What do you use as your primary fire starter ? - Survey

[Cluttermagnet]

So far, mostly pine cones dipped in wax from candle stubs. I'm also experimenting with other methods including Super Cedars. I always add small tinder from hardwood splitting, and a couple of crumpled up tiny pieces of newspaper, no matter what fire starter I'm using that night. Oh, and I've also tried those brown, square sawdust and wax thingies and also fatwood, etc. Have yet to try the kerosene soaked pine cones, but that is also on my list to play with. So many types for a newbie pyro to try. ;-)

So anyway I checked 'other'.

BTW for those rare daytime starts (none yet this season), I want smokeless as much as possible. In that case, I'd use only a little newspaper and the hardwood splits tinder- and no softwood! Especially smoky is any wood with knots, especially pine construction scraps. Those knots smoke like crazy.

 

[Cazimere]

I use a couple pine cones with a squirt of used deep fryer cooking oil that i save just for this purpose.
A couple small starter splits on top and presto !

 

[CowboyAndy]

My aresenal includes 110 year old lathe from a plaster and lath wall used for kindling, and the little square brick firestarters.

 

[jbjshark]

Newspaper and split oak pallets, the hottest and quickest fire I've been able to achieve thus far