» fire piston http://www.my-rainforest-adventures.com Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:49:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 Another traditional fire piston, Endau Rompin, Johor Malaysia; Part I http://www.my-rainforest-adventures.com/2010/02/another-traditional-fire-piston-endau-rompin-johor-malaysia-part-i/ http://www.my-rainforest-adventures.com/2010/02/another-traditional-fire-piston-endau-rompin-johor-malaysia-part-i/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:01:23 +0000 Keong http://www.my-rainforest-adventures.com/?p=1435 Tok Ali’s fire piston, handed through generations

‘Saya pernah ajar dia orang sekali, lepas tu dia orang try buat sendiri, tak jadi!’ This was what Tok Ali said to me, referring to the attempts by some tourist guides who tried to demonstrate the use of fire pistons after just one lesson from him. Tok Ali [...]]]>

Tok Ali’s fire piston, handed through generations

‘Saya pernah ajar dia orang sekali, lepas tu dia orang try buat sendiri, tak jadi!’ This was what Tok Ali said to me, referring to the attempts by some tourist guides who tried to demonstrate the use of fire pistons after just one lesson from him. Tok Ali then came and sat with us, holding with him a plastic bag that contains his fire piston.


A local Orang Asal in Endau Rompin directed us to Tok Ali. A rustic and mysterious man, Tok Ali is both a traditional bomoh (medicine man) and a knowledgeable herbalist. As we sat in his house, we can’t help but notice the many interesting things around. There’s a blow pipe, bundles of dried tree leaves and roots, strips of tree barks hanging on the wall and a boring looking aquarium.

Surprisingly, the tinder Tok Ali used is almost identical like the one used by the Semelais. The tinder consists of fibers from a type of fishtail palm, mixed with crushed charred tapioca leaves. As he prepares the fire piston (FP) for a demonstration, we can’t help but notice that he us using wax from a candle to ‘lubricate’ the terap ‘o-ring’. Semelais uses water to swell the seals of their FPs and according to Tok Ali, he believes back then; his people may have used fish oil instead. A few seconds later, Tok Ali already got the first amber going.

The smoldering tinder on Tok Ali’s fire piston

Tok Ali knows how to make FPs but not really keen on making them. It takes too much time and work. He made the one in the picture above from a type of hard wood. I took a look at the piece and noticed that the tolerance between the piston shaft and the hole is quite big but it is still able to work. Impressive really.

There were some kids watching us. Tok Ali’s grandsons and nephews. One of them seems to be very familiar with the FP. Perhaps he is Tok Ali’s protege. He asked for the fire piston and lighted his cigarette with it. As much as we are impressed with his skill in using the FP, we are equally surprised that he is already smoking at such an age!

The boy lighting his cigarette using Tok Ali’s fire piston

To be continued…

]]> http://www.my-rainforest-adventures.com/2010/02/another-traditional-fire-piston-endau-rompin-johor-malaysia-part-i/feed/ 2 Fire Piston Malaysia; An indigenous fire making tool http://www.my-rainforest-adventures.com/2009/03/fire-piston-malaysia-an-indigenous-fire-making-tool/ http://www.my-rainforest-adventures.com/2009/03/fire-piston-malaysia-an-indigenous-fire-making-tool/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:46:55 +0000 Keong http://www.my-rainforest-adventures.com/?p=547 A fire piston from Malaysia

A fire piston from Malaysia

This is a Malaysia fire piston I purchased from a local indigenous maker in Pahang. Also known as a fire syringe or ‘Api Lantak’ (hitting fire), this piece was made by order as a souvenir. Obviously this piece has been shellacked to make it look nicer but the wood itself is a natural yellowish color. The maker has also ‘creatively’ added a small storage area attached to the cylinder to hold some tinder.

According to some internet research (especially wikipedia), fire pistons have been used by the natives of South East Asia and the Pacific Islands as a means to start fire. Such technology may have existed in these communities for hundreds or maybe thousands of years. And rumor has it that it is exactly this technology that may have inspired Rudolf Diesel to create diesel engine somewhat in 1892!

This is my Malaysia fire piston compared to a Mora Viking knife

This is my Malaysia fire piston compared to a Mora Viking knife

Measuring just a few inches, my fire piston is incredible small and light. Though I doubt if I will be bringing it around to start my fires, this according to my good friend Pak Abu is a piece of history that must not be forgotten. And yes, this fire piston works. We tried it when we met the maker himself.

It worked probably because of the care and passion that went into making the piece. Though the maker admitted that he used a drill to help make the hole in the cylinder, it’s still a very intricate piece of work. Traditionally, they would have drilled manually by hand but that would take like weeks, probably months.

The fire piston came with natural fibers that act as seals (o-rings)

The fire piston came with natural fibers that act as seals (o-rings)

One important component of the fire piston is the ‘seal’ in which the maker used fibers from the tree bark of a ‘Terap’ tree. If not mistaken ‘Terap’ is from the Artocarpus genus, probably the Artocarpus elasticus.

The tinder the maker gave us seems to be some sort very dry and fluffy ‘cotton’. He told us it came from a jungle tree as well. I guess this is something that I need to find out.

The maker gave us some tinder too

The maker gave us some tinder too

It is interesting how such technology came about. The sad thing is that it is a lost knowledge and the skills to make it the olden way would have probably been forgotten by now. These days, whenever I visit any of the indigenous people of Malaysia, I would ask them how they or their ancestors start fire for cooking food and keeping warm. The usual answer unfortunately is the modern ‘lighter’. I don’t blame them really. A lighter is so much easier to use to light a fire.

Anyway, at least now I own a piece of history! I plan to try to start a fire using this fire piston and hopefully Meun would be around to help me capture it in video. Here’s to fire piston Malaysia!

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