fatwood

[VictGerbSogCamill]

Ok, so I've heard a lot of you guys talk about fatwood, which is new to me. I did a wikipedia search to check it out. So you basically get it from a stump of a pine tree? Do all pine stumps have it ? I thought on one thread some one said they were checking a stump for fatwood, how do you identify it? On another I thought I read the guy was getting some to make scales for a knife ? Please educate me in fatwood.

wikipedia's answer:
Fatwood, also known as “fat lighter,” “lighter wood” or “lighter’d,” is derived from the heartwood of pine trees. This resin-impregnated heartwood is hard and rot-resistant; the stumps or heartwood centers of fallen pines that last for decades after the rest of the tree has rotted away. Although most resinous pines can produce fatwood, in the southeastern United States the wood is commonly associated with Longleaf pine, which historically was highly valued for its high pitch production.

Because of the flammability of the pine resin, fatwood is prized for use as kindling in starting fires. It lights quickly, even when wet, and burns hot enough to light larger pieces of wood. A small piece of fatwood can be used many times to create tinder by shaving small curls and using them to light other larger tinder. The pitch-soaked wood produces an oily, sooty smoke, and it is recommended that one should not cook on a fire until all the fatwood has completely burned out. Because of this oily smoke fatwood should not be used for indoor fireplaces.

Industrial uses for fatwood include production of turpentine; when fatwood is cooked down in a fire kiln, the heavier resin product that results is tar. The steam that vaporizes from this process is turned into a liquid that becomes turpentine.

 

[unky_gumbi]

It is my understanding that it must be a stump of a tree that was taken down while still alive, be it wind or man. the roots still pump the sap up but there is nothing to use it so it collects and then preserves the wood. great stuff for getting a fire going, you can actually buy the stuff at Cabelas and other outfitters.

 

[lambertiana]

Yep, just check out pine stumps and the roots of pines that have fallen over, and eventually you will find some. The really good stuff smells like turpentine, and has so much sap that it is reddish and translucent, and coats your cutting tools with sap. The best I have ever found was in the roots at the base of the trunk of a large ponderosa that had fallen over.

Fatwood makes a great firestarter, and is waterproof. Thin shavings can be easily lit with a firesteel, and thicker pieces will burn and burn and burn.

Here is some that I found last week, it is fairly decent quality:

 

[Wildewinds]

When we were fatwood hunting at the Bush Bash in Sequoia, it seemed like every pine stump that wasn't rotted out had some fatwood in it. Some had better quality than others, but it certainly wasn't very rare.

It's pretty easy to recognize. You can see in the photo Lambertiana posted. It's the red and amber looking stuff. The redder the better. It's also much more difficult to cut than regular wood.

 

[Odaon]

Vict,

The info they have supplied you is spot on. It's really good stuff to have around. I found my current supply on a hike I took back in the fall. Look for pine trees that were blown over or killed while still alive. The stuff that contains fatwood will be really dense and wont break easily. Rotted wood will crumble away. Another thing is if you find a blown over or downed pine tree look for fatwood in the joints where a branch meets the trunk. That's usually the highest quality. Here's a really good thread that Mistwalker did about it.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=619903

If you're having trouble finding some I'd be happy to send you several pieces. I have more than enough and I'm heading out next weekend. I'll more than likely find some more to bring home! :thumbup:

 

[carspidey]

and I thought fatwood came from any wood? or is it that pine trees have better fatwood???

 

[lambertiana]

Only resinous conifers have fatwood. You won't find it in deciduous trees.

Not all conifers have it. You won't find it in another conifer tree that is plentiful in the middle elevation of the sierras - incense cedar. Nor will it be found in redwood or sequoia. You have to find a conifer that is resinous to begin with. Pine usually works the best, although you can probably find it in spruce and fir.

 

[Skimo]

I know you can get it from spruce.

The joint between the branch and the tree is a pine knot and yes, the quality of fatwood there is usually superb.

Fatwood not only comes from stumps but also trunks, what I do is if there is a rotten stump/trunk I tear the rot away and dig for wood that is still hard, a few good whacks with a knife/hatchet/machete/axe will reveal if it's fatwood or not.

Fatwood is MUCH harder to chop than normal wood, will bind and gunk up saws easier and in general is worth every second of procurement.

Look for a post by bushman5 for a "blog" about fatwood, it has some good pictures, heck, just search BF for fatwood, there are a lot of links with pictures.

 

[Bushman5]

here in BC canada we have both PINE and DOUGLAS FIR trees that yield fatwood. The pine fatwood is MORE prevalent in the drier/hotter regions of the province, while here on the West Coast douglas fir yields very dark and purple fatwood.

mo info: http://fatwood-bushman.blogspot.com

thanks Skimo for the referral!

 

[Skimo]

no problem, I just found that picture of the fatwood trunk I've been harvesting from.
I stripped several inches of rot away a while ago, normally it would just look like a rotten tree.

 

[adamajc]

Over here in Ohio I've done best with austrian pine (pinus nigra) at the branch attachments. Usually from the attachment out about 5 inches or so. On live trees just look for the dead stubs low on the tree, and the same on dead trees. I really don't bother with stumps anymore.