Making Fire with Bamboo - museum forge first lighting

Read more about the museum project here: http://islandblacksmith.ca/2017/01/building-traditional-swordsmith-forge/
See the building of the forge here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6yrlHyBBU4&index=3&list=PLBJ5AOs7cMwCSinW7foaiHFZKbZDkasQL

On the occasion of the first lighting of the museum project forge, I decided to employ a Japanese bushcraft technique and use the heat of friction between two bamboo sticks as the source of ignition. Getting the bamboo to produce smoke is relatively easy, but it still takes some good physical effort, patience, and some careful nurturing to take it all the way to the point of ignition.

The first night turned out to be quite an event as there were three forges and six blacksmiths/strikers operating in the museum workshop. Thanks to Tim of Reforged Ironworks, and Josh for their energy and charcoal chopping to get the forge up and running, and their assistance swinging the big sledges to finish drifting and shaping the smaller hand hammers as the first projects in the charcoal forge.

Watch a more detailed demonstration of lighting fire with bamboo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycIBCWTyzuo