Bushcraft Tools Fire Piston Test 

Really like the straight to the point tutorials; I'm so sick of you tube host's who are in love w their own voices n take forever to get to the point. Thank you, love your vids and your products. .

Learn something new everyday I always fished mine out and when I saw you do it the light went on and thought WOW that's the right way to do it. thanks Dave.

I just wanted to thank you for your videos and the work that you do through the Pathfinder School. I appreciate your accessible, honest, informative approach, and I personally love the historical/anthropological perspective you often use when exploring these topics. You remind me a lot of my dad (not only are your personalities similar, but he, like you, was in the military, finishing basic training and becoming an officer a few years before my birth, and retiring a few weeks after my 18th birthday). In fact, my dad was the person who first introduced me to your videos when he found out that I was interested in bushcraft and blacksmithing. I have a lot of respect for you as a person, and appreciate your contribution to all the information out there that's available for people like me who are interested in building their knowledge and skills. Thank you.

Great way to start by using the char-cloth genius. I have fought the fire pistons for years and that was such an easy fix DUH ! lol

Yeah, probably the best explanation I've heard so far. I have always wondered whether my spindle needs to be harder than the hearth board. Now I know it makes no difference, I just need to start with soft dry wood until I get the skill down and go from there. Thanks Dave!

Thanks for sharing Dave. Great demo 🔥

Cool video, I was really curious how this tool worked. We miss you and the show dual survivor. You were so entertaining to watch, unlike your counterpart that was always crying and complaining. Plus, who in there right mind wears shorts and no boots in below zero weather conditions. He was such a negative drain at times but your positivity was always inspiring.

Holy Crap! One smack on the piston & you got an ember!! Impressed!

another video so soon?!?! it's like Christmas in July boys! love what you do Dave keep it up!

Great review! I have never seen fire piston before. Very interesting and informative.

still fairly new to bushcraft and this was awesome. I've never heard of this type of fire starting. I like these types of videos. brief intro and to the point. I like it.

big thing Dave missed is that there's a small fero rod actually inside the tube. unscrew the male portion that goes inside the fire piston and hey presto a small fire steel pops out. in the UK we can buy them for around £20, I own a silver version and they're awesome

Always glad to watch your show

i have one. i love it. i actually keep a few o rings in the lube on the one end. also mine the head of the plunger side comes completely off and there is a ferro rod inside of it.

Learned a new tip using another piece of charcloth to transfer to the tinder bundle never tried a fire piston because of the small ember thanks for the tip.. gonna buy one now and try it!!

speaking of compressed air use in the Bush: the Lewis and Clark expedition had a well known .50 Caliber air cannon. Lots of uses for compressed air and easily renewable source of stored energy when out in the Bush (just takes pumping).

Always love watching Dave in action.

Great product and technique from the Master Woodsman. Great video.

The tip about lighting a patch of char cloth from the ember in the piston is a great price tip.

Great review and style of a piston.

Good call Dave I kept trying to fish the ember out of the end of my piston And put it in the birds nest but it kept to going out. Your method is way better than what I was doing haha thanks. Used the char cloth to ignite more worked first time no problem.

Nice !! Nice to see how finesse is becoming stronger than powering through.

It's 34.99 on amazon it looks like a good product especially when the online description says the piston unscrews to reveal a ferro rod.

Dave, long time fan. Thanks for all the pro tips.

Amazing vid! I like observing nature, discover and calm down...

Great demo, I have yet to try the fire piston.

love watching you make fires with different things to teach people how to make them

Your info. - always super, with exact INFO / DEMOS - great reference , adding to my program all the time . Keep it coming ! Mtn Mel.

there is also a ferro rod in the piston as well if you unscrew the piston rod, two ignition sources in one package. great video Dave, hope you are getting on with the clipper well

funny you put this video up Dave. I mentioned the fire piston when you were talking about your belt pouch fire kit a year ago. I own one and they can be purchased off of eBay for about the cost that Dave mentioned. It's a great item to have along with the Ferro rods,Bic lighter,etc.

Thanks Dave!

great vid, as always. your still the king!

I like the fact that you used a larger piece of Char Cloth. It makes a lot of sense not to try and remove the smaller piece.

I'm not really a big fan of fire pistons, but when I have used them I've gotten the best results by hitting it 3 or 4 times before I check for an ember. It's just 3 times as fast as I can, bam, bam, bam, and then check. Every time you hit it that charred material gets hotter & hotter until you get ignition. I've never tried leaving the material in the piston and using it to transfer the fire to another piece of charred material. That's a good tip!

I spoke with a man I know that has a strong familiarity with metals, but a rather weak familiarity with bush craft tools. When I explained the theory behind the fire piston to him and its basic design, his response was something about eliminating the o-ring to decrease dependency on conventional items where a need to hit a hardware store is present. His thought was to use an oil infused brass for the rod. I’d love to hear anyone’s thoughts on this.

I have been wanting a fire piston for quite a while now. Unfortunately Walmart doesn't carry such a thing lol. Thanks for sharing this one with us, I'm gonna have to see if I can order one through this company.

The piston rod also unscrews from the char cloth end compartment ....there is a hidden ferrous rod inside 😎

nice job

good job

Hey Mr. Dave, love your videos. I've been watching you for a while. I'm a big fan of survival videos. My new channel here I just started, I've had my other channel for years. But I just created backwoods raised to do videos like yours. My mom has tagged me in a video to do 5 questions to tell about myself. Would you mind if I mention you in my video.

Only problem I see with that is dropping and losing the screw cap. Otherwise great.

Nice tip.....Davie

Great shelter on your back

i'M A HUGE FAN!

Dave that touch transfer method is exactly what I use with my NyMyth Vulcan FP and Stone Tinder. Easier than making a bow drill fire, or hand drill, let alone making a set for them. Just carry extra seals and Vaseline for lube . Don't get the lube on the material that goes inside the piston.

Awesome

Awesome!!!

Could you leave the small piece of charcloth on the end of the piston, extinguishing it by putting it back into the cylinder and then using it to reignited another piece of chard material later?

nice vid

beard looks good Dave

I would like to have seen you try that fire piston again maybe it will light every time. fire pistons come into their own under a strong wind. We all know how hard it is to start a fire in the wind even with a feral rod. You could set up a fan and then light a fire

good video, but if you have to carry around sensitive char cloth and the piston pieces then it's a very sub-standard way to make fire.

mighty fancy boss I will have to try the idea I can make an ember with my magnifying glass if it doesn't set the pine on fire it's very powerful like flame in under a minute on a sunny day

A lot harder than it looks. Never got mine to work. But it is fun to TRY.

sick man keep making more vidoes

Would it work with just a piece of cotton or cloth of some sort?

looks like you tried char cloth but how does the char punk wood work?

I'm not strong enough to push the plunger fast and hard to create a spark. Is there an easier way to do this? Arthritic hands here.

Never used a fire piston, but with this one having a Ferro rod with it sounds good thing to have.

does anybody know if the pathfinder school classes are only in ohio or are they in other places?

That's to cool !

You should sell those on your site

Whats the name of this piston so I can look it up? Thanx

yes no need too do its unessecary but justmkae it quiet the effecient :)

thanks 4 the share Dave

Have you tried the piston with a natural material lile burtch bark? To me anything that requires char cloth, though is very efficient, is not long term reusable.

Believe it or not, I never saw one of those before. Real cool

Hey Dave, I want to start by reminding you (because I’m sure you don’t remember) that I might very well be your oldest subscriber. Been watching your videos since 2008 and remember many videos that are unavailable anymore long before you became successful. Back then you had around 300 subscribers and produced handmade arrow bags. I’m only saying it so you won’t think of my “criticism” as “just another hater”. Over the years you moved more and more into primitive skills and building your own tools. Most of it I find very interesting even when talking about things I just won’t put the time into learning because I personally don’t see the point but I do find it interesting to watch. I can appreciate the benefits of learning how to create your own rope and I can definitely appreciate the benefits of learning to make a proper shelter. But… as far as these Pistons go… I just honestly don’t see the point at all. In case you don’t remember who I am at all (because we have talked in private messages from time to time) I actually have what I assume is far more experience than most. I travelled for roughly 7 years out of my life for prolonged periods. I spent nearly a full year backpacking every day and sleeping in a tent the entire time. By the time I got back home it took me three weeks just to get used to a bed! Needless to point out when you have such experience you learn very quickly what’s true and what’s BS. Here’s my point… I have Cricket lighters as well as Bic ones that have been with me for literally over a decade and they still work just fine. You can go on eBay and buy a pack of 10 of each for a few dollars. I like those half sized narrow Bic ones because they are small and weigh absolutely nothing. I keep one in each pocket of my coat, my trousers, my backpack… I have somewhere between 5-10 lighters on me at all times when travelling and that’s just me… obviously my travelling partners have more. There is literally no chance in living hell that I won’t have a working lighter because I’ll have to get stripped down naked and have my bags get taken by a bear in order to have none. And just to be “safe” I also carry one of those humongous ferro rod but going into carrying a piston, cotton wool, tinder, fat wood, magnifying glass, etc. I can understand carrying one or two items and I can appreciate why you would need certain things in a truly cold place but when I sit back and look back after all my experience and try to remember if there was ever a case where I tried to make a fire and couldn’t because my lighter wouldn’t work the truth is I can’t remember a single time that ever happened and that includes all the years I’ve gone into nature with my friends. I think similar things on other things as well. I hope you understand where I’m coming from.

I've been using one since around 2007. It's my favorite method!! I do like how he added the storage compartments. Mine is a steel tube in cased with wood.

am new to daves chanal but dose he read the comments

Dave I bought (and preordered) all your books! invaluable material! you should look into the book from Victorinox Worker Felix Immler, also for ideas. btw is it possible to order ur Pathfindershop stuff to germany?

Don't forget to get a fire piston and learn how to use it for the sake of excitement for learning something new.

Chevy ad is bad very bad.

Can I get top comment? Lol thought I'd give it a try