FireStryker Living History Forum : Char cloth

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Topic: Char cloth

Jon
New Member
Member # 316

posted 05-14-2002 07:09 PM

I'm new and I've read a few of the groups posts so I want to ask if anyone has anything to add. Gaukler refers to an early recipie for char cloth. Does anyone have any experience making it in any other way than with a small tin?

I can start a fire quite easily with char cloth but making it in a tin seems suspect for the 13th century. Flint and steel is the easy part, char cloth is hard if you're not doing rev war which I'm not. Thanks.

Jon

Registered: May 2002 | IP: Logged

Dru
Member
Member # 180

posted 05-15-2002 09:09 AM

The same effect can be achieved using a ceramic pot with a reasonable tight fitting lid. You still want some gas to escape, but you don't want a lot of oxygen to get inside, otherwise you will just burn up your fiber. You don't have to use cloth scraps either. You can use almost any natural fiber in its raw state and still use the char to start a fire.

Dru

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Dru Shoemaker
www.medievalshoes.com

Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

Friedrich
Member
Member # 40

posted 05-15-2002 09:52 AM

I've tried some different fibers. I've found cotton based fabrics to be easier in making char cloth. One way to make it is to cut it into smaller squares and place them in a tin case and stick them right in the coals of a fire. And leave them there for the duration. One good container is an empty Altoids tin.

Registered: Jul 2000 | IP: Logged

jcesarelli
Member
Member # 146

posted 05-15-2002 09:58 AM

Jon,

There was a lengthy post on this board about this subject, see http://www.wolfeargent.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=7&t=000122

Joseph

Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

Gwen
Member
Member # 126

posted 05-15-2002 01:11 PM

For anyone who would like to use linen to make char cloth, I always have appropriate scraps that I'm throwing away. If you'd like an envelope of scraps, please email me your name and address and I'll be more than happy to send some to you.

Additionally, I have literaly boxes of linen and wool scrap (and some brocades) that would be great for everything from ditty bags to potholders, pouches, helmet liners, clothing patches, armour and tack cleaning rags, gun wadding, you name it. If anyone can use this stuff, email me and I'll ship you a box full for just the cost of shipping.

Gwen
historic@pacbell.net

Registered: Feb 2001 | IP: Logged

Callum Forbes
Member
Member # 230

posted 05-15-2002 08:41 PM

Just out of curiousity does anybody have a reference for the earliest date that char cloth was used? We use char cloth in our fire making kits as part of our late 14th century portrayal but to date I've found no conclusive proof that it was used in our period.

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Registered: Oct 2001 | IP: Logged

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