https://youtu.be/NI5_LAHwg34?si=7z9CSVUJOdElQaUR

Credit the idea to my friend Matthew Tait. I found a dry dead leaf of Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto) in Florida. I played Grandfather Stalking Wolf’s game and made a bow drill coal with it as fast as I could. Used my steel knife. Bow: random dead branch on the ground (I think Lyonia sp.) Cordage: my shoelace Spindle and fire board: Cabbage Palm leaf stalk Coal catcher: leaf of Saw Palmetto Lubricant for pressure hand brace: crushed green leaf Pressure Hand Brace: random slab of dead wood. Note how thin it can be if your bow drill wood is very soft.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CP1admLp5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Had fun today using ragweed to make coals for the first time. Two separate spindles I recently collected in Illinois. Mouth drill, and hand drill with the pressure thumb brace. Both on white fir (Abies concolor). Fun!

At my in-law’s. Storm is coming. Getting cold out. Squeezing in some dirt time. Yucca on Pine. Brought the coal inside. My mom-in-law wanted to check it out :)