FAQs

On this page, we display the answers to some of the questions most frequently asked by our customers. If you don't find the answer to your question among those displayed below, then please send it to us and we'll answer it as soon as we can!

Aks your question

Q?

Which kit is best to pick?

A.

If you are choosing a kit for yourself, then it's best to make your choice based on what you plan to use it for. To make a fire on a camping trip, the most suitable kits of all are No. 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3. For ladies we recommend versions of these kits which come with a shoulder strap (Kit No. 4.1.1, 4.2.2 and 4.3.3). This series of kits is distinguished by the ergonomic design of the leather pouch: the components of each kit have their own compartment, and the pouch itself can be conveniently mounted on the belt strap or worn on the shoulder. For picnic trips, the optimal choice would be kit No. 2 as it is simple, elegant and takes up little space. It would be best of all to decorate the mantelpiece in your country house with kit No. 8.1. If you are looking for a gift for a young tourist or camper, then the best choice would be kit No. 1. A solid gift for a seasoned hunter would be kit No. 6, 8.2 or 8.3.

Q?

What should I know about firesteels (steel strikers)?

A.

When using a flint, you should remember that it is a forged and tempered product. As such it can be very strong, but at the same time it possesses a certain degree of brittleness. Remember how old wrought iron blades, though able to strike the enemy and puncture his armor or chain mail, would often betray their masters and break in the midst of battle. Similarly wrought flints can also break if used incorrectly or inappropriately. In the majority of cases when flints break, it occurs when they fall onto rocks or when someone tries to use one as a little hammer to split a piece of flint held in the palm of their hand. There's another important point that you need to know about firesteels (steel strikers). As with your favorite camping knife, you shouldn't heat your firesteel over a flame as you can remove its tempered quality, rendering it unable to make sparks.

Q?

Can water damage a firesteel?

A.

Water cannot damage flint or firesteels. Even when just taken out of water and still wet, they are perfectly able to strike a spark. Firesteels aren't adversely affected by rust either. This has been proven repeatedly as successful attempts to strike a spark have been made with ancient flints found during excavations, even when covered in rust. Nevertheless, the tinder and kindling should be kept away from water as they'll of course lose their useful properties when wet. However, there's no need to dispose of them if they do somehow get wet. When they have dried out, tinder (whether made from linen char cloth or fungus) and kindling fully regain their useful properties.

Q?

What can you use as kindling when making a fire?

A.

Any material that easily catches fire at low temperatures is suitable as kindling. Such materials as dry grass, pine needles and anything fluffy of plant origin all make for excellent kindling. Dry moss and the dry bark of the juniper tree, as well as cotton, linen and jute fibers, are all readily combustible. Using a greater amount of smouldering tinder and vigorously fanning can ignite bark or fine, dry wood chips. The kindling you use should be made into the shape of a small nest, into which you should place and then wrap your smouldering tinder.

Q?

Can you use another type of rock instead of flint?

A.

Yes, you can substitute other minerals for flint, but in terms of its ease of use you really can't compare any of these with flint. It gives you flat and sharp edges that possess a strength comparable to that of diamonds (it is thanks to this property that it was used by ancient peoples to make stone arrowheads, knives, axes and other such tools). It is very easy to place a piece of tinder on such a flat share at the moment when you strike a spark. If you have the knack for it, it is possible to swap flint for quartz, for example. We've often done this for demonstration purposes while taking part in tourist exhibitions and festivals.

Q?

Where can I find some flint?

A.

Flint is a natural mineral. It can be encountered in various places. In some areas there can be lots of it, but in others there can be none at all. Usually it is gathered along riverbanks. In nature, flint tends to appear as smooth, round, fist-sized boulders. You'll have to split such rocks in order to get the small, sharp pieces you need. You ought to be careful and wear gloves and protective goggles to split flint. There are many types of flint and it can be green, gray, black or brown in color. One distinctive feature of this mineral is that has very sharp edges and it is these edges that allow us to use it to remove slivers of metal from a firesteel.

Q?

How can char cloth tinder be made from fabric?

A.

The best tinder of all is made from linen or cotton. The thicker the fabric chosen, the better; you could use an old pair of jeans. The fabric should be cut into rectangles of equal size, stacked in a pile and wrapped in aluminum foil. The resultant briquette should be placed in a tinderbox made of tin, such as those which come with each of our kits. Then you should place the tinderbox over the flame of a gas burner. All of this should preferably be done out in the street. The gas burner's flame should be set to a minimum. After a short period of time, a charcoal gas will start to be released from the tinderbox and will burn when in contact with the burner's flame. It will appear as if the flames are coming from the tinderbox itself. You should wait until the smoke or flames coming from the tinderbox have stopped before you turn off the burner. The tinderbox should be left for a minimum of 30 minutes to cool down. Even if it quickly becomes cool to the touch, you should still wait out this time. Afterwards you'll get your tinder. If everything has been done right, you'll have gotten an excellent piece of char cloth tinder from your fabric.

Q?

How is tinder made from birch fungus?

A.

It's very important to pick birch fungus correctly. All fungi are different, as you would expect. To make tinder, you should pick only fungi which grow on dead birch trees. It's also necessary to take from the body of the fungus precisely the part that will become your tinder. This part consists of a velvety material that is pleasant to the touch and is often called "forest suede". It is found between the light, firm upper layer of the fungus and its spores. The piece of fungus obtained for its future use as tinder should be placed in a solution of lye, which can be made by mixing cinders from any hardwood species of tree with water in a 1:1 ratio. The resultant slurry can be left to infuse or can be boiled thoroughly, and then it is mandatory that you strain it. The tinder should be left to soak in the lye for 2-3 days, after which it should be taken out and dried. During the drying process the tinder should be kneaded from time to time. The dried tinder can be beaten with a wooden hammer. If you did everything correctly, then you should have ended up with a velvety soft piece of "forest suede" which will easily catch even the smallest sparks and thus begin to smoulder intensely.

Q?

What is tinder made from?

A.

Tinder is a natural material usually of biological origin. The distinctive feature of this material is its ability to easily begin to smoulder, even upon contact with a small spark. In fire making, the most common types of tinder used are either natural or made of scorched flax or cotton fabric – also known as char cloth. Natural tinder is made from a polypore fungus which grows on the trunks of dead birch trees, or it can be made by scorching pieces of natural material in a closed metal tin and in the absence of oxygen. In the past, other ways of preparing tinder existed, but these are rarely used today. So, one material that easily catches sparks is dry, rotten wood. You can restock your stores of this kind of tinder by finding a crumbling, rotting tree stump in the woods.

Q?

Where do the sparks come from?

A.

A spark is a shard of metal, heated until it glows. Sparks appear as a result of the mechanical interactions between sharp cutting tools, in this case the flint and the blade of the firesteel. That is, in simple terms, the sharp edge of the flint removes a sliver of metal with a strong, glancing blow. As firesteels are made of steel with a high carbon content, the kinetic energy transferred to the little piece of metal ignites the carbon within to produce sparks. It is very important the firesteel has previously been subjected to the process of quenching. It's due to the quenching process that the carbon enters a special state in which its ignition becomes possible.

Q?

Is it difficult to make a fire using sparks?

A.

Fire making in the old way is a process that doesn't require special knowledge or skills. Anyone can quickly and easily master this method of fire making, whether they are an adult or a child. All that it requires is a little attention and patience. The most important part is getting a spark to fall on a piece of char cloth tinder. This is usually a stumbling block for those who are learning to make a fire with the help of a firesteel. We have specially prepared a video with further instructions to show you how to get a fire going without matches.
To ignite the dry kindling from a smouldering piece of tinder is a really simple task. However, if you still can't get a fire going, then you can just call us or write to us. We are always happy to help and advise. To make things even more clear, we can use Skype and do everything together.