Tinder fungus

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Kortoso
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Tinder fungus

Post by Kortoso »

Dino and Susan Labiste teach excellent primitive technology classes in my area (so I feel some local loyalty). Susan has done a fair bit of research and expermentation with substituting marcasite/pyrite for steel in percussion firemaking.
Here is her interesting article on tinder fungus.
Substitutes for Tinder Fungus
There is much said about ideal tinder, and a much touted one is amadou. Amadou is the fluffy felt-like material obtained from a woody shelf fungus or “conk”, more specifically from "tinder fungus" (Fomes fomentarius). This stuff is capable of catching the spark from steel or marcasite without the need for charring. Amadou has obtained the status of myth, and I will admit to both my own amazement the first time I saw it used and to my disappointment that the conk from which it is made depends mostly on Birch as a host. Birch does not grow in California where I live. Since then I have been searching for a substitute for Fomes fomentarius closer to home.
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Greg
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Re: Tinder fungus

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Out here, Charred Turkey Tail is where it's at...for what it's worth.
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Kortoso
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Re: Tinder fungus

Post by Kortoso »

That sounds like some sort of fungus. :mrgreen:
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Greg
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Re: Tinder fungus

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You're quick.
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SierraStrider
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Re: Tinder fungus

Post by SierraStrider »

Good to know that we have something viable out here in CA. I seem to remember seeing turkey tails in my field guide to the Sierra as well, so that might be an option. I've certainly seen a fair few toadstools of various species around, so maybe tossing those in the char tin would work.

I've tried charred cedar bark, but it doesn't seem quite fine enough, fluffy as it is.
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Kortoso
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Re: Tinder fungus

Post by Kortoso »

Greg wrote:You're quick.
For a moment I thought you were using charred feathers or whatnot.
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Le-Loup
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Re: Tinder fungus

Post by Le-Loup »

Good post Kortoso. Good substitute for Tinder Fungus is Punkwood/Punk wood & the dried tops of the Cattail plant. In more tropical areas of the US you should find the American Aloe/Century Plant. The inner core of the trunk makes excellent tinder once charred directly in the fire.
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Re: Tinder fungus

Post by wulfgar »

I have had great success with the charred punk wood. Amadou was a big trade item for the French because it can be difficult to find really good substitutes in the wild.
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Le-Loup
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Re: Tinder fungus

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SierraStrider wrote:Good to know that we have something viable out here in CA. I seem to remember seeing turkey tails in my field guide to the Sierra as well, so that might be an option. I've certainly seen a fair few toadstools of various species around, so maybe tossing those in the char tin would work.

I've tried charred cedar bark, but it doesn't seem quite fine enough, fluffy as it is.
No need to use a tin as an oven to char tinder SierraStrider. Tinder was & still is charred directly in the fire & then extinguished in the tinderbox.
Regards, Keith.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost.

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Greg
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Re: Tinder fungus

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Le-Loup wrote:No need to use a tin as an oven to char tinder SierraStrider. Tinder was & still is charred directly in the fire & then extinguished in the tinderbox.
Regards, Keith.
Keith's right. To add to it, if you want to char cloth at home to have available, you'll need to poke a hole in your tin to prevent creating a vacuum during the charring process. You don't want to be poking an air hole in your otherwise-waterproofed tinderbox that you carry in the field, so char your bits in the fire itself like he suggests, and extinguish them in the box with a damper or the lid. It won't work on cloth, but any scrap cloth you're carrying with you that isn't charred already is probably meant for gear repairs, so you shouldn't be torching it anyway... *wink*
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Le-Loup
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Re: Tinder fungus

Post by Le-Loup »

Greg wrote:
Le-Loup wrote:No need to use a tin as an oven to char tinder SierraStrider. Tinder was & still is charred directly in the fire & then extinguished in the tinderbox.
Regards, Keith.
Keith's right. To add to it, if you want to char cloth at home to have available, you'll need to poke a hole in your tin to prevent creating a vacuum during the charring process. You don't want to be poking an air hole in your otherwise-waterproofed tinderbox that you carry in the field, so char your bits in the fire itself like he suggests, and extinguish them in the box with a damper or the lid. It won't work on cloth, but any scrap cloth you're carrying with you that isn't charred already is probably meant for gear repairs, so you shouldn't be torching it anyway... *wink*
Actually tow rag was charred directly in the fire in homes, & the gunners on ships did it this way. It does not char the same as plant materials, as it leaves parts uncharred, but this was how it was done & still is. But I agree Greg, no point in carrying cloth with you for making tinder, just use plant material you gather in the woods.
Keith.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost.

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SierraStrider
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Re: Tinder fungus

Post by SierraStrider »

Interesting. I have a large-ish tinderbox which is fairly watertight and a smaller tin with a perforated lid I keep inside for charring. I get the fact that you can char materials and then extinguish them in your tinderbox, eliminating weight and complexity, but it seems like it would be less efficient than using a perforated tin--you'd undoubtedly lose some material by overburning it, or else underburn it with the result being less ready to take a spark. At least, I know I would, but then, I've never managed to use flint to ignite tinder coarser than charred cotton balls, so I clearly have a lot to learn in this regard.
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Greg
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Re: Tinder fungus

Post by Greg »

Once a piece of material is reduced to a glowing coal in your fire, it can be extinguished and then, essentially, "jump-started" with a spark. "Losing" material isn't typically a concern because punk wood (and etc.) is rarely found in small quantities, and you never really need to re-stock in bulk anyway. Give it a try...I think you'll be surprised.
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Le-Loup
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Re: Tinder fungus

Post by Le-Loup »

SierraStrider wrote:Interesting. I have a large-ish tinderbox which is fairly watertight and a smaller tin with a perforated lid I keep inside for charring. I get the fact that you can char materials and then extinguish them in your tinderbox, eliminating weight and complexity, but it seems like it would be less efficient than using a perforated tin--you'd undoubtedly lose some material by overburning it, or else underburn it with the result being less ready to take a spark. At least, I know I would, but then, I've never managed to use flint to ignite tinder coarser than charred cotton balls, so I clearly have a lot to learn in this regard.
Charring directly in the fire works just fine, & it does not char it too much. Baked in a tin it all gets charred right through, which means it does not last as long. You can even place uncharred tinder material in your tinderbox, which will char with use.
Regards, Keith.

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In this lower image I have turned the tinder material over, so you can see that it is not charred all over. As you use it, it will char itself.



Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost.

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Le-Loup
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Re: Tinder fungus

Post by Le-Loup »

Charring plant tinder material in the fire is easy. You do NOT just place it in the fire, you use a pointy stick the same way as you would to cook meat on a stick.
Keith.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost.

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