Karda, Chakma & fire-starting tool?

[Yvsa]

Never much liked the Magnesium, Satori. Too much work for something that doesn't always work well. Also, dulls knives fast and if there's any wind it's *really* difficult. Much better ways to start fires IMO.

Nam

The magnesium doesn't ever get wet, a nice thing when all of your other methods won't work for one reason or another.
You can always dig a hole, or pile up rock or wood for a mostly wind free area to start a fire.
A sharp knife won't save yer ass when you're freezing to death.

 

[namaarie]

Fair 'nuff. Still, I'd carry other better (IMO) fire starters.

Nam

 

[Nasty]

A sharp knife won't save yer ass when you're freezing to death.

You could always kill a bar, gut it and then climb inside for warmth!

 

[Ad Astra]

The magnesium doesn't ever get wet, a nice thing when all of your other methods won't work for one reason or another.

A sharp knife won't save yer ass when you're freezing to death.

Voice of experience: Thanks, Yvsa. Magnesium's worked well for me. Tradionalist stuff is great except when you're cold & in need.

Thanks also Satori, Mrostov & Thomas Linton. Have seen Ragnar's stuff, hopefully can go there to shop in January.

So.. I'm going to see about a traditional style striking steel to fit in with khuk tools. And practice. Tinder I'm willing to cheat on but went to school on ddeans/TL's charred cloth thing. ALSO Dryer lint, if cotton (from Ragn.)

Tx, all.

AA

 

[45-70]

A while back the image on the khukuri calander showed a very old belt with a khuk and a few other items. Odds were, stuff like the flint striker might have been kept in a separate pouch. That, or the flint and striking steel were simply kept in the tinder pouch with the tinder.

(SNIP)

Here's a painting from the 19th Century American west showing the Indian woman of a White trapper. Notice the flint striker tied to her clothing on a lanyard. It was a regularly used and valued possession.

That is an excellent post!

The only thing I can add is that from my readings just about anyplace that people wore sashes they also used the folds to hold items. I'm not of an age or experience to be able to tell anyone from first hand experience, but when munk gets back we can ask him, he probably wore a sash when he was young. Allow I'm a old a Boy Scout and a packrat when I'm out and about I try to keep what I carry to a minimum. Minimal weight and bulk to get the job done. Something tells me that is what those guys would have done as well.

 

[John Powell]

From what I've read and been told the little "spoon" was used for cleaning the ear. This was very common in the 19thc and similar tools are also found from Western societies. It also doubled as a probe and for cleaning wounds. The button-hook tool wasn't used for shoes. It works as a retractor and a clamp of sorts. I think somewhere in the archives this was discussed in more detail.

The pouch that seems to be open ended has two flaps that would hold both some tinder and a piece of flint. The chakmak was used as both a honing tool and to strike the flint. The video "Gurkha Steel" ends with a fellow using flint/chakmak to light his cigarette....practice, practice, practice.

 

[Yvsa]

Fair 'nuff. Still, I'd carry other better (IMO) fire starters.

Nam

I would also carry other fire making materials but I would keep the magnesium and man made flint close to my body just in case.
The object is to have a never fail fire starting method. Today there are many Sacred Fires as well as Prayer Pipes being lit with Bic Lighters, usually in nicely beaded cases.

Whatever method is used the most important thing is having dry tinder to catch the spark with no matter here it comes from.
A couple of cotton balls rolled in petroluem jelly and encased in a plastic bag and placed in your wallet means you always have the primary needs for starting a fire.

 

[Ad Astra]

Thanks for weighing in and that great photo, JP. Those toolkits are impressive- a lot of stuff to cary but when you need something you'd have it. So the spoon WAS an ear-cleaner.... Japanese used an ivory tool for that, we in the west probably didn't concern ourselves til (culturally) later. I was afraid the spoon was used to "cook" drugs... Possibly measure valuable spices or gold dust?

I want one of Ragnar's viking steels, and will be looking for a good source for (imported?) flints. I bet somebody will "chip" in! :footinmou

OW! Somebody threw a chakmak at me!

AA

 

[Thomas Linton]

A couple of years ago I saw an internet sales pitch for a khukuri that specifically referred to the roughened chakmaks. They seller claimed to have served with Ghurka units "in combat." The roughened chakmaks were, he reported, for abrading the skin off a torture victim. "Decency," he said, prevented relating what the karda was used for. (He also repeated the bit about drawing blood before sheathing the khukuri.)

 

[Tohatchi NM]

I would also carry other fire making materials but I would keep the magnesium and man made flint close to my body just in case.
The object is to have a never fail fire starting method. Today there are many Sacred Fires as well as Prayer Pipes being lit with Bic Lighters, usually in nicely beaded cases.

Ah, the old NDN trick - use what works best.

Lots of great stuff in this thread so far. Nice pics of some oldies but goodies! I seem to remember that one of Sarge's motivations for his file knives was to get a sufficiently hard striker. Could be wrong though.

One tip I picked up for the magnesium blocks - attach a small piece of hacksaw blade. Saw teeth quickly make shavings, back can be used to strike the ferrocerium. Not originaly, picked up from this book - 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive -- by Cody Lundin. Besides that, and the fact that the guy likes Moras, can't really recommend it one way or another. But, like most survival books, seems to have some interesting tricks to borrow.

 

[mrostov]

A couple of personal tips on the magnesium firestarter.

With the most common type, the rectangular bar, take a hacksaw or a sawzall and cut the magnesium bar in half lengthwise. The much smaller firestarter still has enough magnesium for many hundreds of fires or more, but you'll also find that the smaller size makes it a lot easier to stow and carry, such as in a pouch on a knife sheath.

Always try and find a leaf, a piece of paper, or a piece of bark to catch the shavings in. Strike the shavings in that with the tinder over it.

The best shaver for the magnesium is the file blade on a multitool or a Swiss Army Knife. The best striker is the back of the saw blade on the same tool or the unsharpened back of a knife blade that has squared off corners.

Proper fire prep is of paramount importance. Building an excellent fire before the flames are struck is not something every bothers to do.

With practice, it takes a surprisingly small amount of shavings to start a fire.

 

[ddean]

Once you catch the spark

paper soaked iin paraffin makes for a great 2nd step
to light the wood

grocery bag kraft paper -soaked- [not just dipped]
in hot liquid paraffin
then drain off the liquid on the outside of the paper
you want the paraffin to be -in- the paper

cool flat/hanging
then cut or roll to store as you please
waterproof forever

~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<>call me 'Dean' -FYI-FWIW-IIRC-JMO-M2C-YMMV-TIA-YW-GL-HH-HBD-IBSCUTWS-tWotBGUaDUaDUaD
<> Tips <> Baha'i Prayers Links --A--T--H--D

 

[Yvsa]

One tip I picked up for the magnesium blocks - attach a small piece of hacksaw blade. Saw teeth quickly make shavings, back can be used to strike the ferrocerium. Not originaly, picked up from this book - 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive -- by Cody Lundin. Besides that, and the fact that the guy likes Moras, can't really recommend it one way or another. But, like most survival books, seems to have some interesting tricks to borrow.

Some pretty interesting reviews as well as lots of differences in the price found on a search in Google....

 

[Thomas Linton]

Not original.... [-] picked up from this book - 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive -- by Cody Lundin. Besides that, and the fact that the guy likes Moras, can't really recommend it one way or another. But, like most survival books, seems to have some interesting tricks to borrow.

Great book, aside from thin knowledge of knifeknuttery (e.g., he thinks all stainless knives are harder to sharpen than all carbon steel knives) . He focuses on the fact that exposure is so far and away the killer that all other causes combined are almost insignificant. His approach to skills and gear proceeds from that fact. Very "readable" as well.

 

[Tohatchi NM]

Great book, aside from thin knowledge of knifeknuttery (e.g., he thinks all stainless knives are harder to sharpen than all carbon steel knives) . He focuses on the fact that exposure is so far and away the killer that all other causes combined are almost insignificant. His approach to skills and gear proceeds from that fact. Very "readable" as well.

Yeah, flipping through I was impressed by the practical approach. Use stuff that works, rather than going for primitive living style points. There are very few places in America where you are fatally far from civilization (though I think the oft-quoted number of nowhere in the lower 48 being more than 20 miles from a road is a bit bogus. I've seen some of those "roads" which might as well be wagon tracks from the westward migration!)