Feathers as Tinder?

ItchyTasty

ItchyTasty

Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
557
I was looking at a feather stick, when I thought "why not just try a feather as tinder?" I'm wondering if it works...I don't have any on me right now. I'm sure the down would be great, but I'm not sure about the rest of the feather. Has anyone tried this? Do you just light the feather--vane, quill and all?

I used to work at a Raptor Center, I might be kicking myself for letting copious amounts of tinder go to waste :D
 
I know they say old birds nests make good tinder but whether that has anything to do with the feathers that line them I don't know ?
 
just get you a ping pong ball.... excellent flame :D..o-by the way if your going to light one on fire to "see what happens" do it outside ,it will go up in flames,in a hurry....;) Sorry honey !
 
hmmm, I don't think it woudl be much better than anuthgin esle...the reason they call those sticks "feather" sticks is the shape of them, they resemble a feather kind of, but being that they are wood shavings with lots of air in between they make excelent tinder...an actual feather might not be as good, although it mgiht light ok it woudl not last very long like texastonydobbs said...and Im sure it woudl smell awefull! good idea in nature, but I don't think it would work very well...but who knows, I never tried it so your guess is as good as mine...
 
Why not use a feather? Because even if they burn hot forever, it is infinitely easier to find a stick to make a feather-stick than it is to find a feather.
 
Protein as tinder? Feathers? Hair? Dried beef jerkey? I'll have to try, but - on principle - no.

From having to singe chickens, the stink part is right on. :eek:
 
Probably be a good idea for somebody to find out if a feather is even combustable, let alone will catch a spark, before we go any further. :rolleyes:

-- FLIX
 
I don't know about catching a spark, but I've burned feathers with a feather burner to shape them for fletching on arrows. Smells bad like stated above and never had one catch flame from the hot wire, but, then again, I wasn't trying to do that. They're turkey wing feathers, so I don't know if different species would make a difference or if pinfeathers or the like would catch. I would think they would not work as well as regular tinder though.
 
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