Flame from a coal.

[KIMBOKO]

Many years ago I had a postcard from the British Museum showing a picture of a flint and steel and char cloth with sulphur matches. The idea being that
you can get a flame, direct from a coal.
I have tried and it can simplify the ember/coal to flame process without all the tinder preparation and blowing and masses of smoke. I used some splinters of wood (like cocktail sticks) impregnated with sulphur from a sulphur candle (garden shop). Touch the end of the stick to the ember/coal and it will result in as blue suphurous flame. Its quick, and you can get a flame from charcloth that has been ignited by spark or fire piston or from bow/hand drill embers, however sulphur fumes are not the most pleasant to smell.

[tomtom]

any chance of a picture... :biggthump

[Jeff Wagner]

You can blow charcloth to flame with birch bark.

Jeff

[Realgar]

I got a green coconut the other week - an expensive and rare treat in this country but I saved some of the husk & charred it in a sealed tin. A sugar cube sized lump caught as easily as charcloth and caught flame by itself with a little blowing on it. Shame coconut trees are so rare in the midlands.

[Jeff Wagner]

Excellent! The same can be accomplished with rotten wood punk without charring. Not only does it carry a coal very well, but a few pieces placed in contact with each other can be blown into flame. In fact, if there is a breeze its nearly self igniting once a spark has been set. For instances where a suitable fiber nest materials cant be had, punk is a great alternative. I can always find dry punk in the forest no matter how wet the weather.

Jeff