05-11-2008, 03:05 PM
Lighting a fire without matches can be done swiftly with a good flint and steel. There are people who I have seen light a new fire in under 30 seconds. This guy demonstrates the ease of it http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=e16ojzcRkz0 . Important is the tinder used to catch the spark. For this, a particular kind of (now protected here because over over-exploitation!) mushroom is used, the tinder or hoof fungus. Here is a link to a somewhat popular explanation, which I added because of the Otzi link http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/dec2001.html . Fire steels are a fairly common article to find in Roman context, but because they have to be made of good steel, were a prized item. I do Roman fire steels in the smithy using old files.
This fungus can and was used to transport fire, as you could use it as a fire beaker (and not a flaming flowerpot!!) and burning medium in one. It smolders for a long time.
I have found a good many references to it growing on birch, but that is a somewhat different variety, as far as I know. The ones on beech are to be preferred. To prepare them for fire-starting, the trama is best boiled in horse urine, as this adds to the ease in which it will catch a spark. If you want to avoid domestic conflict, you can also soak it in the leachate of ashes, 1 part water, 1 part ash (let soak first then strain, then add trama!) to enhance its fire-starting ability.
Have fun, it thrilling lighting your first fire with a fire steel!
This fungus can and was used to transport fire, as you could use it as a fire beaker (and not a flaming flowerpot!!) and burning medium in one. It smolders for a long time.
I have found a good many references to it growing on birch, but that is a somewhat different variety, as far as I know. The ones on beech are to be preferred. To prepare them for fire-starting, the trama is best boiled in horse urine, as this adds to the ease in which it will catch a spark. If you want to avoid domestic conflict, you can also soak it in the leachate of ashes, 1 part water, 1 part ash (let soak first then strain, then add trama!) to enhance its fire-starting ability.
Have fun, it thrilling lighting your first fire with a fire steel!
