Amadou Fungus/Tinder Fungus - Fire Starter

[Bushcraft Bill]

Horse Hoof Fungus / Amadou Fungus / Tinder Fungus / Tinder Polypore - Fire Starter

Just inside the tough outer layer of Fungus is a velvety smooth inner layer that resembles felt or the finest suede! This is known as "Amadou".

You scrape the surface into a small fuzzy ball and that becomes your tinder that takes a spark then is transfered to your large tinder bundle to start a fire.

Wikipedia search: Amadou


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I found a few of these fungus's the other day in birch trees so I wanted to test to see if it works as advertised on most bushcraft sites as a tinder/fire starter I have the layer cut out and am going to dry it out for a few days and give it a go I will update here to let you know how it worked out...

here are a couple pics of what I will be working with on the project...

amado1.jpg

amado2.jpg

[Bushcraft Bill]

I did get it catch but only with a modern firesteel the flint just did not throw a hot enough spark I tried several ways but it just did not catch the spark....

fire1.jpg

fire2.jpg

fire3.jpg

[lornix]

I tried this too and had poor results. I think the piece I harvested was too immature and it was as hard as a rock. I had difficulty shaving it. I even tried my carving knives and the best I could muster was wafer-thin slices. I used a fire steel and only manged the tiniest of embers that I could not bring to life.

I may try it with a much larger piece and see if that helps. I think the main problem is that I could not get the fluffy scrape from it.

[Bushcraft Bill]

I did find large fungus's but they were rotting and no good at all I am thinking that what we see on TV is treated in some way or is a different type of fungus...

[guy plain]

i think you guys are using the wrong fungus. i do belive the one needed for fire tinder is called a cramp ball...found on birch trees...and it looks more like a black bump than a fungus.....i havent found any yet but did do research into it...if i do find any ill let you know.
P.S.
if i learn computers a bit better ill try tp post picks of a cramp ball. there suposed to be good for friction fires as well as catching spark.
oh where do you guys get flint from?

[Bushcraft Bill]

I have to beg someone in the UK to send me some I could use more! Hint Hint

[Slugtrail]

Would it do any good to put some dust or flakes of this fungus into the contact surfaces of a bow drill fire set? Maybe it will make a coal faster or something.