven't had a chance to burn anything of "Log" size...
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
i have read this exact same description of ''woods for fuel'' on the backpackinglight site http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/wood-as-fuel.html does everyone agree it's an accurate description ?, for example i have found that ash burns better and with more flame than beech (perhaps mine wasn't seasoned enough though i though it was), also one tree is described as just ''Thorn'', which thorn tree would this be, clearly not hawthorn of blackthorn as they are described seperatley.
 

nephilim

Settler
Jul 24, 2014
871
0
Bedfordshire
I know its sort of on there, but Pine Fatwood (where the resin and oils have gone to the heart of the tree) makes an amazing flame and burn quite hot, and reasonably long lasting.
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
18
Scotland
I know its sort of on there, but Pine Fatwood (where the resin and oils have gone to the heart of the tree) makes an amazing flame and burn quite hot, and reasonably long lasting.
Oh boy does it burn hot! Melted the grate on the old fire when I burned a load of old pine "star roots" - where it's rotted down to a star shape and just really resinous wood. Can also use "pine knots", the hard stubs of branches that just knockout of rotted old pine logs.
 

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