To my delight I recently saw this method demonstrated on The Weather Channel’s “Fat Guys In The Woods” program hosted by Creek Stewart. The participants each created their own fire using this method so I was encouraged to pursue this again, taking cues from their example.

I went to a store to buy a cotton sanitary napkin and began to read the labels regarding the material used. I saw that they listed cotton and Rayon and I didn’t know how successful that would work so I opted to buy 100 percent cotton balls instead for about two dollars. When I returned home I unraveled the balls and formed a six by four inch square. I used some charcoal left over from my campfire to crush into carbon dust that I sprinkled on top of the cotton pad. Starting from the narrow edge I rolled this tightly like a cigar then compressed it further by rolling it between my two hands.

I placed this carbon impregnated cotton roll between two “two-by-four” boards with one board used as a base while the other board was passed lengthwise back-and-forth on top while employing increased speed and pressure. Eventually smoke started to appear out the ends of the cotton roll and when I removed the boards I could feel a hot spot near the end. When it’s “too hot to handle” you know it’s ready to be opened up at that spot to expose it to the air so that it can be coaxed into an ember.

This a great alternative fire-by-friction method that uses simple materials. For me it was a satisfying accomplishment that I can now check off of my firecraft bucket list.

Making charcloth takes time and sometimes can be difficult to achieve the optimal conditions and cook-times for the best results. Like any process, consistency gives you the ability to produce predictable results which leads to perfection. I suppose that folks throughout history that used this fire method on a daily basis had the process down pat, but for those of us in the modern world who are “citified” are inconsistent in this process. However, modern technology can be our friend.

While visiting a local “flea” market I came across an electric single burner hotplate; a counter-top appliance that is typically used to percolate coffee or cook a one-pot meal. It had a rheostat to control the temperature and it dawned on me that I could use this to cook cotton fabric into charcloth. So, for two dollars, I walked away with what I hoped to be a solution to charcloth perfection, and as a bonus, no fire or coals were needed.

In a previous article “Making Charcloth” I showed how I form little cotton patch “burrito” rolls laid side-by-side inside of an Altoids tin. This is the set-up that I placed on the burner element set on “high”. At about two minutes brown smoke began to emerge. After an additional five minutes the smoke began to diminish and I pulled the tin off of the burner to cool. When I opened the tin I could see that I needed to adjust the timing slightly but still had usable charcloth. I will continue to experiment with the dynamic of temperature and time to find the right combination for optimum results.

Now I have the capability to make charcloth without the need for fire or coals and with the predictability of quality. So keep on the lookout for a single electric burner next time that you visit a flea market or yard sale so that you can produce and keep a ready supply of charcloth on hand for your next flint and steel fire.

The teacher explained that sugar is a fuel and suggested that we try to ignite it with a lit match. Try as we might it wouldn’t take a flame. He explained that the composition of the sugar required a higher temperature than a match could provide. He then rubbed some ashes (carbon) on the sides and voilà! it took a flame and burned. He explained that the carbon acted as a catalyst to raise the heat to reach the ignition point of the sugar cube.

We experience the catalyst properties of carbon all the time in firecraft.
We usually refer to this material as “char” which is partially burned or carbonized cellulose. We carbonize cotton swatches by pyrolysis when they are cooked in a can void of oxygen to prevent ignition. We produce nearly black “char” powder when we perform fire-by-friction that when exposed to increased heat produces a coal. Carbon ashes can also be added to fine cellulose to capture weak sparks produced by the flint and pyrite/marcacite fire method.

Another benefit of charred material is that it is dark and thus absorbs heat. This is particularly effective when performing solar firecraft (see “ICEE” Lid Fire Method). Carbon is the stepping stone to fire.

I have found that charcoal is also instrumental in the ignition of a campfire. In lieu of using an accelerant, saving bits of charcoal for use in the building of a campfire helps to capture the ignition source and speeds the transition to larger pieces of fuel sized material.

The more you practice firecraft, the more you understand the importance that carbon plays is creating fire.