[TheForge] Fire Steels

[theforge@mailman.qth.net]

The title of the book is GLI ACCIARINI as has been stated.  I have 
three copies of the book remaining and the price is $22 plus $2 
postage.The book has 141 pages and is filled with color photos of 
fire steels.  The book is in Italian and English.  

The book states that man has had control of fire since about 
1500BC and the fire steel was an important fire-making device up 
until the mid 1850s when matches took over.  Some of the 
examples shown in the book are truly works of beauty.  The 
bibliography mentions DECORATIVE ANTIQUE IRONWORK by 
D'Allemagne which must show show some "masterpiece" type of 
fire steels.

The most interesting fire starting device mentioned in the book is 
the one used in Indonesia.  Apparently people walked around with 
a small air cylinder in their pocket and when they wanted to make 
a fire they would put a little "tinder" in the bottom of this air tube 
and rapidly compress the piston in the air tube which would 
increase the temperature of the air in the cylinder thus igniting the 
tinder.  The book also mentions that chopped up mushrooms 
soaked in saltpetre was a common tinder.

I think a "google" search on "fire steels" turns up some interesting 
reading on the subject.

Norm Larson