There in the North West it is tough to build a fire at most anytime due to such frequent high humidity conditions. You have some amazing friction fire skills.
Thanks Lonnie! I'm getting a kick out of the fact that you're watching my videos. I've never had the pleasure of visiting Alaska, but based on what I know, it looks just as challenging in terms of fire. I remember being very impressed the first time I found your friction fire videos from up there. So much of this is about local knowledge. I expect that if you were here and I showed you what to use and where to find it you'd have similar results. Likewise, I would really benefit from your guidance if I were up there.
I always learn something just by watching your videos. I wonder how many times the camera is just a pain in the arse. Thanks see you at bcusa- thenative18-Phil
I love watching you make fire.. some may say the videos are all the same.. They are NOT!.. there is always a fresh piece of valuable information in every one. everything from birch baskets to boil water to using differing knives, different wood species, the torch video was outstanding... soaking wood to make it more pliable.. well done.. J
Always like seeing a purist who can use natural materials for cordage . Thanks for reminding me why I carry a large blade . I have been called an amateur - "green horn" and "tenderfoot" by a few YT "experts" for using a large blade ... after teaching since 1976 . Thanks again NW Primate .
At some point it became popular to parrot the cliche that only novices as Rambo wannabes carry large knives. I'm no expert, but I like using big blades. They work great for me and I find that I can do small knife tasks more easily with a large knife than vice versa.
Correct and in my opinion , a large blade is a self defense device 1st and everything else 2nd . I have run across some crazies and intoxicated people "out there" . A large blade doesn't run out of ammo and gives me the option of using a less lethal - to totally lethal attitude adjuster as opposed to blowing someone away with a handgun . The "one blade does it all " is not something I subscribe to , but would rather have a large blade as opposed to only having a 4" blade .
I like your self imposed goal approach in less than ideal conditions, gathering and making what you need on the spot using only what is available, and not giving in when things don't go as planned. + Very good photography. Looking forward to your next video.
Thanks Mike. The treasure hunt of trying to find materials is one of my favorite aspects of friction fire. I appreciate you taking the time to watch and leave a comment.
Friction fire seems to be a mix of patience, knowledge (both in skill and materials), and a big helping of stubb....er...."obstinate motivation". 😉 You seem to have all areas well covered. I've picked up many tips and tricks from watching your channel thanks to your camera angles and shot framing. I'm still not always successful, but you've helped make some definite improvement which I thank you for. 👍🏻👍🏻
So I was sharpening up this knife I got off eBay a long time ago for a bush knife just now. It's in perfect condition. RD6 Bush. I love the look and feel of it. Can't beat an RD. I think I like it more than the BK7. I'm looking to pick one up like you use. That RD 9 looks sweet too! We should spend our money on that. I'm sure our wives will be impressed:)
Excellent video. About the large blades Ron Hood said it well “you can’t do a large blade task with a small blade but you can do a small blade task with a large knife if you know how”
Man that breakfast looked awesome. Thanks for all of your hard work. I would be a wuss.... crying my hands would be hurting so bad......frig it...I would break out the Bic. :)
Thanks Geoffrey. Punkwood works great for this, but you can also take whatever material you are using for a tinder bundle and grind it up into powder or fine fibers to beef up the ember before transferring it into the bundle if you think it needs it.
Your skills are amazing. Do you have any tips for a PNW novice on distinguishing between a Western Red Cedar stump and a Douglas Fir Stump, the extremely soggy ones? I'm interested in learning about fatwood harvesting from the Douglas. Thanks!
Thanks Shaun! I wrote a post about finding fatwood in the PNW that you might find helpful. bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php/155302-Finding-Fatwood-in-the-Pacific-Northwest . Once you get the hang of it, you'll probably be able to spot promising stumps from far off, but in the mean time, just keep checking and when you smell lime candy, you'll know you hit the jackpot.
I think when I get around to working with some Paper Mulberry that I just found, I'll braid it. The few inches of bark that I reverse wrapped shows itself very strong. I like your abundance of dead standing, perfectly degraded stock. I like how supple the cordage became after the burn ins. Also, with as much breakage you had to deal with, 2 ply reverse wrap wouldn't have worked at all. THANKS!
I'm looking forward to seeing how that braid works for you. These little grand firs are great and something I only became aware of over the last year or so. They are really resinous which I think helps keep the moisture out, and they are really easy to find and harvest. I've had good luck with other conifers of the same size, but there seems to be something special about these grand firs, and I wonder if they share similar properties with the balsam fir found in the northeast. As for the cottonwood cordage, in the spring and summer, it peels off the tree easily by hand and is so much stronger and more flexible than it is now. The difference is night and day depending on the time of year you harvest it. I was hoping that it would be a viable option through the winter, but it doesn't appear that way based on this test. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to check out the video!
NW Primate the bushcraft channels on FB really dig your channel! They would be honoured to join them. You have many likes share now and people want to know you.
Hey Bart! That is really cool to hear. I've never had a facebook account, but with such a warm invitation, I may be tempted to create one just to chat with you guys. Pardon my ignorance, but if I do open an account, how would I find you? Do you have a link that I can use to see the "group"?
Plot twist: He loses use of his fingers due to frostbite while making natural cordage and then dies from hypothermia. R.I.P., NW PRIMATE. You were great.
excellent job my friend, very skilled in deed. just out of curious does debarking the black cottonwood hurt the tree at all? it's always one of those things i've been unsure of ....
Thanks juskojj. Others might disagree, but the way that I understand it is that the tree will usually recover if you don't take more than 1/3 of the bark. I have checked on trees that have had the proper amount stripped years later and other than a scar, they appeared healthy. Whether or not it is appropriate for someone to harvest bark in this manner is really a question of location. First, it is important to follow regulations on public land and the wishes of the landowner on private property. As far as the ecological impact; in the river valleys of the Pacific Northwest, black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) is the fastest growing tree and it sprouts up like weeds in thick groves anywhere there is water and disturbed ground. They can grow to 40-50 feet tall in the first ten years and there is no shortage of them. I try to take an ethical approach to harvesting and take bark from trees growing close to the river. These rivers are subject to massive floods, so it is very unlikely that any particular tree this size in a flood channel will last more than a few years. In this particular case, I may have damaged these saplings to the point where they will not survive, but I'm confident that it will not affect the health of the ecosystem. In my opinion, trees like mature Western Red Cedar deserve more care when deciding how and what to harvest. I have seen lots of trees killed by people taking too much bark and I try to err on the side of caution and take as little as possible from an individual tree.
Thanks again. I am usually working with wet materials in damp conditions, so a lot of the time it takes two attempts before everything dries out enough to get the ember. I prefer having that second divot ready to go if I need it instead of having to stop and carve a new one.
I recently purchased a BK - 7 for an upcoming extended camping/hunting trip, what in your opinion would say is the best full tang blade for that purpose? I live in BC Canada.
I'm not too picky about knives. The BK7 has a great reputation, so if it fits your hand it will probably work great for you. We likely live in the same type of forest, so any quality knife that size is a great option for fire prep as a lightweight alternative to a hatchet. You can do just about anything else you would need a knife for with it, but a $10 mora to back up would make life even easier. Have fun on your trip!
There in the North West it is tough to build a fire at most anytime due to such frequent high humidity conditions. You have some amazing friction fire skills.
Thanks Lonnie! I'm getting a kick out of the fact that you're watching my videos. I've never had the pleasure of visiting Alaska, but based on what I know, it looks just as challenging in terms of fire. I remember being very impressed the first time I found your friction fire videos from up there. So much of this is about local knowledge. I expect that if you were here and I showed you what to use and where to find it you'd have similar results. Likewise, I would really benefit from your guidance if I were up there.
I always learn something just by watching your videos. I wonder how many times the camera is just a pain in the arse. Thanks see you at bcusa- thenative18-Phil
Thanks Phil!
Taught him everything he knows, Lonnie. Yup, me. 😂😂😂
I love watching you make fire.. some may say the videos are all the same.. They are NOT!.. there is always a fresh piece of valuable information in every one. everything from birch baskets to boil water to using differing knives, different wood species, the torch video was outstanding... soaking wood to make it more pliable.. well done.. J
Thanks Jeff! 🙂
Always like seeing a purist who can use natural materials for cordage . Thanks for reminding me why I carry a large blade . I have been called an amateur - "green horn" and "tenderfoot" by a few YT "experts" for using a large blade ... after teaching since 1976 . Thanks again NW Primate .
At some point it became popular to parrot the cliche that only novices as Rambo wannabes carry large knives. I'm no expert, but I like using big blades. They work great for me and I find that I can do small knife tasks more easily with a large knife than vice versa.
Correct and in my opinion , a large blade is a self defense device 1st and everything else 2nd . I have run across some crazies and intoxicated people "out there" . A large blade doesn't run out of ammo and gives me the option of using a less lethal - to totally lethal attitude adjuster as opposed to blowing someone away with a handgun .
The "one blade does it all " is not something I subscribe to , but would rather have a large blade as opposed to only having a 4" blade .
You dog is super cool! Really awesome how the bow came to be from the branch your dog “gave” you.
Thanks Santiago! 🙂
Your videos are packed with knowledge, but they are also very relaxing. Thanks for sharing
My hands would have fallen off or....I would have curled into a fetal ball and cried. Awesome skills and your eye for appealing shots is remarkable.
Thanks Wayne! 😆
That whole setup and snowy scene was awesome!!!
It was such a beautiful day to be out there. I'm really looking forward to the snow returning.
Very smart saving an ember in case primary one fails. Well done, and thanks!
Thanks Mark! It has saved the day for me a couple of times.
Great video. Love all the cracking sounds of the branches. The whole setup and also music selection made my day. Thank you, sir! :-)
I like your self imposed goal approach in less than ideal conditions, gathering and making what you need on the spot using only what is available, and not giving in when things don't go as planned. + Very good photography. Looking forward to your next video.
Thanks Mike. The treasure hunt of trying to find materials is one of my favorite aspects of friction fire. I appreciate you taking the time to watch and leave a comment.
Friction fire seems to be a mix of patience, knowledge (both in skill and materials), and a big helping of stubb....er...."obstinate motivation". 😉 You seem to have all areas well covered.
I've picked up many tips and tricks from watching your channel thanks to your camera angles and shot framing. I'm still not always successful, but you've helped make some definite improvement which I thank you for. 👍🏻👍🏻
That is great to hear Sean!
I can't imagine the people who will want your training. You deserve it if you want it.
So I was sharpening up this knife I got off eBay a long time ago for a bush knife just now. It's in perfect condition. RD6 Bush. I love the look and feel of it. Can't beat an RD. I think I like it more than the BK7. I'm looking to pick one up like you use. That RD 9 looks sweet too! We should spend our money on that. I'm sure our wives will be impressed:)
So far, this RD7 Bush is the only one I've played with, but I really like it and assume the others in the line are great as well. 👍
Awesome man,gotta have respect for a guy that does it with natural material,very cool,thanks
Thanks again Nathanial!
Knife is not natural. Its man made
Excellent video. About the large blades Ron Hood said it well “you can’t do a large blade task with a small blade but you can do a small blade task with a large knife if you know how”
Very well said by Ron! 👍
That's why I pack the Hoodlum
Very impressive, thanks for sharing this!
I really enjoy the way you are doing your vids...
Thanks Thomas!
Man that breakfast looked awesome. Thanks for all of your hard work. I would be a wuss.... crying my hands would be hurting so bad......frig it...I would break out the Bic. :)
If nothing else, stuff like this serves as a good reminder to pack that Bic. 😉
@@nwprimate6416 😊
If I may ask, did you have one with you?
I like how you worked the ember, building it up before transferring to the tinder bundle, I need to work on that. Great video
Thanks Geoffrey. Punkwood works great for this, but you can also take whatever material you are using for a tinder bundle and grind it up into powder or fine fibers to beef up the ember before transferring it into the bundle if you think it needs it.
@@nwprimate6416 so cool to watch your videos 🖒
Your skills are amazing. Do you have any tips for a PNW novice on distinguishing between a Western Red Cedar stump and a Douglas Fir Stump, the extremely soggy ones? I'm interested in learning about fatwood harvesting from the Douglas. Thanks!
Thanks Shaun! I wrote a post about finding fatwood in the PNW that you might find helpful. bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php/155302-Finding-Fatwood-in-the-Pacific-Northwest . Once you get the hang of it, you'll probably be able to spot promising stumps from far off, but in the mean time, just keep checking and when you smell lime candy, you'll know you hit the jackpot.
Awesome advice! I will be checking out your forum posts! Best regards.
Very impressive! Great content 👊🔥🔥
Thanks man!
Love this instructional fire video, thanks.Shalom
I think when I get around to working with some Paper Mulberry that I just found, I'll braid it. The few inches of bark that I reverse wrapped shows itself very strong. I like your abundance of dead standing, perfectly degraded stock. I like how supple the cordage became after the burn ins. Also, with as much breakage you had to deal with, 2 ply reverse wrap wouldn't have worked at all. THANKS!
I'm looking forward to seeing how that braid works for you. These little grand firs are great and something I only became aware of over the last year or so. They are really resinous which I think helps keep the moisture out, and they are really easy to find and harvest. I've had good luck with other conifers of the same size, but there seems to be something special about these grand firs, and I wonder if they share similar properties with the balsam fir found in the northeast.
As for the cottonwood cordage, in the spring and summer, it peels off the tree easily by hand and is so much stronger and more flexible than it is now. The difference is night and day depending on the time of year you harvest it. I was hoping that it would be a viable option through the winter, but it doesn't appear that way based on this test.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to check out the video!
Nicely done!
Thanks Gus!
That looked relatively easy. Good materials, environment conducive to fire-making, kind weather, you know......simple. 😁😁😁
😅 Piece of cake!
@@nwprimate6416 , thank God you have a sense of humor.
So cool😉👊🙏Best regards from Portugal 🇵🇹😉
Thanks man!
You have a new fan!👍👍👍 atb, Bart
Thanks Bart!
NW Primate i promoted your channel on facebook i hope you don't mind😉
I don't mind at all, and I appreciate that you would think to do that.
NW Primate the bushcraft channels on FB really dig your channel! They would be honoured to join them. You have many likes share now and people want to know you.
Hey Bart! That is really cool to hear. I've never had a facebook account, but with such a warm invitation, I may be tempted to create one just to chat with you guys. Pardon my ignorance, but if I do open an account, how would I find you? Do you have a link that I can use to see the "group"?
Rope broke a couple of times but you still succeeded! amazing!
Awesome man! Just watching your vids! Ty for sharing
Thanks Earl. :)
that was awesome stuff there brother!
Thanks Hoss!
Plot twist: He loses use of his fingers due to frostbite while making natural cordage and then dies from hypothermia. R.I.P., NW PRIMATE. You were great.
You are awesome, great skills.
Thanks 🙂👍
Beautiful!
Thanks Buddy!
excellent job my friend, very skilled in deed. just out of curious does debarking the black cottonwood hurt the tree at all? it's always one of those things i've been unsure of ....
Thanks juskojj. Others might disagree, but the way that I understand it is that the tree will usually recover if you don't take more than 1/3 of the bark. I have checked on trees that have had the proper amount stripped years later and other than a scar, they appeared healthy.
Whether or not it is appropriate for someone to harvest bark in this manner is really a question of location. First, it is important to follow regulations on public land and the wishes of the landowner on private property.
As far as the ecological impact; in the river valleys of the Pacific Northwest, black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) is the fastest growing tree and it sprouts up like weeds in thick groves anywhere there is water and disturbed ground. They can grow to 40-50 feet tall in the first ten years and there is no shortage of them. I try to take an ethical approach to harvesting and take bark from trees growing close to the river. These rivers are subject to massive floods, so it is very unlikely that any particular tree this size in a flood channel will last more than a few years. In this particular case, I may have damaged these saplings to the point where they will not survive, but I'm confident that it will not affect the health of the ecosystem.
In my opinion, trees like mature Western Red Cedar deserve more care when deciding how and what to harvest. I have seen lots of trees killed by people taking too much bark and I try to err on the side of caution and take as little as possible from an individual tree.
Good video thanks for sharing
Very interesting that green moss ignites this well, just goes to show how sneaky nature can be.
Great video !
Great vid NW why burn in two notches??
Thanks again. I am usually working with wet materials in damp conditions, so a lot of the time it takes two attempts before everything dries out enough to get the ember. I prefer having that second divot ready to go if I need it instead of having to stop and carve a new one.
Pretty awesome, what part of the states are you in.
Excellent best !!! TH-cam channel strong hug ... 😎👍👊💪👏👏
Thanks RDM! 🙂
This video makes me miss my RD7 that I sold last year
Did you have the standard or the "Bush" model? This one is the thinner of the two and I've always wondered if I made the right choice.
Nice knife. What is it?
Thanks Patrick. This was an Ontario RD7 Bush.
Always puzzled to see that "green moss" ignite so spectacularly.
What is it called and why does it burn so well?
very good,,thanks for sharing,,,
Thanks for taking the time to check it out James.
New subs love your videos.
Thanks I g :)
I recognize that knife! it's a Becker BK - 7 :-)
It does kind of look like that now that you mention it. This one is an Ontario RD7 bush, but I can see that shape.
I recently purchased a BK - 7 for an upcoming extended camping/hunting trip, what in your opinion would say is the best full tang blade for that purpose? I live in BC Canada.
I'm not too picky about knives. The BK7 has a great reputation, so if it fits your hand it will probably work great for you. We likely live in the same type of forest, so any quality knife that size is a great option for fire prep as a lightweight alternative to a hatchet. You can do just about anything else you would need a knife for with it, but a $10 mora to back up would make life even easier. Have fun on your trip!
Is that an Ontario RD-7?
What the heck bird did those eggs come out of?
I got me an RD9. Omg it's glorious. It's like a bushcraft sword. I want to stab the enemy, sage brush with it.
Never handled one of those, but they look awesome!
Could you PLEASE START A SCHOOL.I will bring everyone from Ontario to you... and I talk with others in the States who watch and learn from you.
Thanks Dave! I'm exploring my options but really appreciate the encouragement! :)
Awesome video buddy. Thanks for passing on the knowledge.
Thanks Broke Tackle!