Cramp Ball Fungus

[ol smokey]

Hi There Guys {and Gals}
Can anyone tell me if Craqmp Ball is to be4 found in the Stirling/Trossachs area?
I have been looking for it sinceOctober and have come to the conclusion that maybe it is not to be found in this area, or maybe I have been looking at the wrong trees. I have been going by the illustration in RM's book for something like a burnt chestnut. Horsehoof fungus is not too hard to find but is quite hard to prepare an I am a lazy sod when it comes to some jobs.
cheers. Hope someone can advise meon this.
Stuart S
Stick some more logs on the fire.

[Brocktor]

i found none in my area, been looking for as long as you but went 10 mins down the dual carrage way and lots can be found in certain places, so try somewhere new.

[Pipistrelle]

Hi There Guys {and Gals}
Can anyone tell me if Craqmp Ball is to be4 found in the Stirling/Trossachs area?
I have been looking for it sinceOctober and have come to the conclusion that maybe it is not to be found in this area, or maybe I have been looking at the wrong trees. I have been going by the illustration in RM's book for something like a burnt chestnut. Horsehoof fungus is not too hard to find but is quite hard to prepare an I am a lazy sod when it comes to some jobs.
cheers. Hope someone can advise meon this.
Stuart S
Stick some more logs on the fire.

PM and I will find you some and post, we generally have lots about, now I have said that I won't find any... doh

[Justin Time]

AFAIK it's only found on Ash trees so that should narrow down your search a bit. Lots of it in my local woods which , thankfully, are unmanaged so no one "tidies up" fallen branches etc.

[dommyracer]

Not just on Ash, its found on beech as well.

[jon r]

I think i found one on a piece of old oak wood aswell

[Biddlesby]

Wow I have the opposite problem! PM me if you want to do some kind of fungi swap.

If it is in your area, once you first find it, you should end up seeing it all over the place.

[falling rain]

Hi There Guys {and Gals}
Can anyone tell me if Craqmp Ball is to be4 found in the Stirling/Trossachs area?
I have been looking for it sinceOctober and have come to the conclusion that maybe it is not to be found in this area, or maybe I have been looking at the wrong trees. I have been going by the illustration in RM's book for something like a burnt chestnut. Horsehoof fungus is not too hard to find but is quite hard to prepare an I am a lazy sod when it comes to some jobs.
cheers. Hope someone can advise meon this.
Stuart S
Stick some more logs on the fire.

I can send you a box full of cramp ball fungus ol' smokey and I wouldn't mind some horses hoof fungus. Likewise as biddlesby I can't find any down here in my area. If you want to do a swap that would be great. Send a PM if you're interested.
Ooooooohhhh, it's just like trading by our ancestors

[Gailainne]

I've been out and about locally the last couple of weekends looking for various fungus, I have yet to find Cramp ball anywhere, but then again I've only come across a solitary Ash. Horse hoof and razor strop fungus are easy to find, and I think Ive found Tinder fungus. The rest of the photos are here, (sorry they are not in order, I'll have to redo them) Fungus

Forgot to say I live in Central Scotland.

Stephen

[norm]

I remember always seeing them around, usually on the ash trees on my old man's farm, but now I want one I can't seem to find them...

Having said that I did find a clump on a live ash tree near here a couple of weeks ago. I suspect they are canny little things with an extraordinary sense of approaching bushcrafters...?

The next problem is getting them to light? Do I need to dry them out first or should they ignite from fresh(!)...

[Ogri the trog]

....The next problem is getting them to light? Do I need to dry them out first or should they ignite from fresh(!)...

Norm,
They will light from fresh, though its likely to take a bit more effort than if you were to dry them indoors for a few days. Let us know how you get on.

ATB

Ogri the trog

[norm]

Thanks.

I'll try drying one and leaving the other in proper scientific test fashion...!

[Apac]

Not that i know a great deal but i went out in to my local woods today to look for cramp balls and found lots on dead branches lying on the ground..

The ground was coverd in hazel nut shells, im pretty confident in saying that cramp balls also live on dead hazel wood..

i took a pic of the leaf of a recently fallen tree next to were a dead branch was lying the bark looked exactly like the dead branch lying next to it im not sure of the species of tree, anyone know?

[norm]

Can't tell for sure, but the leaves and berries in your pictures look like Ivy - so the Cramp Balls won't be growing on it, but on it's host tree.

Norm

[Apac]

Thats wat i though tbh. seen as most of the trees in this wood are deciduous. i was unable to id the branch next to this fallen tree as all of the bark was missing.

[norm]

Thanks.

I'll try drying one and leaving the other in proper scientific test fashion...!

Test No.1.
Cramp Ball Dried on radiator - wrapped in kitchen roll
Lit with a gas lighter
Results - Some smouldering, but poor...

Test No.2.
Cramp Ball left in its natural state
Lit with a gas lighter
Results - Some smouldering, even poorer than the other...

I think I need more practice (and maybe bigger fungus!)

Breaking them into pieces was slightly more successful - but I couldn't get them to light any tinder...

Now got to find some more...

[Nomad_Of_Soul]

I recently found some cramp ball fungus, I stuck it on the radiator for a couple of days then broke them in half. Got the old fire stick out and the tiniest of sparks was enough to to get them going, the fungus was bone dry though and, therefore, quite fragile but i don't think i would have as much luck using them in the woods in their fresh state. Great fungus though

[dave k]

I managed to find some for the first time - it was on a section of Ash that had broken off, and was lying on the ground.

I'd be glad to trade them for some horse-hoof fungus, as it's not usually seen down here..

[RAPPLEBY2000]

i just leave them to dry in the sun for a while till they are touch dry, they should light quite easily once the ember warms themup.

just to make those in the north feel sick i found one the other day the size of my fist!

i now have a good place to harvest them 5 mins walk from the center of Norwich! tee hee!(i'm not telling! )

[Zodiak]

Ahh thats what it is!!!.

There was a pile on a dead Ash tree at my Scout HQ which we logged up yesterday.

I will see what i can collect, if there is more than a handful anybody can have it.

[saffy]

I have had a handful on my kitchen window sill for about a month and now they have spored black powder around themselves, tiz a bugger to clean off too