Hand drill friction fire fail

I recently attempted my starting my first fire by friction with a hand drill set I made. My first attempts with the set have been a failure. I only know how friction fire is done in theory so this is a learning experience for me.

My first attempts have been using a cedar hearth board and cedar spindle. The wood heats up and I can get a little bit of smoke but the tree I cut it from was still a little green which I think is my problem.

I recently made a new set from tulip poplar that had fallen quite some time ago. The center of the wood was still pretty wet to the touch so I'm in the process of letting it dry some.

Finding suitable wood for a friction fire and being able to actually start a fire that way are the reasons I would never rely on it as my primary method of making fire.

I prefer to strike a ferro rod with the spine of my knife.

What is your preferred fire making method?

What am I doing wrong when trying to build a friction fire?

Let me know in the comments below and I will keep you up to date on my progress.

Review: Esee Izula

 

I recently decided to pick up an ESEE Knives Izula. I had been looking at them for a while and kept putting off actually getting one. Let me just say, I'm glad I finally did. It's already been getting used quite a bit. Specs for the knife are:

Overall Length: 6.25"

Blade Length: 2.63"
Thickness: .156"
Steel: 1095 Carbon
Weight: 2.0 Oz. w/o Sheath 
Finish: Textured Powder Coat (Carbon Steel Models)
Grind: Flat

Pommel: Carabiner Hole 

Sheath: Molded Plastic

I decided to go with the Izula rather than the Izula II because, it was cheaper and it was a 1/2 inch shorter which would allow me to conceal the knife better for when I wanted to do so.

At first glance, I didn't really care much for the looks of the sheath. It looks a little cheap, but it does do its job. It holds the knife without it falling out. The sheath is light weight and holds the knife well inverted, which is how most people will carry the knife if they are wearing it as a neck knife.

That being said, the knife carries well as a neck knife. I think I may still prefer my CRKT Minimalist for a neck knife but the Izula wins the tough knife contest hands down.

The first test for my Izula came in the form of battoning firewood for a small bonfire. I was able to quickly batton the wood into nice sized kindling to start a fire and the knife was none the worse for were. The edge held its sharpness and I still have yet to touch it up.

I really like the knife for belt carry under a shirt. It is hardly noticeable except for the occasional poke in the ribs while driving, which I mostly attribute to a few extra pounds on my part.

The sheath for the knife works well for what it is but there are some better looking aftermarket sheaths out there for the Izula. I may invest in a different sheath later but as of now the factory sheath works fine for me.

My kit was missing two small washers needed to attach the belt clip but that is no fault of Esee. The shipping bag had a tiny cut in it and I didn't notice it until after later, so they probably fell out at some point without me noticing. Nothing that couldn't be remedied with a quick stop in Lowe's to pick up a couple washers.

Other items in the kit included a small magnesium fire starter and ferro rod, whistle, paracord, cord lock, clip, and a couple of key rings to attach the items together.

Overall I really love this knife and feel the kit is a solid value. It will be getting lots of use and I look for it to give me many years of service.

Now having owned my first Esee knife I can see another Esee in my near future. I'm really liking the looks of the Esee 6 and I can say with almost 100% certainty that I will own one soon.