Thank you my friend that is the only wood that I could ignite charred with flint and steel could not make the not spongy dead wood work dependably good to see you you are looking well God bless you
In the Eastern Woodlands / Canadian Shield, where I hunt and play, Punk is easiest found in White Birch and Yellow Poplar, they seem to go Punky at the drop of a hat, or branch, as the case may be... Great Vid Keith, as always.
Its wierd, Keith, that as un-reliable that matches are and ESPECIALLY when the first ones came out, that flint and steel ever fell away from general use. This tinderbox method with the punkwood is VERY reliable and when its WINDY, it actually HELPS rather than with matches and lighters dont work. MANY THANKS for all the videos and I have my kids trained on woodsmanship and using flint and they know what to do in an emergency
I was taught it was sponge wood as you told. My first small challenge was to light that when I was young with steel and quartz. This wood is also plentiful in urban areas where homes have been repaired or have been left vacant for long periods. I've found old rafters can be a great source of this. Termite damaged wood burns the same way and my area is very plentiful.
+Keith H. Burgess I now have a tinderbox and have tried the charred punkwood as you have demostrated with flint and steel. Very easy process that produced reliable fire. Thank you again for your knowledge and sharing it.
Ok,,,I think I am on the same page as every one else now! For some strange reason I was thinking that Punkwood was a certain variety of tree, not the result of decayed wood of any tree during decomposition. Now it makes sense.
Hi Keith! Mark here- I was doing some experimenting with tinders and tried charring some balsa wood and seeing if that catches a spark, and boy !! Bingo!! Do you have balsa trees in Australia? If you do, it works GREAT as a charred tinder. Just another finding from one of your students here in the U.S.!! Take care Keith, and hope you all are doing well. Mark
Well done Mark, no we do not have these trees in Australia, but I appreciate your feedback just the same. We do have a plant that grows Australia wide known as Goonagurra by the natives & normally known as Yacca, Grass Tree, Black Boy or Kangaroo Tail. The inner core works very well. It is a larger version of your Yucca plant, & a smaller version of the American Aloe or Century Plant, which we also have growing over here. Keith.
Good plant, that Yucca- I just researched it, it said you can eat certain parts of it, make soap and shampoo from it, and the dried stalk has one of the lowest ignition points of natural tinder !
Hi Keith - I just today lucked out and found a giant log of punkwood - you think there's any difference to drying out chunks in an oven or letting it dry naturally before charring it, as far as catching a spark?
your video on punk wood was very helpful. When you burn the punkwood, do you just burn one side or both sides. Also what is the best size and thickness for punkwood.
If you are using a tinderbox you only need to char one side, but you can char both sides if you wish. There is no set size, so long as you fill the tinderbox. IF you find your kindling grass (or whatever you use) is damp & will not light easily, the just keep adding tinder to the smouldering tinder in your tinderbox so it does not run our before you make fire. In this case you can add uncharred tinder because it will char in the tinderbox. Keith.
shym0nk3y Punk Wood in trees is Dry Rot and is caused by Serpula lacrymans, which is a wood-destroying fungus. woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/more-on-punk-wood.html Regards, Keith.
Thank-you, much obliged.
Regards, Keith.
Thank-you Tom.
Keith.
Thank you my friend that is the only wood that I could ignite charred with flint and steel could not make the not spongy dead wood work dependably good to see you you are looking well God bless you
Good one Jack.
Regards, Keith.
excellent Kieth! Thank you!
In the Eastern Woodlands / Canadian Shield, where I hunt and play, Punk is easiest found in White Birch and Yellow Poplar, they seem to go Punky at the drop of a hat, or branch, as the case may be... Great Vid Keith, as always.
Thank you for the post. Learn something every day. keeps a person humble.
Still learning myself crgaillee, always more to learn. I appreciate you taking the time to comment, thank you.
Keith.
Its wierd, Keith, that as un-reliable that matches are and ESPECIALLY when the first ones came out, that flint and steel ever fell away from general use. This tinderbox method with the punkwood is VERY reliable and when its WINDY, it actually HELPS rather than with matches and lighters dont work. MANY THANKS for all the videos and I have my kids trained on woodsmanship and using flint and they know what to do in an emergency
Agreed Mark, & thank you for the comment. Your kids are lucky to have you for a Dad :)
Regards, Keith.
I was taught it was sponge wood as you told. My first small challenge was to light that when I was young with steel and quartz. This wood is also plentiful in urban areas where homes have been repaired or have been left vacant for long periods. I've found old rafters can be a great source of this. Termite damaged wood burns the same way and my area is very plentiful.
Thanks for the feedback & information, much appreciated.
Take care.
Regards, Keith.
Joe! Good to hear from you, & thanks for the feedback. Appreciated.
Regards, Keith.
Based on your videos, I was able to identify and harvest some punk wood during a forest walk today. Thanks for all your very informative videos.
+beckerm13 Excellent, well done, & thank you for the feedback. Appreciated.
Regards, Keith.
+Keith H. Burgess I now have a tinderbox and have tried the charred punkwood as you have demostrated with flint and steel. Very easy process that produced reliable fire. Thank you again for your knowledge and sharing it.
+beckerm13 Excellent! Well done. You made my day.
Regards, Keith.
I'll have to be on the lookout for it! I have seen it I just didn't know what it was called.
I like to use punk wood with my magnifying glass it catches realy quick then i transfer the amber to the bid nest. Thanks Keith.
muito bom senhor! parabéns!
Ok,,,I think I am on the same page as every one else now! For some strange reason I was thinking that Punkwood was a certain variety of tree, not the result of decayed wood of any tree during decomposition. Now it makes sense.
Hi Keith!
Mark here- I was doing some experimenting with tinders and tried charring some balsa wood and seeing if that catches a spark, and boy !! Bingo!!
Do you have balsa trees in Australia? If you do, it works GREAT as a charred tinder. Just another finding from one of your students here in the U.S.!!
Take care Keith, and hope you all are doing well.
Mark
Well done Mark, no we do not have these trees in Australia, but I appreciate your feedback just the same. We do have a plant that grows Australia wide known as Goonagurra by the natives & normally known as Yacca, Grass Tree, Black Boy or Kangaroo Tail. The inner core works very well. It is a larger version of your Yucca plant, & a smaller version of the American Aloe or Century Plant, which we also have growing over here.
Keith.
Good plant, that Yucca- I just researched it, it said you can eat certain parts of it, make soap and shampoo from it, and the dried stalk has one of the lowest ignition points of natural tinder !
great I found some punk wood in my yard did not know what it was adding this to my Flint and steel set Thomas from t x .
Good one Thomas, well done.
Regards, Keith.
That was useful, thanks. Now I know what to look for next time I'm in the forest thanks to you. Cheers.
Hi Keith - I just today lucked out and found a giant log of punkwood - you think there's any difference to drying out chunks in an oven or letting it dry naturally before charring it, as far as catching a spark?
Well done Mark! No mate, so long as it dries. I stick mine in the wood shed & let it dry, but I don't think it matters how you dry it.
Regards, Keith.
your video on punk wood was very helpful. When you burn the punkwood, do you
just burn one side or both sides. Also what is the best size and thickness for
punkwood.
If you are using a tinderbox you only need to char one side, but you can char both sides if you wish. There is no set size, so long as you fill the tinderbox. IF you find your kindling grass (or whatever you use) is damp & will not light easily, the just keep adding tinder to the smouldering tinder in your tinderbox so it does not run our before you make fire. In this case you can add uncharred tinder because it will char in the tinderbox.
Keith.
If it wasn't for dry rot we would be knee deep in dead trees - here's to the bacteria!
So what exactly is punk wood? I never heard of it until I started to watch Creek Stewart's show, but never found out what it was.
shym0nk3y Punk Wood in trees is Dry Rot and is caused by Serpula lacrymans, which is a wood-destroying fungus.
woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/more-on-punk-wood.html
Regards, Keith.
Okay, thanks :-)
1:10 - looks like a good place for a snake to hide... I don't know that much about snakes :)
A good supply there.....
Won't be running out any time soon.
Keith.