UKC

I'm thinking of getting a fire piston in order to indulge my Ray Mears fantasies and give me something to do for 20 minutes before giving up and reaching for the lighter when I want to get a fire going.

Has anyone who has used one got any recommendations for good models, features to look out for etc?

In reply to davidbeynon:

<Googles Fire Piston>

This one, because it looks nice:

youtube.com/watch?v=UvCB3_KtSz0&

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

It does look very nice. It makes me wish I had paid attention during metal work classes,

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

That looks amazing, shame I no longer have access to a lathe.

In reply to davidbeynon:
It's never too late to learn, once I'm qualified as a Forest Schools leader and hopefully find work doing that next year, I plan on scratching my 'learning how to make things out of metal' itch.

Edit: You only look to be in your 40's ish in your profile picture, you've probably got years to learn that kind of thing.

In reply to davidbeynon:

Flints and strikers and cotton wool are pretty good for lighting fires with by the way.

In reply to davidbeynon:

You can make one with coper piping, copper end cap, a wood stick and a o-ring.

Interesting methode, but fiddeling with char cloth, try to blow on tinde bundles, etc. Tossed mine and use a lighter. Ok sometimes a firesteel, but that is easier than the fire piston.

In reply to tjin:

If I actually care about starting fires I use a fire steel or a lighter. I'm purely interested in it for a bit of fun.

In reply to davidbeynon:

A bit pointless if you ask me. As mentioned, steel and cotton wool is way less hassle.

In reply to davidbeynon:

Slightly off topic but the bit about most of the little compasses being in a state of navigational confusion made me smile. They must be from the same batch as the two set into the top of a pair of walking poles I once owned which were both well out from magnetic north and 180 degrees out from each other.

Fortunately I never found myself in a situation when I might have had to rely on them.

In reply to davidbeynon:

I almost think I need to make use of all the steel and brass off cuts I have and get the lathe out again!

In reply to davidbeynon:

I got one of the wilderness solutions metal ones. I have managed to produce a smell of burning but no actual fire as I keep loosing the tinder in the piston...

That's OK though, as I said it is more about messing around than trying to get things lit. Fire is why the lord gave us lighters