Titanium fire piston

[exodus125]

just wanted to share with you guys my titanium fire piston

[scarynickname]

Where might one find one of these? I built my own out of oak and copper tubing, but it dosen't work very good.

[exodus125]

Originally Posted by scarynickname

Where might one find one of these? I built my own out of oak and copper tubing, but it dosen't work very good.

long time for an answer, but just google titanium survival fire piston and you shoudl be able to find it.

[northernbushape]

A fire piston is something I have never used. I have seen a few videos of them in use, and one video of an Indonesian guy hand-carving one. I have always used a fire-steel, or a flint / steel combo.

What advantages do you find with the piston over these other tools if any?

[exodus125]

Originally Posted by northernbushape

A fire piston is something I have never used. I have seen a few videos of them in use, and one video of an Indonesian guy hand-carving one. I have always used a fire-steel, or a flint / steel combo.

What advantages do you find with the piston over these other tools if any?

I get asked that a lot. And the best advantage I can give you is its ANOTHER way of starting a fire.

Its really easy to start a fire with a match or lighter, and even a firesteel. I find that one of the best things that primitive fire making can teach you is the importance of preparation before starting a fire. If you can start a fire from an amber, you can start a fire with a match or a lighter, but it doesn't necessarily work the other way around.

I actually make fire steels, lighters and fire pistons and I find theres a place for each one. But nevertheless, my favorite method is with a fire piston. It indirectly teaches you how to gather natural fuels (which a fire piston is very picky on), proper fire preparation and execution, and it teaches you how to make char cloth. These skills can be priceless in a survival situation and even in a situation where someone else may bot be able to start a fire, even with a lighter.

I hear a lot of people say, " Ive tried a fire piston and its too much of a hassle, " or " I can't get it to work" Thats the way primitive fire making works. Practice preparation with patience and you can learn how to do it efficiently.

Aside from the skills you pick up indirectly, a fire piston is such a simple tool you have very few things on it that can fail. They are essentially a tube and a rod, thats it. The way the two fit have to be precise, especially for efficient compression, but the pieces that make up a fire piston are very hard to break and the only thing that ever needs replacing is the o-ring. I've been using the same fire piston for more than a year and I still haven't changed the first o-ring I put on it and I use it almost every week showing someone new how they work.

Here is a good video showing how they work

YouTube - Titanium Fire Piston

[northernbushape]

Great answer. I know what you mean about alternative fire making. It took me quite a while to become proficient with a bow drill and I usually carry a set, minus the bow, which I can make any time. I see guys boasting of their 12 second ember, but the truth of the matter is that the technique itself can take hours to master. Basically my prep allows for 3 methods of fire lighting. Flame, spark, and friction.

If I understand the principal of the piston, it works similar to a diesel engine where compression generates sufficient heat to ignite the tinder wad and create an ember, which is then used to ignite a tinder bundle. Correct?

What do you recommend for natural tinder for the piston - assuming char cloth is not handy?

[exodus125]

For tinder, nothing beats char cloth. A close second is chaga mushroom.

Punk or rotten wood works well, so does dryed up sage. Dry Grass can work but must be very dry and you may have to fire it in the piston a few times before it actually catches.

Char cloth is so easy to make after you get a fire going, you can use a small piece to start a fire and then make a large supply from a piece of shirt or sock.

Also, the wood chars left after a fire dies out will work in a piston.