Hand fire drill supplies in North Alabama? (best, well, Wyoming)

[Dirt Grinder]

I've become quite adept at using the hand drill for fire-starting, but I'm using materials from the Southwest (yucca spindles). Does anyone have any recommendations for locally available spindle and fireboard materials for the North Alabama region?

[Happy in Wyoming]

I suggest that you begin with local museums and historical societies as well as university anthropology and botany departments. There are people who are familiar with the ethnobotany of Indian tribes as well as botany in general. That's the best way to determine what plants they were using for various tasks. I am sure that there are woods with properties similar to the southwestern yucca that you can use.

Yucca filamentosa is native to North Alabama. However, I don't know if it has wood suitable for your purposes.

Yucca - Genus Page - APA: Alabama Plant Atlas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_filamentosa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_flaccida

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming

...Yucca filamentosa is native to North Alabama. However,I don't know if it has wood suitable for your purposes...

Wow, I didn't think of looking for a yucca that would be part of the native flora for this region. I only recall a single time where I noticed one in a field, but I was never actually looking for them - thanks.