How to Cut Fatwood

When a pine tree dies, much off its resinous sap sinks down into the base of the tree where it hardens and produces the smooth and aromatic wood called fatwood. Fatwood is highly flammable because of its high resin content, and is valued by campers and wilderness survivalists as a fire starter. In order to use fatwood as a fire starter, you must first cut it down into shavings, which you will then use to catch a spark from a ferro rod or other device to begin your fire.

Hatchet or axe
Knife

Instructions

- 1
  Use the hatchet or axe to chop off a piece of fatwood from the stump of a pine tree, as fatwood is so resinous that it will gum up a saw. Sometimes the fatwood is old enough that it can simply be broken off with bare hands.
- 2
  Chop the piece of fatwood into usable pieces with the hatchet. A usable-sized piece is one you can hold in your hand and work on. Collect your pieces of fatwood, and choose one to cut down into tinder. Store the rest with your gear.
- 3
  Hold the piece of fatwood in your hand, and begin to cut off shavings with the knife. Let the shavings pile up on the ground in front of you as you work into the fatwood, turning it over in your hand so that you shave it evenly on all sides. Shave as thinly as possible to create the most flammable fire-starting tinder.
- 4
  Use your ferro rod or other spark source over the pile of fatwood shavings, and direct the sparks right into the tinder. A good spark should catch the fatwood shavings on fire, which can then be used to start up a larger fire.

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