I set out to acquire some at the local grocery store and discovered that today’s version differed from my childhood variety which were wax with an infused wick. This current type appears to be a very thin infused plastic rod so I purchased it to see what it could do.

To begin my experiment I stood at the kitchen sink and lit one, and was sorely disappointed that there weren’t more sparkles. I watched as it burned down and blew it out with sadness but was taken back when it relit by itself! Now this showed promise!

Next, I stepped outside but it was a drizzley day so I pulled a dead juniper branch from within a bush and kneeled under an overhead cover and set up the tinder in a lean-to configuration using a rock. I placed the sparkle candle underneath the branch and lit it. Slowly it began to sparkle and then I blew it out. Almost immediately it relit by itself! I repeated that process several times.

The concept was validated but a more robust fire starter (vs. igniter) would be more reliable, especially in survival situations. Nonetheless it was a fun experiment to explore more firecraft possibilities.

It’s important to have a sharp blade to accomplish this. I had a new Mora(kniv) knife similar to one that I used to shave with that I mentioned in a previous article “Shaving with a Mora knife!!“. They come very sharp! An alternative tool for this task is a break-off blade utility knife. It is said that “a sharp knife is a safe knife” for cutting tasks and I have found this to be true. One technique that can be helpful is to “push” the wood into the knife blade that sometimes gives more control when cutting and can more easily stop the cut where needed.

I cut the wood slivers on the edges of the square wood shaft creating 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. I start cutting from the match head downward as the thinnest part of the resulting slivers will ignite more easily when exposed to the open flame that is produced when the match is struck. I would alternate sides and then cut slightly be!ow the previous cut on the adjacent edge each time so I could avoid creating any undue weak spots on the wood shaft. It helps to carefully pull the sliver outward at the end of the cut for better exposure to the flame.

I was glad to have had so many matches with which to practice this skill until I felt comfortable and satisfied with the results. It helps to support the match head with a finger for better control and to prevent breaking the match when pressure is applied by the blade when carving. I also press down on the match head for better support while I strike it which also ensures better contact.

This is a practical exercise in knife skills that can also be applied to “feather sticks” to be used as tinder when building a campfire.

I have been watching some social media videos regarding how to find fatwood. Fatwood is the resinous portion found in old softwoods like pine. Some folks who live in pine forests often find old stumps or fallen tree trunks that have rotted, leaving remains of the stubby limbs where they attach to the trunk. This is where to look for the resin that has gathered within the tree.

 
The challenge that I face is that I live in a hardwood forest area and there are few pines. I ventured out to see if I could find a fallen pine tree or stump and I finally found one. I used my hatchet to cut away at the base of a limb and saw the dark sort of transparent layers of fatwood. I removed the wood and shaved it down. I split off a piece to test for burning and was delighted to see the smokey, bubbling flame that fatwood produces.

 
 
I will continue to look for larger pieces but even small pieces can be helpful to maintain a flame when wind and moisture would compromise regular tinder when making a campfire.

I have mentioned in previous articles alternative fire starters such as “Duct Tape Tinder And Fire Starters” and “Quick And Easy Fire Starters”. Many petroleum products will burn well but they are usually quite sooty. In the short term smokey flames are okay but be sure that you’re up wind when it’s burning.

Recently I wrote about using rubber bands in the process of making an “Antler Slingshot” so having various rubber bands on hand I decided to try one to see if it would be a viable fire starter. It takes a few moments to establish a solid flame but once established it burns very well… up to two minutes! Of course the thicker the rubber band the longer the burn time.

Rubber bands are a light weight, inexpensive, and easily obtained “flexible” resource that can be carried by wrapping around a water bottle or any other object of your choosing. It’s another potential resource to aid you in building a fire when needed.

In past efforts I had acquired an iron pyrite nugget that was the right size (large enough to hold by hand) and texture where the non-crystal area is the best area to strike in order to create sparks. Historically horse hoof fungus that contains a layer known as amadou has been used for tinder but I had rummaged through some of my firecraft materials and came across some excellent inonotus obliques fungus or chaga as my tinder. The soft punky areas of chaga works the best for catching sparks.

I used my knife to rub an edge of the chaga in order to make powder which created more surface area for catching the weak sparks that iron pyrite produces. Unlike ferrocerium rods where a single strike produces a shower of hot sparks, the rapid succession of striking the pyrite using the flint produces the best results for the weaker sparks to succeed.

Once a spark is caught in the tinder you can bolster it with the surrounding material followed by a gentle breath to help it grow. Once the coal is established it can be transferred into a bird’s nest of tinder (in my case jute fiber) and coaxed into a flame.

I occasionally walk creeks with the purpose of searching for artifacts and relics. The geology in my area includes a lot of sedimentary stone that flakes apart and with the fire-roll method I began to collect flat rocks that might be suitable for use.

Most of the rocks that I found had some imperfections like bumps, split levels, or curved surfaces but I was finally able to find some that were quite flat. I began to examine the compatibility of the stone surfaces and found a pair that seemed to fit well together. I used the larger stone for the bottom and the smaller stone to be hand held.

I began to process the stones to better match surfaces by rubbing the top stone over the bottom stone much like a sanding block over wood. That action created some dust that I blew off and then prepared a tinder toll to test. The first try did not succeed because the two surfaces where still a little rough and I had to discover the best zones on the rocks to work on. after preparing a second tinder roll I had success!

In a previous post a comment was made that the person had seen a video of someone making fire using rocks and wondered if it was a hoax. I’m here to say that rubbing two rocks together can make fire-by-friction and it was a delight to achieve!

Steel wool has some interesting properties and comes in different thicknesses or grades from “0” to “0000”, the later being the finest grade. Firecrafters prefer the 0000 grade and will use a 9V battery to touch the steel wool which creates intensive sparks that when combined with fine tinder will create a flame. However, once the steel wool has been lit it will have been consumed as a source of sparks and will not reignite. This is because steel wool when manufactured is coated with an oil to prevent rust and that coating is the part that combusts. So, to collect rust from steel wool it is best to burn off the oil in order to better expose the steel for chemical oxidation.

To burn off the oil coating on the steel wool you can touch it with a 9V battery or use a lighter or in my case I used a propane torch. The steel wool will turn a shade of blue due to the temperature of the burn-off as illustrated in the photo. It will also become somewhat brittle.

After the burn-off you can dip the steel wool into plain water or you can enhance the process by adding salt or chlorine bleach to the water solution then shake it out and lay it down to do it’s transformation over night. In my experimentation I also used hydrogen peroxide (H202) and sprinkled salt on top. Rust was created within hours vs. overnight. When it’s dry, you can rub the rusted areas with a finger while holding the bundle over a sheet of paper so that the iron oxide particles fall below. When finished you can lift the sides of the paper to gather the dust into the center then tilt the paper down to pour the rust into a cup or other container. This can be repeated until you collect a sufficient amount for your purpose. A magnet can be used to separate wool particles but it must be held only close enough for the larger pieces to be withdrawn.

I was able to use my rust to create fire with the fire roll firecraft method and was delighted to add to my firecraft accomplishments. And now you can too!

(L-R) Cotton, Jute, Sisal, Dogbane, Coconut Husk

I used ashes as my base powder for testing fibers and was successful using cotton, jute, sisal, dogbane, and coconut husk. These were all natural fibers. Some of the fibers were obtained by unraveling cordage. What didn’t work was artificial fibers from dryer lint and cigarette butts.

(Clockwise from upper left) Wood Ash, Baking Soda, Comet Cleanser, Char Cloth (Carbon), Oxi-Clean Detergent

In the process of testing these materials I began to perfect my technique of preparing the roll, rolling it, and the signs of successful ignition. Here are some observations and suggestions.

When I roll up the thick fibers I end up with a roll that resembles a cocoon or fat AA battery. I begin by rolling it in one direction by hand so that it successfully adheres to it’s self. I continue to roll it in one direction using the upper board to compact it further while warming it up internally. Once it is reduced in diameter similar to a cigarette or pencil I use both hands to roll it back and forth.

I begin at a moderate pace then add speed and pressure over 20-30 strokes. Sometimes at a certain point you can feel a certain “grip” of friction that signals it’s ready to uncover and look for a dark spot or a wisp of smoke. You can feel the roll with your fingers for a hot spot and after a few successes you will know the temperature of a success. If the roll is not hot enough just replace it and roll vigorously again. In the humid atmosphere here sometimes it’s best if you see a wisp of smoke to just let it smolder a bit to allow it to build heat because if you blow on it too soon sometimes it cools it off enough to snuff it out. Once the ember appears you can use it in the conventional manner to add to a “birds nest” or tinder bundle to work into a flame. You can use the left-over fibers used for creating the roll for this purpose.

The fire roll method is my new best fire-by-friction friend and I’m sure that more tinder tests will be performed in the future.

 
I decided to try the popular combination of cotton and ashes. I used two 1/2″x4″ boards, one measuring one foot long as the rolling board with the other one being two feet long as the base board. I braced the baseboard end against a deck post. A cotton ball can be unraveled into a strip that measures approximately seven inches long by one inch wide. I sprinkled hickory ashes about half way along the cotton strip and rolled it up as tight as possible.
 

 
 
When completely wound I rolled the cotton strip in one direction by hand along the baseboard to ensure it’s self adhesion to prevent it from unrolling. After several rolls by hand the tinder roll begins to widen and I took the shorter board and rolled it over the tinder roll in one direction toward the post several times to begin to heat it up

then rapidly rolled it back and forth while applying downward pressure. After about thirty strokes I removed the upper board and examined the tinder roll for a dark/hot spot and when I found it I carefully pulled it apart. As the exposed spot gets air it begins to form an ember which can be coaxed to a larger size with a steady breath.
 

The ember came so quick I had to do it again. I found that using two hands to press down while rolling the tinder back and forth to be easier and more effective. It is probably the simplest, easiest, and fastest way to make fire by friction. Similar to flint and steel, where you need to have char beforehand to make a fire, it works best to have ash on hand for the tinder roll. However, other material can be used as well. It would be easy to create this kit in an urban setting but could prove to be more difficult in a wilderness situation. I plan to continue exploring this method using different materials for the tinder roll and the rolling surfaces.

There are many ways to make fire starters but I favor using cotton and wax/paraffin material combinations because raw cotton can easily catch a spark for ignition while the wax can sustain a flame. Wax (or paraffin) is not greasy like Vaseline and it acts to water-proof the cotton. Some folks make quite a production out of combining these elements using double boiler pans in the process to melt down the paraffin and they must take care to prevent spilling while dispensing. Then, there’s the clean-up at the end. I decided to take a more simple and direct approach.

My wife uses cotton facial pads in her make-up regimen that are conveniently flat with embossed puffy ribbed sections so I took a few for my project and cut a section off that was two ribs wide. I placed a metal jar lid top-down on the table and put the cut piece of cotton inside (see photo). I lit a tapered (or “dinner”) candle and held the tip horizontally over the piece of cotton and let the melted wax drip consecutively along the strips. By tilting the candle slightly downward while slowly rotating it on axis allows the wax to melt more quickly. Care must be taken to keep the flame a safe distance from the cotton pad so as not to ignite it during the melting process.

I only saturate about three quarters of the length of each strip so that the last quarter can be “fuzzed up” when needed to catch sparks from a ferro rod to ignite it. Once the dripping process is completed I extinguish the candle. The wax is warm and safe to handle so I fold the ribs of the pad together lengthwise and press it tight. This creates a “stick” as it cools that is easily stored for use. How many ribs wide to cut or not for this purpose is subjective but the more wax that is infused, the longer the flame will burn once lit. Not only does the fire starter host the flame by it’s self but as the wax melts it can saturate the materials beneath it that helps to enhance the fire starting process. The jar lid in this case is just a convenient way to catch any errant drips of wax but is not a necessity. For clean-up It can be simply discarded or kept for the next time these fire starters are made.

I have come to value fire starters as a back-up tool for building campfires. It is always wise to be prepared for adverse conditions. Due to the convenience of this production method combined with the ease of storage to carry I heartily suggest that you make some of your own so that you will be prepared for your next fire building project.