Tinderlighter Fire Lighting.

Flint, Steel and Tinderbox Fire Lighting, and Preparing Plant Tinder.
This is a promotional video for the New England Colonial Living History Group 1680-1760 (Armidale NSW Australia).
Email: historicaltrekker@gmail.com
Blog: http://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com
Group Site: http://eighteenthcenturylivinghistory.freeforums.org/

Wychwood Forest Productions.
Production site: Wychwood Forest, Armidale, New England NSW, Australia.
Presenter & Primitive Skills Instructor, Keith H. Burgess.
Production Managers: Carolyn Burgess and Kaelem Burgess.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Flint and steel
• fire lighting
• tinderbox
• primitive
• skills
• 18th century
• 17th century
• survival
• woodscraft
• bushcraft
• Armidale NSW
• New England
• living history
• historical trekking
• camping
• living
• self-reliance
• self-sufficiency
• backwoods
• woodsman
• woodsmen
• woods lore

[2Ryled]

Kinda confused, what exactly is the 'tinder'. Im guessing its the flint & steel? I thought it would be some sort of wood but after sparking it, I guess not. I think sulfur tipped matches started in early 1800s. Great vid but needs to be closer to camera to really see what is in the tinderbox, or what it looks like up close. Thanks

[historicaltrekking]

@2Ryled Tinder is a plant material that will catch a spark from a steel struck with a piece of flint. Tinder will smoulder, but will not flame unless you add a fuel like meted wax or tallow. When you blow on smouldering tinder the ember spreads & gets very hot. Add dried grass to this & it will catch fire.

Charred cloth was sometimes used in town homes, they would mostly use tow rags. In the wilderness one uses plant materials such as some bracket fungus.

Spunks were in use during the 1700s.

[geraldlee33]

great video, I have never seen something like that before.

[historicaltrekking]

@geraldlee33 Glad you liked it. The tinderlighter was generally only used in the upper class homes.

[steintanz]

... and I thought "Gandalf the Grey" was just a character in a book and movie ;o)

Hello!

Thanks a lot for demonstrating this old method - really amazing to see such skills come alive again through people like you.

Best greetings, Tim

[historicaltrekking]

@steintanz  Thank you, & you are very welcome.

A Woodsrunner's Diary.

[historicaltrekking]

@DrShakalu619 Thank you, & don't I wish!!!

[seantbird96]

I got one just like the one in Video up for sale... Works great!!

Ebay Screen Name : seantbird96

[historicaltrekking]

@HowToHistory The tinderlighter, also known as a "tinder pistol" is a 17th century invention, I believe invented about mid 17th century. Apparently some of the first types were made from damaged pistols.

Regards.

[HowToHistory]

That was interesting. What was the beginning date for this device? I see your group starts 1680.