Making fire

Many different techniques exist to make fire. The oldest use a fire drill (rotating stick) or a stone containing iron. A flint alone doesn't product incandescent sparks. Those methods are from the Paleolithic ages. They are difficult to use in a damp atmosphere.

Friction

This method consists of rubbing a hard wooden stick (for example some poplar) sharpened to a point, sometimes using a fire bow, on a hollowed piece of soft wood (for example some fig wood). The heat produced is used to ignite tinder.

Percussion

To produce sparks, you must hit a hard stone, for example flint, on another containing iron such as pyrite or marcasite. Sparks with this method must be immediately in contact with tinder.

Modern methods

Matches

The invention of matches date from the nineteenth century, but the word matches from about 1200.

Lighters

Cigarette lighters combine a flint with fuel, and can produce adjustable flames.

Electric

This is done using an object with a high electric resistance on the wood. A current is run through the object until it is red hot, much like the burners on an electric stove, and it is than brought into contact with the wood, lighting it. A support makes it possible for the resistance not to be in direct contact with the ground.

Solar

This uses a concave mirror to focus the Sun's rays on some tinder. Alternately, a magnifying glass can focus the Sun's rays to ignite tinder.

Compression

An ususual method of making fire is to drive a stick of a certain diameter into a tight fitting hole of the same size in a block of wood. This device is called a fire piston, and can also be constucted from a variety of materals such as horn and plastic. The compression of the air can be enough to raise the temperature to light tinder such as "Tinder Fungus" when the stick is withdrawn.

This was observed in the jungle by Laurens van der Post.