What tinder for flint and steel?

Bill Siegle

Bill Siegle

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 3, 2000
Messages
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I know about char cloth but what else works with the old time flint and steel? I tried a vaseline soaked cotton ball but no luck with getting it started. Didn't have any luck with goat's beard either :( Sooo if one is out and about what should I look for? Would fatwood pick up a spark?
 
have you tried VERY fine jute chord yet?
 
Tinder polypore is a bracket fungi that can be found on birch trees and trees of similar wood type.. if you cut the fungus open and shave it into fine layery it will take and hold a spark much like char cloth...you will need a coal extender however to turn it into flame (cattail or milkweed dander) works well for that, but burns up quick
 
misanthrope said:
4-aught steel wool is God's gift to pyromaniacs
Click to expand...

:thumbup:

I tried fine Jute with no success, and no luck with dryer lint either.

Tinder Fungus will work, I am not sure about false tinder fungus. I did collect some and it is drying out now. It didn't work innitially, but once its dry I think it might...
 
Here is a picture of some real tinder fungus growing on a white birch. It is reddish-brown when you break it open.

Hope this works as I have never hosted pics on picasa before:

IMG_0045.jpg
 
I'll only give a short list of my favorite uncharred tinders...

I have used...

- (4) different types of fungi (sorry don't know the names)
- (3) different types of pith (mullen, and 2 others I don't know the name of)
- Cotton twine
- Finely scraped birch bark
- Fine steel wool
- Milkweed placenta
- Several different types of punkwood (pine, oak, sumac, hickory, ash)

It is all in the preparation.... Including charred tinder, I have over 20 sources on material for traditional flint and steel.

Rick
 
Bill a couple years ago on another Bushcrafty forum a mamber posed a similar question. They just couldn't get the vasoline cotton ball to work. We tried all the normal advice make sure it is teased out finely. don't use too much Vaso. Then somebody twigged and asked for clarification on the Vaso. as it turned out the bloke was using Vasoline intensive care hand lotion and not petroleum jelly. He changed and had instant success.
Bit of a giggle.
Carl
 
I have never used anything but charcloth to actually catch the spark, so if you are looking for a spark catching alternative I have not tried much. As far as tinder once you have caught your spark on something (char cloth, steel wool, whatever you can get your spark to smolder on) I take jute twine as mentioned and then untwist it (the kind I get is usually made up of three strands of thinner twine), and then take those strands and pull them apart into a big fluffy ball. Put your ember into that and blow, it works like a charm and has never failed me.

The jute fluff is on the left of the tin, it is the same twine that is in the tin, just pulled apart.
DSC03638-1.jpg
 
Bill Siegle said:
I know about char cloth but what else works with the old time flint and steel? I tried a vaseline soaked cotton ball but no luck with getting it started. Didn't have any luck with goat's beard either :( Sooo if one is out and about what should I look for? Would fatwood pick up a spark?
Click to expand...

How much vaseline on the cotton ball? If I just put a dab on it, rub it in a bit with the opposite sides of the cotton ball, and then spread the cotton ball out, pull it out thin, the suckers ignite like nobody's business (the last one I used ignited before I even meant to strike the spark, I did not really mean to make contact with the ferro rod, I was showing some scouts "like this" and poof the flame singed my knuckle hair off

I have seen people shave/fluff fat wood in a small pile and get a great light from a spark as well. One good thing about the fat wood, is it smells great in your pack, and does not cover your fingers in vaseline when using it. I think that natural fiber cord like hemp rope, or manila cordage will work if you fray it and fluff it up like a rats nest. What ever you use, you can also make a small shavings pile of the striker rod first, before throwing the first spark and it works just like the magnesium /striker combo's and will burn hot enough to ignite most decent tinder

I have honestly never used char cloth before. I have seen it used.


Ah, just relooked at original post. I did not catch the old time flint and steel part. I think the sparks thrown from traditional flint/steel are not as hot as the sparks thrown from modern ferro rods. Nor do I think you can make a tiny shaving pile of the flint/steel like you would with a ferro rod so none of my earlier comments is worth a darn.
 
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... TInder poly pore is technically false tiner fungus..it is what I use mostly, once dry it will take a spark and holdit for a good amount of time
 
Bill...I'm right down the street from you so I know of the materals in your/my area. I've used Old Man's beard but it must be blended with other materials as it doesn't work solo very well but is great with a blend.

Besides char cloth I've successfully used sage bark from Centeral Oregon (my favorite by far), I've used dry wood shavings and/or a combo of dry wood with pitch wood shavings including wood duff. I taught a class in Southern Oregon and used cedar bark woven with some other nat materals to create a tender bundle. I've used various tinder bundles made from a variaty of materals I can find. I rarely use all one materal but generally blend them depending on the area and what i can find. We have a wide variety of suitable materals available...I've used f/steel from the Oregon coast, to the high desert and in between. PM if you want to chat off line more.

We don't man made products when the good Lord has given us so much natural materials!
 
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