Roman chipping iron
Fire and flame
Many a Roman legionary would have preferred to stay at home if he had known how cold it could be in a foreign land. As hot as the days were in North Africa, it got bitterly cold at night. It was even worse for his comrades who were on duty in cold Germania. The clever legionnaires always carried with them Roman iron, a flint and tinder so that they would not freeze on cold nights.
Fast and simple
The Roman beating iron was handy and simple in its function. One struck the iron against the edge of the flint until a spark caused the tinder to smolder. Carefully, so as not to extinguish it again, a flame was produced by blowing from the smolder. Contrary to the impression that the spark came from the flint, the fact is that it came from the Roman striking iron. This was made of a high-carbon, very hard steel. The Roman iron made fire making much easier. No longer did one have to laboriously rub wood to exhaustion. Tinder was found almost everywhere. Whether from bulrushes or the tinder fungus, the skillful Romans always found a solution.
- forged steel
- manually produced
- black
- approx. 7cm long
A peaceful treasure
The roman chisel could not be used as a weapon, also because of its shape. An unwritten law, to which the blacksmiths adhere to this day. It stipulates that the sparking steels may only be used for making fire. Like all fire irons, the Roman striking iron was a valuable, coveted item and was passed down through several generations.
Classic kindling with the beating iron
Have your students start the campfire the Roman way on hiking days, school field trips, or class trips. They will be thrilled with the Roman Beating Iron. With instructive and exciting stories at the evening campfire, you can impart a lot of knowledge along the way.
Adventure meets history!
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