M14 Forum

Sweets

Early on in grade school, we had inflicted on us a sort of a fairy story called "The Magic Tinder Box". It fell short in the capturing-your-interest department because no little kid had any notion of what the heck a tinder box looked like, or was (probably they were still being used when our text books were first printed however ). Thinking this over, I STILL don't know what they were or are, exactly, except that in the story the box held a supply of charred linen (the tinder) plus a candle stub- but I don't recall any mention of flint and steel. As an alternate source of fire making they must certainly be worth considing, so does anybody know how they were made and could be adapted for use today? For that matter, has anybody ever even seen one in use?

(Since posting this it did occur to me to check Wikipedia and I've see the one there. Progress is wonderful!)

huntinghawk

Probably have to dig real deep to find mine. Its a metal oblong tin & has a magnifying glass with cover it. Char cloth plus flint & steel kept in it. Way back when all knives were high carbon steel so really only need the flint since you had a "steel".
Its from my buckskinning days.

HH

CAVman

Sweets, was the one on 'wiki' like the one you remembered?
(I did look at it.)
I am a long-time Rendevouser(Black-Powder/Muzzleloader,etc), and I have seen dozens and dozens of different types of 'tinder-boxes', Most having Flint and Steel and Char Cloth, but the variations are endless...
Here are some for sale on the dreaded 'ebay', do any of those look familar?

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...All-Categories

CAVman in WYoming

huntinghawk

This is basically what I have.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product...965986f836f5b8

HH

Sweets

By george, after wondering about them for so many decades I'm going to order one of the newly made tinder boxes seen on that link! If it worked for people in the numberless centuries before matches, that should tell you something. And if the one I get turns out to be magic but with the usual catch, well, I was forewarned in the second grade.

Sweets

HH: Along with everything else, I was wondering about the waterproofness of those carried by our ancestors- no goretex or even oilcloth in those days so how did they keep everything dry inside? Anyway, the one seen on your link, with the lens in the lid, is obviously the modern option and totally cool besides and I'll see if I can get one sent to me up here in McKenzie country. Two questions though, if you don't mind: how heavy and how watertight?

huntinghawk

First, my flint & steel is in a leather pouch so as not to scratch the inside of the magnifying glass. Second, charcloth doesn't absorb moisture too well. Tin lid fits fairly tight.
Shooting bag only had items directly connected with shooting. Possibles bag had those basically survival goodies & that is where your tender box was kept.

HH

CAVman

While I think there was almost nothing to prevent a soaking from total immersion, those folks were down-right clever in trying to stay alive!
They sealed things with wax when practical, they used paper and cloth greased with lard, they often carried 'back-up' gear, and they were adept at tucking breakables and wettables inside of the inside of the inside of their packs!

And, Remember that the Flint and Steel could always survive a wetting...they then had to know where to look depending upon local vegetation, etc, to find mold, or the inside of tree bark, or whatever...to go from 'fluff' to tinder to wood fire...
Many guys today practice Trekking, and try to 'live off the land' as much as possible...
It's a fascinating hobby...

CAVman in WYoming

Earthquake

I have one I made from a round "Altoids" tin that 3" in diameter and about
7/8" tall, The lid is embossed and looks old once I gave it a coat of paint. the lid fits pretty tight, I bet you could hold it under water for a few minutes and it would stay dry inside. I have a bunch of the rectangular Altoids tins with the hinged lids in my work tool box that have screws and thing in them but the round one was from some kind of fruit candy they made not mints.

Casey

Sustinemus

Shoe polish cans.
No hinge, no leak.
There is the little rivet that holds the "twist to pry open" gizmo, but a dab of wax or grease on that...