Fire by friction and flintknapping are two of the oldest human survival skills. To rub two sticks together to make a fire – to bang two rocks together to make a knife was the first steps towards becoming who we are as humans. It’s hard to explain the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing these simple – yet very hard to master skills.

Hand drill fire demo using yucca

In this video I make a fire using a hand drill. Practice and proper material selection is key. 1st you’ll have to condition your body and hands – this is very rough on your hands and expect blisters until you develop callouses. Next you will have to test materials in your region – yucca stalks are the best in my opinion , however you may not have yucca available, try light weight soft woods -don’t be discouraged – like most things in life practice practice practice. It’s a steep learning curve.