Bone Tinder Tube

[ameling]

In several of the discussions on fire starting, charclothe, and tinder tubes, I mentioned what looks like a BONE version in a museum collection out in New England. NO, I can't find back the pic I saved and the info on where it is. The archeologists just had it tagged as "unknown object" or something like that. It was a section of leg bone with a clothe strip through it. And both ends of the bone were charred a little inside. The big surprise was that the cloth had survived in the ground all that time, but there was no evidence of charring on the clothe itself.

Well, one look told me that it was probably a Tinder Tube - just made from a hollow piece of bone. And local made in imitation of an object the Indian had seen being used by the Europeans - especially a higher class or well to do person. So I made one up a couple days ago.

It works well. I tightly rolled up some of that cotton "monk's clothe" from wally world, slip/poked/twisted it through, lit the end, let it burn pretty thoroughly, and the pulled the clothe back into the tube flush with the end. It smoldered for a bit and then went out. I then pulled that charred end out a bit, and struck sparks onto it. It caught fairly quickly. Gentle blowing/fanning quickly spread the ember throughout the whole end. Again, I pulled it back into the tube and it quickly went out. I did the several times - with the same results.

So it does work. The only problem I had was pushing/pulling the tightly rolled up clothe through the tube. I had to use a vent pick or canoe awl to pick/pull the clothe out. It did not slide easily - like when using a copper/brass tube. But the inside of the deer leg bone is not smooth like those metal tubes, and it also flairs a little towards each end. And the inside is also a little rough. So pushing the clothe through was the only real problem encountered.

Also, it worked better when I rolled up enough of the clothe to make it a pretty tight fit inside the bone. This helped it smolder and burn out when pulled back flush with the end. It does need to smolder a little bit before it goes out - to create new "char clothe" on the end. The end of the bone/tube then protects that charred end from being knocked or brushed off when bouncing around in your fire kit.

An interesting project. Now I just need to find back that pic of the original, and the info about where and the date. As I recall, it was a mid to late 1600's Seneca village site up in New York - but past abuse of brain cells may affect my memory of it.

Fun project ... and an interesting hour's worth of tinkering around.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. The flint striker is a Scottish one based on an original in a Brit museum - with that generic 18th century time frame attached. But they said the influence for it probably came from France or Flanders where it was common. The large musket flint is one of those Missouri gun flints from Rich Pierce. Great flint!

 

[Charles D. Prokopp]

Well thought out! The original artifact may have been scraped smooth on the inside to solve the friction problem.

 

[Stumpkiller]

What a great idea!

Maybe the original was a cigarette holder for F.D.Rock-feller but your interpretation has merit. Experimental archeology pays off. I'm gonna give it a try.

 

[ameling]

I ran a round file through the inside to clean out that left over boney pith/webbing where the marrow was. But I did not work at sanding it smooth.

Smoothing it up a bit more would help, but the bigger problem is that both ends flair out a bit from the center. Choosing a different section of leg bone that doesn't have that "hourglass" shape inside would solve that.

Now, using some of that braided cotton cord/rope might help also, since it has that woven outside holding the core more tightly. I'll have to see about getting some and trying it out.

From "unknown object" to working tinder tube. Interesting project.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[snagg]

Nice job there Mike. :hatsoff:

 

[LRB]

Mike, I was not impressed with any rope, but that braided mesh covered cotton batting from Joanne's is great. The half inch size. Upholstery places also use it. Just never touch the char. You can blow the ash from it, but don't touch.

 

[Bob Riegl]

:bow: Mike are you making any copies of that striker? I sure would like to add that to my collection. :thumbsup:

 

[djnye]

hey mike,

just a thought--you might try swabbing the inside with some spruce gum (heat tempered)as a filler/sealer for the porosity problem.

take care, daniel

p.s. have softened one end of your canoe awl to act as a mesh straightener on the shoes i am currently weaving. the cranking movement really reams the space nicely and the flattenedd side hellps move things around well.

 

[ameling]

Here's a pic of that Dutch trade striker that is very similar to the Scottish snail one.

From the bottom:
- Scottish 18th century - but influenced by contact with France and Flanders
- Dutch trade strikers recovered from two Seneca Indian village sites that were occupied between 1650 and 1680 (Fox and Cherry Hill sites). Note how much that one resembles the Scottish one. And that double snails or Ram's Horn style striker continued being made/traded on up through the Rev War.
- two strikers recovered from a Mohawk village and Jesuit Mission site in Montgomery County NY that was occupied between 1630-1645. Probably of French origin. That "bar" style is one of the first styles of strikers that the French were trading in North America. It probably was almost twice as long originally. Interesting side note: a similar one was collected from the Crow out in Monatana in the mid/late 1800's. That's a long ways to travel for a piece of "trade goods" from the 1600's or early 1700's.

Interesting how ... connected some things can be.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
- where temps are dropping below zero for the next few days ... now where did I put my insulated coveralls and pack boots - that shop is mighty cold!

 

[Itegorm]

Mike,
The original tinder tube you are seeking came from the one of the Iroquios sites. Check with Mike Galban as I believe he had some pictures of it. I made one out of one of the hind leg bones from a beaver that looked almost identical. as always nice strikers. Also are you still making those iron tabac pipes?

 

[Pigman]

"iron tabac pipes?"

Where?

 

[ameling]

Yes, sheet iron or sheet brass pipes and pipe bowls that look a lot like the clay pipes. The clay pipes and pipe bowls were more common, but the sheet iron/brass versions were also around just as long as the clay pipes. Originals have been found at the 1600's Tunica Indian village sites down along the Gulf Coast in Alabama and Georgia. Collectors Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution shows a full stem sheet iron pipe from a dig in Connecticut dated 1725. Brass versions have been found at Seneca Indian village sites up in New York from the mid/late 1600's. And other iron and brass pipes have been found all around the Great Lakes, and Mississippi and Ohio River Valley fur trade areas up into the 1800's. One brass pipe found in New York state even has some remnants of the original rush/reed wrapping around the long stem.

So sheet iron pipes have been around as long as the clay pipes. Here's a pic of a number that I have made in the past. The top two are just the bowls, with a reed/cane stem. The other are full length iron pipes. And that bottom one is mine. That Loutre (Otter) critter went and did some of that sailor "graffiti" on it - needle hitching and fancy knots. And they are only slightly "hotter" to hold than those clay pipes, but far less likely to break.

Just another one of those ... interesting ... other
little iron trade goods that were out there. And NO, the seam is not soldered or welded. It gunks up naturally in use and seals up, but I run a bead of Elmer's Glue along the outside of that seam to help seal it initially.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands