Fatwood Question

[TattooBlade]

So is Fatwood an actual tree or is it any type of wood that is high in sap/resin??? Photos would be great!

 

[newknife]

So is Fatwood an actual tree or is it any type of wood that is high in sap/resin??? Photos would be great!

It's the build up of pine resin in a fallen over pine tree or stump.

Here's some pic's

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=703815

and some more:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=712047

 

[Raisedby wolves]

But generally pine is the easiest to come by in most areas and generally is the one most used and probably the the best in terms of flammability.

Any resinous species will work, like birch for example.


Carl-

 

[Carney C]

So is Fatwood an actual tree or is it any type of wood that is high in sap/resin??? Photos would be great!

Some pics of "Lighter Stumps".
Mississippi has so much pine, you never have to go without it!
Tips on finding "lighter knot stumps", look on old, property/fence lines. Ones your Grandpa would have built, & chopped pine down.
Lighter Logs, are more common in the heart or wild of the woods where pine has been blown down, etc..Least down here! Hope this helps a little Bro!!

 

[Bushman5]

^ as he said! an easy way to test a stump is to chop off a piece and smell it. It will smell like turpentine or pinesol. Colors will vary from golden amber/red to purple black.

 

[TattooBlade]

Great info! Not sure how much we have of it in south Texas, but I will start looking. How long will it last and work well once you chop it up to useable pieces?

 

[ChrisY]

I live in Houston and there's plenty of it here. I just harvested some yesterday from some downed pine trees just behind my house. Fatwood is generally located in the center part of a pine tree stump. The scarce Long Leaf Yellow pine seems to be the preferred source but other types of pine will work just fine. Sometimes it appears as gray wood and is totally exposed as shown in the previous photo. If the tree has fallen within the past 2-5 years you may need to knock away the surrounding rotted wood to get to the good stuff.

After you chop it up it will last for years due to it being saturated with resin making it waterproof and bug proof.