Two views of tinderboxes...

[Andy54Hawken]

I know that fire danger is high right now...but as long as you all promise to be careful , here are two tinder boxes of mine.

The one with the "burning lens" in the middle of lid is a Hudson Bay Company pattern ( HBC )
The oval one is a pretty "standard" one for the many different time periods .
Both are new made by the Ted Cash Company...they are made of brass and do keep my fire fixin's dry...well I wouldn't go swimming with them...

Inside each I have :
Flint...
Fire Striker "Steel"...
Char cloth ( that's the black stuff in the bottom of the boxes )
Jute..this works best if frayed...
Pine and or cedar shavings stolen from woodshop class...
Andy

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[GOG]

Nice. Thanks Andy.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Nice. Thanks Andy.

Says the man who just had to bug out 'cause of fires....
You are welcome ....
Andy

 

[Certaindeaf]

A lot of bicycles around Portland are made of magnesium.




















:hide

 

[titsonritz]

Very cool. I dig primitive fire stuffs.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Thanks...
Its fun to start a campfire or BBQ with them ..Plus they work well in the rain...
Andy

 

[Kruel J]

Thanks...
Its fun to start a campfire or BBQ with them ..Plus they work well in the rain...
Andy

As my dad would say...."Keep your powder dry".

 

[Andy54Hawken]

As my dad would say...."Keep your powder dry".

Funny that you mention that...
I have when its really wet or snowy , sprinkled a little bit of powder among the tinder and used that to start my fire...
If you only use a little and make sure that you :
Have the powder spread out and not compacted...
And keep your powder horn plugged and away from the fire...
You will not go "POOF ! " or "BOOM! "....
Andy

 

[titsonritz]

What are those round things next to the boxes?

 

[Kruel J]

Funny that you mention that...
I have when its really wet or snowy , sprinkled a little bit of powder among the tinder and used that to start my fire...
If you only use a little and make sure that you :
Have the powder spread out and not compacted...
And keep your powder horn plugged and away from the fire...
You will not go "POOF ! " or "BOOM! "....
Andy

Been the way he has ended our talks for years. I'd say in the last 15 or so I finally got it.

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

I love playing with char cloth, but personally find cotton balls with Vaseline or alcohol-based hand sanitizer easier to use.

When teaching scouts, many had trouble holding a tinder nest around the char cloth and getting a flame to start.

With the cotton balls, it's basically a candle that they just pile tinder on. I find it a bit easier for uncoordinated 12-13 year olds to manage...

How well does the jute work for you in making a tinder nest? I can't remember if I was using jute or sisal, but I've had trouble with getting the rope fiber to progress from a smolder to a flame.

I do like the lenses, though!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

How well does the jute work for you in making a tinder nest?

I just fray the jute...and hold it under the flint as I strike it with my steel....It takes a spark real well and will flame up if you blow on it gently....
Andy

 

[Kruel J]

I just fray the jute...and hold it under the flint as I strike it with my steel....It takes a spark real well and will flame up if you blow on it gently....
Andy

Yeah, that's going right where you think.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

What are those round things next to the boxes?

"Burning lenses"...otherwise known as a magnifying lens...the brass one with the bead I won as a shooting prize...the one with the blue case I made...

You direct the sun's beam on the item you want to burn...kinda like a "mountain man laser"....
Andy

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Yeah, that's going right where you think.

No doubt...knew it , right after I wrote it...but i could think of any other way to phrase it...
Anyway ....as long as you send me flowers in the morning....
Andy

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

My personal favorite fire starter was an "Iroquois Fire Drill" that I made. Basically it's a bow drill, but with an inertial flywheel weight.

The kids loved it!

 

[titsonritz]

"Burning lenses"...otherwise known as a magnifying lens...the brass one with the bead I won as a shooting prize...the one with the blue case I made...

You direct the sun's beam on the item you want to burn...kinda like a "mountain man laser"....
Andy

Okay, that makes sense. Now that I look closer I can see the glass in the one on top of the light blue case, but I still can't see it in the other one, must be super clean.

 

[titsonritz]

I got to have one.

Product Listing

Brass, copper or German Silver? Decisions, decisions...

 

[Stomper]

Yeah, that's going right where you think.

Thank gawd.... I was doing all the heavy lifting by myself keeping that one afloat!

 

[Stomper]

A lot of bicycles around Portland are made of magnesium.




















:hide

Yeah, not a good idea to let polyester pant legs rub together too much when riding one of them fillies!