Best Fuzz-stick knife

Any Blade that I have on me , usually the RC3 as bear pointed out...Great blade ,I also like my Bark rivers PSK or Mikro Canadian,SAK, BK11 becker necker,Swamp Rat warden ...ETC !
 
Well with all the pics, I figure I might as well add a few of mine!

Most of the time I use what ever Sak I'm carrying, this case it's a pioneer harvester

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Some times I'll use a traditional slip joint

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And as most have said, Moras and other scandi ground blades do well

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The old estwing does a pretty decent job as well!

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Well after making all the fuzz sticks, I thought I might as well use them, so out came the flint and steel.

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Sorry, I went a little overboard with the pics lol
 
Now this thread rocks! I love all the pictures.

It seems every week there is a new post about maya dust, or tinder quicks, or any other type of firestarter. That stuff is cool and all, but it stays in my kit for an emergency situation only. Doing stuff this way takes a little more prep, but is the way to go!

When you take wood that is wet, get to the center and make fine enough curls to get it going with only a firesteel.....now that is fun :)

Brian
 
i find that the profile of the blade, not necessarily the edge geometry, has more to do with the ability to fuzz.

i find that a knife with a slight continuous belly makes better fuzz sticks. the wood curls better with a belly, because the middle of the cut is deeper than the edges of the cut, so the wood is shaped like the cross section of a curly hair, ovoid shaped. therefore, it curls better.

that said, i find my best fuzz stick (and wood cutting knife in general) to be my laminated mora #1.
 
baldtaco-II said:
I don't believe the actual sharpness is as much an important factor as blade geometry. If I take a Stanly blade a scrub it against a rock so it is more blunt than some racing bike saddles it'll still fuzz sticks just fine. Conversely, I can take any one of a number of blades that are super sharp, but of thicker stock and grind, and they won't perform at that anywhere near as well.
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I have to agree with this. Grind thickness and edge geometry is most important for this task. As was shown, an axe can do fuzz stick if the edge geometry is right.
Dannyboy, awesome pic of the old timer. :thumbup:
Scott
 
Guys,

Thanks for all the replies and pics! I had tried my hand at making a fuzz stick to start a fire in our basement stove. Needless to say, it could have been a lot better :barf: so I thought the Wilderness/Survival forumites could set me straight:thumbup:
 
I would have to say all my mora's, my SAK's, and my old bucklite. I have used my Fiskars hatchet, but not enough to stay I'm proficient at it enough. My RAT 7 has some edge work to be done to it before it can achieve any thing worth mentioning.
 
110's do a nice job! though most arent fuzzstick's their shavings are what I use.
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Of course a Nimravus can make some bitchin' curls.
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Okay, first of all, I now have an overwhelming urge to go outside, find a stick, and start shaving slivers from it. Curse you guys! :D

Second, I'm familiar only with the general idea of a fuzzstick. I've never used one "in real life." So, when you actually use it for helping to start a fire, do you leave the shavings attached, or do you make a pile of shavings and use them that way? Or is it just a personal preference?

And are the shavings considered kindling, or are they in between kindling and tinder?
 
all depends, but if you leave the shavings on, its alot tidier and more convienient.
 
rhino said:
Okay, first of all, I now have an overwhelming urge to go outside, find a stick, and start shaving slivers from it. Curse you guys! :D

Second, I'm familiar only with the general idea of a fuzzstick. I've never used one "in real life." So, when you actually use it for helping to start a fire, do you leave the shavings attached, or do you make a pile of shavings and use them that way? Or is it just a personal preference?

And are the shavings considered kindling, or are they in between kindling and tinder?
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I've done it both ways, but to me fuzz sticks are better than shavings, because when made right you have tender ( if using matches or lighter) in form of the fine curls of wood, that transfer to the rest of the stick which is the start of your kindling.
 
rhino said:
So, when you actually use it for helping to start a fire,
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When: you can't find wood thin enough to ignite with your fire starting means e.g.: a 4inches thick log won't be ignited by a match or bic lighter. But the same split and made into feather sticks would ignite.

Also help to get quickly a pretty intense fire, that could ignite some "difficult" wood (thick wood, somewhat wet wood...)

After long rain, all the avaible wood might be soaked, so you find some large logs. Split them to get to the dry center, and then turn it into feather sticks to ignite it.

More generally process also helps to start any fire when good tinder is scarce. Since you "produce" your tinder you might be able to get more than by harvesting it from nature allowing for larger initial fires.

rhino said:
do you leave the shavings attached, or do you make a pile of shavings and use them that way? Or is it just a personal preference?
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Although more difficult, keeping them attached is better, as it helps air to run through making firer start more boldly, piles tend to collapse or keep more wetness by capilarity. Also more convenient and in certain situations keeps most of the curls away from the wet ground.

rhino said:
And are the shavings considered kindling, or are they in between kindling and tinder?
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shavings would be tinder for matches lighter... although they generally won't catch a spark even from ferrocium.

The way to use those is to group them into a big bunch that will burn intensely from the beginning (although won"t last too long), not one by one.
 
Thanks for the exellent explanations, all!

Now I need to find a stick and do some whittlin'. :D
 
Fuzz sticks improve the surface to mass ratio of fuel. Picture a mighty redwood. Now imagine that redwood cut into a 100 billion (Dr. Evil amount) toothpicks. Put a match to the redwood and nothing will likely happen. Put that match to the 100 billion toothpicks and you have an instant inferno.

Fuzz sticks work great in wet weather conditions. On a bushcraft course 3 years ago, I was charged with the task of getting a fire going in some pretty nasty weather. A minimum of 3 good fuzzies incorporating shavings the entire length of the stick and fire was no problem. This fire was also created during a "one match challenge." When your butt is on the line, you want to make your fuzzies as fine and long as possible. The fuzzies take the match and the main fuel from the fuzzies take the flame from the shavings.

On a side note, on the last winter camping trip, Hayseedw45 was able to spark the shavings into a flame with a ferro rod. It required a few consecutive strikes but it is possible. The trick is to make the fuzzies very very fine and to pin your fuzzies to a hard surface with your ferro rod while striking.
 
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