False Tinder Fungus Amadou

I am sure you all know that amadou is a thin layer of velvety material found between the spore tubes and cortex of Fomes fomentarius False Tinder Fungus. Rather than collecting large fully grown specimens, I go for the young small ones which are almost all amadou and need very little work to prepare.

I just beat the fungus flat with a stone, then cut it into strips and allow it to dry. I then char one end of a strip which greatly improves its efficiency to take a spark.

For this demonstration I used the edge of a flat chainsaw file to achieve a spark with the flint


Once the amadou is ignited I place it inot a tinder bundle and blow until I achieve a flame.

The smouldering amadou can then be snuffed out and used again.