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Electric Burner Charcloth

Ken — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 10:52:48 +0000

Classic charcloth is made inside tins that are placed over coals. A loose fitting lid or restricted vented lid prevents the cotton cloth from catching fire while transforming the cellulose material into carbon for catching sparks produced by striking carbon steel on flint or sharp-edged silicate rocks. It is quite satisfying to re-enact the fire making process using this method. In fact, in my collection of strikers I have one dating back to the third century A.D..

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.

Lighting Candles With Charcloth

Ken — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 01:00:51 +0000

Did you know that it’s possible to light a candle using only charcloth to ignite it? Of course you’ll need to capture a spark with the charcloth first.

Most folks who demonstrate flint & steel fire making like to use jute fiber to make a flame from the glowing charcloth. It is quick and dramatic. A ball of fine natural fibers works quite well for this purpose. However, in this case, a candle is lit by igniting the vapor of super-heated wax which in turn lights the wick. In some circles of Civil War reenactors it has been a badge of pride to accomplish this skill.

In an article “Making Charcloth” I describe how to make charcloth by using small pieces of rolled up cotton fabric. I have found the finished charcloth rolls to be the key element to igniting a candle. Many flint & steel kits include candles as they are used to sustain a flame while starting a campfire and it is especially useful when using damp materials for tinder. I use a small birthday cake candle in my kit and for this candle lighting method.

The procedure I follow is to catch a spark at one end of the charcloth roll, then place the seam of the charcloth roll against the candle (to avoid unraveling) with the spark end next to the candle wick. Tilt them slightly so that the charcloth is under the wick, enabling the heat to rise up to the candle. Blow gently from the charcloth side toward the candle. As the wax melts smoke will appear and with a gentle sustained breath the vapor will eventually ignite the candle wick. Good quality charcloth will make a positive difference.

Once learned, this method has a practical application besides exhibiting your flint and steel prowess, it offers an alternative ignition source in the event that you do not have fiber available.

Turtle Island Preserve Open House Demonstrations

Ken — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:35:02 +0000

Turtle Island Preserve lives and teaches traditional and sustainable living skills and methods. Twice a year, in March and September, they have an open house for the community to come and visit their facility and meet staff and interns. You can observe many nearly forgotten skills and ways of life that our forefathers knew that were more harmonious with man and nature.

I was invited by Eustace Conway, the founder, to demonstrate flint and steel fire making at this event. Flint and steel is one of many ways to make fire but was the main method for thousands of years. I personally own a striker from 3 A.D. that thrills me to own as a piece of history that I can help perpetuate through future generations.

I was able to teach a number of folk, both young and old, while giving them hands-on experience and shared in their delight as they made flint and steel fire for the first time. I was also able to demonstrate modern materials that can be used for this historic craft. You can view my video demonstrating these materials.

So, today I was honored to help people make memories of their fire making experience in a rustic setting that helps us understand and appreciate the lifestyles of our forefathers.

Flint Support for Striking

Ken — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:44:06 +0000

Earlier this year I was a vendor and exhibitor at the Blue Grass Festival, Merlefest. I gave different demonstrations, mostly geared toward the early American Frontier, which included flint and steel fire making. During one of the quite spells of the day, my son, who was helping to man the product booth, suggested that I hold some competitions to stir up activity and interest. So, I held a flint and steel fire making contest that several young lads participated in.

The kits that I provided contained pieces of Texas flint, but, some of the pieces were slightly less than medium sized, and rather awkward to hold. I noticed that one of the participants placed his piece of flint upright on top of the log seat that sat close by. This placement stabilized the flint and he began to get some very good sparks from his steel striker. I’m happy to say that his ingenuity allowed him to catch the first spark which resulted in his winning the competition. And now, gratefully, I know a technique on how to use undersized flint in order to get decent sparks for fire.

Ceramic Cup a.k.a. Knife Sharpener

Ken — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 11:00:40 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I almost never carry a sharpening stone around with me. I may have one in a kit, or my BOB (Bug-Out-Bag), but sometimes, when you’re out and about, it’s nice to bring back that edge to your knife, because a sharp knife is a safe knife. A sharp knife gives you better control while cutting, and of course, it’s more efficient.

Basically, all you have to do is turn an empty ceramic coffee cup upside-down and place it on a table top. Most cups are glazed only on the upper portions and perhaps a recessed bottom, but there is usually a bare ceramic ring exposed that provides just the right abrasion for your blade. My Spyderco Endura has some pretty tough AUS-6 stainless steel that takes a bit of effort to sharpen, but carbon steel blades work quickly. Of course a crowning final touch would be to strop your blade on a hearty pliable surface like a leather belt to set the edge.

I’ve heard that others have used the frosted edge of a car window, or shiny finished cement, but I find that cups have the right abrasion, consistent surface, and can be found quite easily. Just hold the cup by the handle with one hand for stability and with the other hand hold your blade at about a 20 degree slant for a double-sided edge, or at a 40 degree angle for a single single-sided edge.

After your next morning Joe, turn over your cup and give it a try. Just don’t scare the folks around you…

Quickie Charcloth

Ken — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:00:40 +0000

Charcloth is a main element in creating fire using the flint and steel method. It is carbonized cotton that captures the spark produced when carbon steel is struck on the sharp edge of flint or other silicate based glassy rocks. Traditionally small pieces of cotton fabric (I use 100% cotton jeans) are placed in a metal container that has a slightly loose or vented lid and placed on coals. As the container heats, smoke begins to escape out of the seams, but the restricted airflow prevents the contents from catching on fire. As a result, it partially burns or carbonizes it… sort of a half-way point between solid and burned, thus it’s easier to ignite with sparks. This process takes time to create coals and then to bake the cotton pieces. The Quickie Charcloth method eliminates the need for making coals for baking, the use of a container, and the time to bake a batch. All you need is set of metal tongs, a piece of cotton cloth, and a lighter. You hold the cloth on the edge using the tongs and set it on fire with the lighter. As it burns, turn the cloth to capture the flame in the most even way. Allow the cloth to burn until black, then lay it down on a non-combustible surface such as a pie tin and snuff the fire out with something like a can lid or doubled aluminum foil. A charcloth prepared in this manner will have the spectrum of undercooked to overcooked material with most of it being perfectly carbonized. As you practice this method you will learn what to look for to achieve the best results. It is a quick way to make charcloth without fuss and can be handy when demonstrating flint and steel fire-making on the go.

DIY Flint & Steel Kit

Ken — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Ken’s Do-It-Yourself Flint & Steel Kit is very inexpensive and easy to make. The following list includes the elements and description of their uses.

Metal Container – This “Altoid” mint candy tin is great. It houses the kit, and can be used to create char cloth.
Char Cloth – Carbonized cotton cloth used to catch a spark.
Cotton Cloth – Used to make char cloth. Carbonize indirectly, by placing inside tin while baking over coals, or carbonize directly by holding cloth in pliers while setting on fire, then snuffing it out with tin lid once cloth is totally black.
Candle – Used for light or damp tinder fire-starter.
Flint – Used with metal striker to create sparks. Any igneous, silicate based stone with a sharp edge will work.
Striker – Piece of hacksaw blade mounted edgewise into wood block.
Tinder – Jute string. Unravel string into fiber fuzz “birds nest”.

Process – Prepare the “birds nest” and tinder to recieve the flame that you will be making. Hold the stone with the sharp edge exposed. Place charcloth on top of the stone and flush with the sharp edge. Slightly fraying the edge of the char cloth will enhance the capability of it to catch the sparks. Hold the striker perpendicular and slightly above the stone and strike downward as if trying to slice the edge. The sparks will eventually catch on the char cloth as a bright orange glow. Blow on the spark to increase it’s size, then place the charcloth into the “birds nest”. Gently wrap the nest fiber around the spark, and hold the bundle slightly upward and blow vigerously. The fibers will begin to ignite, and a flame will ensue. Initially, it might be helpful to practice making sparks before you begin using the char cloth.