Horse Hoof Fungus

[Omegarod]

Reading up about the horse hoof fungus, I found that it lives mostly in the North of England and Scotland, and mainly on dead birch and beech trees.

So whilst partaking in my walk the other day here in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire I passed the landmark of a huge dead old beech stump that had been struck by lightning a few years ago..... and there on the trunk .... could it be? Hmmmm.... sure looked like it. A horse hoof fungus, or to be precise, four horse's hooves.

So I sawed off one of the hooves and took it home..... and dried it on the top of the radiator for a while as it was very sodden. Cut off the crust.... and cut a few slices and tested it. It lit with just one spark! Immediately.

Now, reading all the web wisdom, I am told that you should boil the slices in various compunds, dry it, and then beat it to death with a hammer. Then scrape some fluffy fibres off it to light. I did none of that, I just lit it.

A small piece a couple of inches long will smoulder for a couple of hours! At any time you can just pick up the piece and blow on it gently to get enough brightness to light tinder. It just ain't going to go out unless you pour water over it!

Today I went back and got the other three quarters off the trunk.

A quarter of it cut off and sliced, and the bits of amadou kept in a tobacco tin.

Three hooves left...

The best part is the dark half under the hard crust. The lower (more pale) fibrous part will smoulder too, but not quite as well.

I probably have a lifetime's supply of the stuff here. And there is another big one still on the tree.

Rod

 

[Toddy]

That's a beauty Nice find !
To find one with a trama layer so thick is really excellent

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Martyn]

Cut off the crust.... and cut a few slices and tested it. It lit with just one spark! Immediately.

Now, reading all the web wisdom, I am told that you should boil the slices in various compunds, dry it, and then beat it to death with a hammer. Then scrape some fluffy fibres off it to light. I did none of that, I just lit it.

Rod, can I ask what you used to make the spark? What did you light it with?

 

[Omegarod]

I used a firesteel and a carbon steel knife, as usual. The fungus caught immediately, without the need for blowing.
One of these days I'll try a real flint and steel (when I can find a steel). I have the feeling that it would be pretty easy to light the fungus with that.... even with a single spark.

Rod

 

[Martyn]

I used a firesteel and a carbon steel knife, as usual. The fungus caught immediately, without the need for blowing.
One of these days I'll try a real flint and steel (when I can find a steel). I have the feeling that it would be pretty easy to light the fungus with that.... even with a single spark.

Rod

Ahhh, I suspected so. That'd be why it caught so easy. The ferro rod you used throws off big lumps of ferrocerium which is burning at about 3000 degrees. You can set logs alight wityh those things, it's like using napalm. There really is no need to use any special tinder with them, they will light paper, dried leaves, birch bark, feather sticks, even a charred candle wick. Oh and you dont need to use a carbon steel striker either, stainless is fine, as is a bit of broken glass, or pottery, a rough stone or even a broken housebrick.

With a traditional flint and steel, the sparks are teeny shavings of steel burning at a much, much lower temperature. That is why so much preparation of the fungus is normal. In comparison, it is very, very difficult to get a spark from a traditional flint and steel to catch onto anything except a specially prepared tinder. In fact I dont know of any other things apart from charcloth, prepared tinder fungus and dried cramp balls that will take a spark from a traditional flint and steel.

 

[ocean1975]

Here's a couple i found last year in the south east growing on a big old beech tree.

I boiled mine for 8 hours then rubbed in some ash,fluffed up it will take a spark from my traditional flint and steel

 

[Lake]

In fact I dont know of any other things apart from charcloth, prepared tinder fungus and dried cramp balls that will take a spark from a traditional flint and steel.

1. Punkwood
2. Mullein pith, sliced very thin
3. Milkweed ovum

 

[Martyn]

1. Punkwood
2. Mullein pith, sliced very thin
3. Milkweed ovum

I never thought about punkwood, is it good? I'll have to give it a go next time I come across a rotten log.

I have no idea what the other 2 are, but I'll google em.

 

[British Red]

I never thought about punkwood, is it good? I'll have to give it a go next time I come across a rotten log.

I have no idea what the other 2 are, but I'll google em.

Mullein is what most hand drills are made from -

I've caught a spark from flint and steel on
cedar bark,
birch bark (fluffed)
travellers joy

Red

 

[Lake]

I never thought about punkwood, is it good? I'll have to give it a go next time I come across a rotten log.

Punk wood is excellent natural tinder, mostly underestimated. It catches a spark from traditional flint and steel. But you must find the right stuff.

I have no idea what the other 2 are, but I'll google em.

Mullein pith (Verbascum thapsus)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIBqzcm0ClY

Milkweed ovum (Asclepias syriaca)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsL8Q5hL_Uk


Here is what the ovum looks like:

 

[Martyn]

Punk wood is excellent natural tinder, mostly underestimated. It catches a spark from traditional flint and steel. But you must find the right stuff.



Mullein pith (Verbascum thapsus)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIBqzcm0ClY

Milkweed ovum (Asclepias syriaca)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsL8Q5hL_Uk


Here is what the ovum looks like:

That is brilliant, thankyou. I was starting to think that there were no naturally occurring tinders that could be used with traditional flint and steel without much preparation. I'm gonna have to try and find some and give this a go.

 

[Pcwizme]

Old mans beard also take a spark from a flint and steel (

its the seed pods of the clematis, just make sure its dried.

 

[British Red]

Old mans beard also take a spark from a flint and steel (

its the seed pods of the clematis, just make sure its dried.

Thats what we call "travellers joy"

The dried bark stripped back and rubbed up will light well from a ferrocium rod directly or will catch from the dried seed pods with flint and steel I find. Those pods don't half burn quick mind you!

Red