Fire Strikers

[Tim Edwards]

What evidence do we have for Roman fire lighters?

The finds at Illerup Idal in Denmark show contemporary Germanic warriors using iron rods mounted in wood handles, much like blunted awls.

See here:

http://www.illerup.dk/deepweb.php?page=185&language=1
http://www.illerup.dk/deepweb.php?page=187&language=1

If the wooden or antler handles hadn't survived, these would just have looked like a iron nail!, which is why I reckon we would not normally identify these.

I've seen a lot of 'Roman Fire Strikers' touted on Ebay, which are usually a knuckle duster type shape, with either a B form for two fingers, or P form for one, or C for two or more. Yet I have never seen these items as part of a Roman period assemblage in any museum i've been to. I've seen other reenactors use these, but I'm still yet to be convinced.

See here for repros, claimed as common on Roman sites, but no reference given:
http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/firefromsteel/

Has anyone else looked at this?

[jvrjenivs]

This is indeed an interesting topic. As far as I seem to remember there is less evidence for the B shaped fire strikers than re-enactment might suggest, and this design is better proved. Unfortunately I can't back this statement up with references, it's a long time ago since I looked into the subject.

[Tim Edwards]

'Roman' fire lighters 'strike; again!:

edited by moderator due to violation of forum rule # 4

I'm still not fully convinced by these...

[Tim Edwards]

Here an old thread on the topic:

<!-- l <a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=22329">viewtopic.php?f=17&t=22329<!-- l

Again, more 'Roman' fire strikers, but look very much to me to be 'ebay finds'...

[ironclad]

I've seen a lot of 'Roman Fire Strikers' touted on Ebay, which are usually a knuckle duster type shape, with either a B form for two fingers, or P form for one, or C for two or more. Yet I have never seen these items as part of a Roman period assemblage in any museum i've been to. I've seen other reenactors use these, but I'm still yet to be convinced.

ah okey! are you fun of going to museum anywhere in the world? did you happen to see already a brass knuckles?