I was just getting back into bushcraft and had signed up for Paul Kirklys Online Basic Course. The initial free video was of Paul Carving a Feather Stick. I think the video lasted for something like 40 minutes. Several thoughts jumped into my mind. Your spending 40 minutes carving a stick in order to burn it and Im not spending more than a few minutes carving anything in order to start a fire in under a minute. I then realized after watching the video several times, that he was teaching the ART of making a Feather Stick. The whole concept then changed for me.

However were in Australia. Several things to consider. The oils in the timber here dont require that much processing to ignite and the timber is much harder than Northern temperate Species. I have never seen anyone make a Feather Stick Here.

However Making Feather Sticks on softer timber allow you train your knife and carving skills for larger projects. A Feather Stick is usually the first and a Tent Peg the second lesson or project when learning carving skills.

Dan Wowak from Coalcracker Bushcraft came up with an interesting idea in one of his videos. Why not use shavings instead. Same blade skills used and I thought this was a much better way of using a Feather Stick in Australia when trying to start a fire in wet weather than trying to form a carved stick in hardwood.

https://coalcrackerbushcraft.com/blogs/journal/feathers-or-shavings?mc_cid=2de340ea03&mc_eid=024e438e6f