How To Process Birch Bark For Fire Craft

[@Rudecheers]

Hi Krik I'd suggest scraping the outside of the bark, since it catches a spark instantly, instead of the inside of the bark. It scrapes much easier and has a better texture allowing to take the tiniest spark. Also, the natural curvature of the bark allows you to protect your established flame against wind. You can even transfer your fire to a fireplace several meters away, since it has the shape of a cup a bit. This is a vid I made in wet conditions. Birch Bark and Firesteel In dry cold conditions I find it easier since the birchbark is so dehydrated that prepping it isn't even necessary Firesteel Birch Bark But it is good that you show persistence and make it clear that sometimes things don't always go to plan right away, respect to that!

[@joakimfannick]

I have to agree with this. I always use the outside of the bark - finer dust, catches in a second, and since the bark tends to curve that way, it doesn't fall off as easily. I usually hold the bark down with my left hand and use my left thumb to collect the dust I scrape together. Makes a nice pile quickly, and less of a chance that you accidentally whisk away the shavings. Be careful not to cut yourself though!

[@CircmcisionIsChi1dAbus3]

and stop using that horrible scraper that comes with those rods- they suck.

[@scruffydude1]

just a little tip on the ferro rod,,, pull the ferro rod away from the tinder pile keeping the sparker/steel in place anchored on your ankle or other stable spot.it works great and your tinder pile will never be disturbed. good video thank you very much

[@Smedley60]

A great example of persistence, thinking it through, and not losing your cool. Excellent work. Thanks for sharing the whole process.

[@SaunterOn]

The delight when you get it going 😃respect to you, both, for getting the fire going in the end, and for sharing that learning process. It is all too easy to share when you have it all 100% totally figured out, and not the vulnerability of sharing the not-quite-knowing 🙏

[@BardofCornwall]

I too have found it hard getting this combo to work. Ironically, I've had less trouble with bow drill. But maybe that's because I assumed a modern method like a ferro rod should be quick and easy every time.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Thank you for the kind words. It's not always easy to try "new" things on camera. You know, the pressure to perform. But I wanted to document that in hopes others would learn from my struggles. Thanks for watching. -Krik

[@ThePonduz]

Stuff that works for me is, i start making shavings\powder, from the white side of the bark, the silky bark seems to ignite the rest of the pile easier, works in 1-2 strikes, then transfer that to strips of birchbark. also as other people mentioned, that striker doesnt work well :) i only use this and fatwood, birchbark is my favorite method tho!

[@Latitude33Geckos]

Way to stick to it Krik. This is real fire craft with ferro rod. I can tell you from experience that this is how it goes, or worse. Thanks for not editing out your struggles (nor your excitement), it will be encouraging for those who have not experienced fire craft yet and think that as long as you have tinder and spark it will light right up on the first try. Great job.

[@synrick4840]

Good video man! I have some tips for those watching File the spine of your knife untill you can scrape your ferro rod. Use the ground or fire lay to stabilize your rod, like you did at first, first scrape should be light to add material to your tinder from the rod itself, second scrape add some pressure to produce the spark, and that's all it should take. Never touch your tinder pile, use your knife to move it, so you don't saturate it with your finger oils. Exterior of the bark works best 👌 Have a great day everyone! Stay safe out there

[@OzarkGuy]

I did this today for the first time.. I did a short video comparing Pine fatwood and birch bark.. the hardest part was scraping the bark and trying to get a pile of it collected

[@danielpedraza7730]

Hey, just as a tip, try using the sparker all the way around, hold tight the striker And slide the magnesium bar, that way you can apply more pressure and it's going to work better in every case, love your channel, a friend from Mexico.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

You're very welcome. It's nice to hear from a fellow Pennsylvanian. Where abouts in central Pa, if you don't mind me asking? -Krik

[@camoshotgun6912]

i am no expert on fire making but i normally use cedar bark and 65-70% alcohol hand sanitizer lit with a farrow rod to start fires.

[@camoshotgun6912]

If I don't have any hand sanitizer I use silver Burch bark or pine pitch

[@davidspassage]

One thing you can do if the birch powder isn't lighting is to scrape a small amount of shavings off the ferro rod without throwing sparks. Similar to if you had a magnesium fire block. Another thing... I noticed you are using a Mora Clipper Companion knife. I used to have the Triflex (very similar) and found that by grinding the spine to a 90° angle I could throw a ton more sparks off the rod than with the striker they provided.

[@jcc1ked]

Awesome video! Tip: place your Ferro rod a the base of the tinder pile, smooth downstroke quick upstroke, thus insuring a controlled spark.

[@Ugorr42II]

Hi. As others mentioned: Pull the firesteel and keep the scraper(or your knife) steady. My best results with fire making (with ferro-rods and flint and steel) ist with mixed tinder: Birchbark, Jute-Twine, cottonfibers and in emergencies and very wet conditions plastic(f.e. ripped shoppingbags/trash) Please excuse my spelling, i´m not a native speaker. And keep posting good videos. Thank you for that. Greetings from germany. Ugorr

[@jooky5]

Great video as always. Have you considered using the spine of the saw blade of a leatherman to scrape the birch and strike the ferro rod?

[@mirrorman1025]

Starting your pile I saw a few things and wanted to tell you a little better way. 1 when striking the firesteel , pull back the firesteel don't push down on the firesteel because it will knock off all of the shavings 2 use the back of your knife not your firesteel scraper because the Swedish firesteel strikers are smaller and duller so with your knife you can get better leverage and it's probably sharper(if not take a file to the back of it)

[@Timberjo2]

Great video! Thanks for the inspiration. I have tried and failed this before but you make me want to try again! Thanks

[@Yogangster1995]

I struggled with the same thing when i first started using birch bark, the key is finding a hard flat surface to place your shavings on, so you can put the ferro rod on the material and really crank down on that ferro rod to make sparks. One or two cranks should get that puppy burning.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Thanks Galen. I will be making those mods to my Moras. Is it normal for the flame to last for only a short time? -Krik

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Thanks David. I will be making that mod to my Moras. I will ask you as well, is it normal for the flame to last for only a short time? -Krik

[@bigfootbushcraft7063]

Your good man im starting out myself but i do watch your videos to learn as i go also...is that a c.s or ss mora?

[@daltonskeen9151]

well i was going to say it wasnt the dust that was the problem it was the sparks but it looks like the world has told you lol.. keep up the good work i watch all ur videos and am a huge fan brother. Ive been spreading the word about you down here in northeast tn.

[@ChannelFavorite]

Must say, this has been a very informative channel. Thank you for your knowledge. One question...? Why is the Black Owl logo in this vid depicting a penguin?

[@anonymousartist593]

Tip: make shavings from the outside of the bark because the inside can be damp

[@volcanowb]

Good grief, ant man! You have wise words for turtle! 🐢

[@lakrabid]

Most of the sparks weren't even landing on the birch shavings. Ferro rods are a spray and pray deal mostly. More directed sparks would light birch nearlt immediately. Nice learning video 👍

[@bladecollector7]

I just crumble the whole bark up itself and use my striker on that I don't need to scrape little fine shavings try that method

[@ChudActual]

Facts lol

[@davidspassage]

How long it lasts depends on the condition and quantity of the bark. If it's "wet" or damp, that can cause some variance. It's good to be ready with your other materials just in case.

[@davidspassage]

It all depends on the condition of the bark. It's always best to be ready and have all your materials around so when flames do come, you can light your other materials readily.

[@americanslime]

Really, this is the only way firesteels are worth their while. They always require more preparation than matches or a lighter. When you can use them well, their real advantage is they contain many, many fires in a small package, always seem to be there when you need them, and yes, they are waterproof (truthfully, so are lighters, and matches are easily kept dry). That and it's just a fun skill to learn.

[@bigfootbushcraft7063]

But i really cant believe how good moras are for the price awesome stuff

[@joschlee]

It's recommended by some that you hold the striker in place while you pull back the Ferro rod so that you can get the striker closer to the tinder and lessen your chance of knocking over your tinder.

[@SteveB357]

I always learn from your videos. But there's one thing that most people who are teaching about fire on KZbin leave out. That's preparation of the fire site. you need to clear a 10 foot area of all the leaves and under layment; anything that is flammable. In some environments that means going down below the soil, because roots burn too. And they can burn for days after you think you put your fire out. You also need to consider overhead branches that can be caught from a big fire. the National Park Service and the National Forest Service of publications that can give you the details on this or your friendly Boy Scout Handbook. Or if you want to get more macho the SAS survival manual or the US Armed Forces sere manual.

[@blainehyde2395]

Great vid please do a review on the eno onelink hammock system thnx+like

[@galenlong3005]

I haven't had the pleasure of working with birch too much as of yet, though when I, I'm in northwest Iowa, What few Birch trees that are standing here are on private property, Havent found anyone who will allow me to peel some Bark off their trees yet, and the area i do my work in is mostly oak, pine, maple, and walnut trees.

[@Wouter6431]

Hi Krik, Is it the video not capturing it well, or are the sparks you throw not that good? :) Perhaps try holding the scraper still next time, and pull back the firesteel. This way you can use as much force as you want (and throw bigger sparks) without having the risk to ruin your pile of bark. I also got a different striker from the brand firesteel, it works way better in my case. Good video

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will definitely try adding different tinder in with the bark. -Krik

[@fivesfish]

I think to process tinder that way would cause you blade to become blunt more quickly. I have seen methods were they twisted and wound the bark to produce a fine dust and also a bird nest from what was left of the bark.

[@americanslime]

Last thing: don't add twigs one piece at a time. Get a pile, put it all on. When it starts to burn through, put on a pile of bigger pieces. You can start burning wrist thick pieces in seconds, or spend ten minutes nursing it to a size where a bit of rain could still put it out. Preferably you would put your largest wood on the ground and start your fire on top of it and allow it to burn down, but that's just a convenience. Go read/watch Mors Kochanski, basically.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

I will definitely be doing a review on the OneLink. Stay tuned. We have a back log of videos to upload, so I can't say for certain when it will be uploaded to the channel. Thanks for watching Blaine. -Krik

[@robertking5869]

good video

[@Zhanchi4ever]

nice, i wanted to know that for a long time

[@AceadamUK]

another method iv used is too gather the magnisuim off the rod by gently scraping it and letting the dust (from the fire starter) to gather on the bark dust and that will catch it quicker and start better

[@QuiescentCookie]

The shavings are plenty fine enough you're just holding the spark far to far away from the bundle Also you should be putting the sparks into the center of the pile not the edge Hope that helps

[@bestfriendinamanger]

Obviously, your technique bis what hampered your spark from catching. Also, forget the unsteady leaf. I I'd find a nice smooth rock, perhaps from that stream, and put my pile on that. Then you could put your ferro rod into the pile and scrape slowly down with intense pressure. That works golden for me within 5 strikes. And i have that same steel. The striker itself is not that bad, but being able to do it with the spine of your knife is a bonus.

[@Ugorr42II]

PS: Birchbark is an natural accelarant, to keep the flame you need another kind of tinder like a selfmade birdnest. Pinesap is another accelarant - fatwoodsticks delivers accelerant(sap) and tinder(wood)

[@leticiadehermosillosonora7678]

Finally 👏👏👏👏

[@MatthewASims]

pull your fero rod towards you and keep your striker still, that way your hand doesn't bump the pile of birch dust. Matthew

[@DustyRobertson]

What equipment do you use too film ?

[@robertking5869]

Flip the piece over! The exposed paper side of the bark scrapes. and flakes better.. it's also where the oils are .

[@TheBloodLuster82]

the back of your mora blade might do better then that striker and if you pull back with the rod instead of pushing down with the striker you should get a hotter and better spark. you do this by sticking the tip of your knife to the ground and just pull back on with the rod it should also give you more control over the direction of the sparks and smack your pile and disperse your tinder. thank you for video man i like your channel.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

My technique with the firesteel was the main issue. I will be putting a 90 degree spine on two of my Moras. It seems like the main improvement I can make. -Krik

[@Kristoffceyssens]

question: why do you call yourself 'black owl' and use a logo with a penguin in it?

[@nancyjames6134]

YAKMAN HERE !! FIRST OFF ... NICE Video BIG GUY !! 2ed ... MYSELF I OWN ABOUT 5-6 MORA KNIFES !! IAM just saying maybe I just have gotten lucky... BUT !!! THE BACK OF YOUR MORA WOULD OF STARTED A FIRER FASTER THAN THE Stryker you were using !!

[@keaganharmon9130]

What kind of ferro rod is that.

[@srspower]

It should have taken no longer to light than a couple of seconds with that pile. Get yourself a 'light my fire' Swedish firesteel. Takes one strike if you know what your are doing.

[@Anson120]

You shoud say" Hey, Turtle heads" It would be funnier.

[@bigfootbushcraft7063]

yeah just wasn't sure if it was carbon steel or stainless

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

To be honest that knife hasn't seen much use. That's why it's still so shiny. I have plenty of knives and not all of them get the same attention. Ha. Poor knives. -Krik

[@PureTazr]

The shaving are good enough it's that striker that is the problem you might want o use that knife you did the shavings with and just pull the Farrel rod away from you keeping the knife where you want the spark to go.

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Yea, I figured that out. If you watch our newer videos, I use the spine of my knife. I squared all of the spines on my knives. -Krik

[@ricstormwolf]

We have the advantage of a close up view. The sparks didn't look very big. Love your videos and channel. Thanks for all the reviews, tests and info :)

[@galenlong3005]

Hey Krik, I hate those steel strikers they put on firesteels, The first thing I do is throw the dang thing away, it is totally useless. The mora you have in this video is the bushcraft companion isnt it? Myself I would use the backside of that knife too start my firesit will throw a tremendous spark with the back of that knife. the other thing i would try instead dragging the knife across the fire steel, drag the firesteel across the spine of the knife, that way you can have an immovable base.

[@kevinrodriguez2067]

I'm curious if this method would work with a Flint and steel with out using chaga or chat cloth rather then using a ferro rod because it's a lower temperature spark. anybody ever try it?

[@americanslime]

The LMF strikers are really annoying. They produce tiny sparks and you wear out your thumb really quick pushing down on them. When you strike into the air, you want to see large white sparks shoot out 3 feet in front of you before going out. Usually the best thing to do is to file down the back of your knife to a 90 degree edge and use that instead. Also, set your tinder on something solid like a piece of bark or a split stick. With some practice, you can light good feathersticks fairly easily.

[@dirtdiver222]

I usually have more success with scraping the outer layer of the birch and to save my knife I use the scraper off of my fero rod I use that on even wood especially fatwood.

[@aggyuvf]

Well done ! ,if at first ye don't succeed try try again

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

It's the Mora Companion MG. -Krik

[@bigfootbushcraft7063]

No your alrite but wow that knife looks good for carbon steel its just as shiny as my ss mora

[@VexedFilms]

You weren't doing anything wrong except not getting any sparks on the thing ha. Also the scout ones aren't as hot as the normal version.

[@RossSlechta]

First of all you need to invest in a new firesteel... when you put those birch shavings on that leaf those dry shaving soaked up that moister from that leaf. You need to put the shavings on a dry surface. That's my idea on it.

[@bigfootbushcraft7063]

I got the companion mg but mine is stainless steel

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Canon 7D. -Krik

[@DeliciousSupreme]

Another way to prepare the bark is to make it to dry fibres

[@BlackOwlOutdoors]

Oh my mistake. It's carbon steel. -Krik

[@bigfootbushcraft7063]

Im from pittsburgh yeah PA

[@ratorgersen7938]

you need to get your shavings from the WHITE layer of the bark....

[@blueelectricfusion]

+1 for dave canturberry vids he has a whole series on making fire. imo your not pulling your ferro rod and holding your scraper stationary. also your probly right in that your fiber isn't fine enough. in my experiance the finer the fiber the better you get fire. an analogy is a ripped paper edge catches easier the a cut edge because of those tiny fibers being exposed. i see no birds nest in your vid or sticks to make a fire.

[@spindlestick4181]

Hey Krik and Stoney love your videos. You guys should check out Bushcraft USA its a great site for learning and sharing different things. - SpindleStick

[@JohnBlatt71]

What??? What did you say? I can't hear you...

[@bigfootbushcraft7063]

Lol never enough knives i find myself always wanting 1 then soon as i get it dnt like it so thats a reason to get another 1 haha but i am just starting out so dnt have 2 many yet but as i go thats all i really want a knife from William Collins w.c. Knives awesome stuff he has a youtube channel and sells them on eBay check him out

[@Dutch1911a1]

Later turtles...???

[@tylerwestman5258]

😂😂 how not to start a fire with ferro rod

[@hohoangel11]

Furesteel made in china birch made in usa

[@fivesfish]

Check this channel out on KZbin about bird nests: wildernessoutfitters

[@ajboysbonfirevids2]

fuck that was painful to watch

[@mudmaxx81]

Alfie Winter Productions - Painful? I saw a young guy learning a new skill with steady persistence and a calm head. Don't be that smart guy that never had to learn man. Krik respect man, I bet now you are more confident and skilled at this. I watched the entire vid and despite feeling like an armchair expert calling out advice along the way, I was impressed that you saw your goal through. It's easy to give criticise when you have already acquired the skills. No, it wasn't painful because you persisted, adapted and achieved.

[@shine110485]

I was that close on unsubscribing, hehe jk