fat wood ???

cut it out

cut it out

Joined
Apr 11, 2010
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is all pine fat wood or is there a differance between pine and hemlock? do you have to dry it? I need a good read for fat wood if any one can steer me. I dont have search feature so sorry if this was beat to death already.:( I am having trouble with firesteels. can only get dryer lint and cotton balls to light. I have both mischmetal and a swedish light my fire. THANKS
 
first of all you DO have the search its in the top right corner of the page.
If you want to know everything there is to know about fatwood read Bushman5's awesome fatwood blog

Fat wood is found only in pines and firs, (some other trees may have some but it will be nowhere near as good)it is formed when the tree dies a sudden death.
Once the tree is dead the roots continue to pump resin into the base of the tree, this resin is what makes fatwood so flamble. the older the stump the better
quality the fatwood. there is no need to dry it. here are some pictures of what you should look for when hunting fat wood.
old stumps like this
img1885qq.jpg

img0672x.jpg

when you think you found a good stump try cutting into it, if it looks like this
then it is fatwood. Fatwood also has a strong turpentine smell to it.
img0668d.jpg
 
I probably make more fires with fatwood than anyone on this forum ( Ok except Bushman ) and it's still hit or miss.

On a nice sunny, dry day with thin fatwood shaving I place the end of my ferro rod onto the tinder and give maybe one or at most two strikes and I have fire...nice !

But for whatever reason, poor weather, poor tinder or maybe even sods law cos I'm trying to show a mate it goes like this:

Strike,Strike,Strike...." $ollocks !....."Strike, Strike...see fire but as fast as it starts it goes out again in a whisp of black smoke "$olloks !".......Strike,Strike,Strike"$ollocks!"...Strike,Strike,Strike...Nudges tinder and knocks it all over floor " $ollocks!"......Strike,Strike,Strike..Fire at last, big smile on face as I reach round for my tinder bundle....realise that Snicker has made off with it " $ollocks !!!!!!!".

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T.A.D, thanks. I didnt have search when I first joined and never looked for it since. lol
 
if'n ya want to see some fatwood, also called fat lighter, look at the thread I put up recently. ;)
 
Not all pines and firs will have fatwood, but it is not very rare. Look for stumps and fallen pines/firs, and cut into them near the base or on exposed roots. If it is hard, translucent yellow to red, and has a strong smell of pitch or turpentine, it's good stuff.
BushBash2010025.jpg
 
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