How to Make Char

One important piece of frontier knowledge was knowing how to make char.

If you are reading History of the West with Jemmey Fletcher: Shinin’ Times, you might be to the point in the story where Jemmey realizes he needs to make some char. Char was the magic ingredient to making a fire with flint and steel, and frontiersmen would have had always needed to stay on jump ahead of the end of their supply. Jemmey knows they are going to need more fires in the future, so he takes the time to make some during the winter. If you are reading that book, or simply interested in learning a primitive skill, watch this video on how to make char.

If you are interested in living history and want to learn more about primitive fire starting, be sure to check out another video on flint and steel fire-making. After you learn how to make a fire with flint and steel, the next thing you’ll need to know is how to make char. Participating in this process can help you better understand the book, and also better understand the life of people on the American frontier.

Be sure to check out my book History of the West with Jemmey Fletcher; Shinin’ Times and sign up below to receive new blog posts as they are released.