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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Before There Were Bics: Tibetan Fire Starter

I bought this little leather pouch in Oakland from a Tibetan immigrant who told me that now that people have abandoned these traditional fire starters, the Himalayas are littered with used Bic lighters. I turned the pouch into a survival necklace with a piece of twine and a few old beads.


Metal blade on bottom is a striker.


Inside the pouch, a piece of flint and some fluffy lint.

2 comments:

  1. Hello, I have 3 of these. They are also called chuckmuck or mecha. Did the person who gave it to you tell you what the lint is called. I know it come from a plant in Tibet, but I do not know the name. Thanks and

    GOD Bless you and your family

    Kenneth

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  2. Thanks for the info. And sorry, I have no idea what the lint is called.

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