Re: MtMan-List: Striker box

[sean@irelandmail.com (Addison O. Miller)]

The reason for not putting tobacco in contact with the metal is that it will
cause a chemical reaction with the metal (usually tin or silver covered
brass)... at least this is what I was told by a vendor at the Alifia
Ronnyvous... Steel is OK, just not the plated ones of today... However I use
one as a tinderbox, and it works just fine for that purpose... however, I
use flint and steel, not the box to strike it on...

SeanBear

>I wrote this some time ago:
>
> after watching the movie"Jeremiah
>Johnson" again....  At the beginning of the movie after the wade in the
>stream when he's trying to start a fire, he has like a hinged tinder box
>and it looks like he's whacking the  lid I presume with the piece of
>flint.
>
>I got a few responses, but when I got Russels book on firearms, traps
>etc of the Mtn man, there on 350 is a tinder box and on p353, describes
>Fig97g and 97h as being just what I was thinking about.  My two
>questions are:
>	1.  Was the lid a heavy steel?
>	2.  Can you use one of the steel boxes of todays manufacture that way?
>	
>I've got a tobacco box from Dixie but it said not to put tobacco
>incontact with the metal, no reason given.  Haven't tried to get a spark
>from it.
>	Just curious as to anybody elses adventures with a steel tinderbox.
>Seems like a good idea, wouldn't have to keep track of two things.  BUt
>ole Johnson stuck the whole thing in the fire as I recall, seems like
>that would soften the steel and make it not spark as good.
>
>Monte Holder
>Saline CO MO
>