Re: The Weird, the Wacky and the Wonderful
Reply #446 –
So--- I had to look it up. Around here, what you're calling "Silex stone" is something we call "flint". Strike a piece of flint against a piece of steel, and you get sparks which can-- if conditions are right-- get tinder going.
Today most cigarette-lighters use a man-made flint that is better in that it can use different fuels as tinder.
Krake asks about the use of silex stone when it's raining: The stone and steel will have no trouble producing a spark. The problem is that the tinder may be so soaked that a flame-thrower and a gallon of JP-4 may not be sufficient to light it-- much less flint and steel. This follows the well-known camping rule which states that it is impossible to light a decent campfire--- especially when you're soaked and cold and really, REALLY need the fire to try to get warm and dry.