French Strike-a-lites
Last updated : Saturday April 01, 2006
Fire Steels and Tinder Boxes inexpensive though it was, the fire-making flint and steel of the trader was of prime importance in his intercourse with the tribesmen. This was true in the earliest years of the trade and continued almost to its end. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the popular lightweight steel retailed for a cent or two, and quite commonly it was presented without charge to the Indian whose good will was sought. The more sophisticated tinderboxes and strike-a-lights found only occasional use among Indians, but they were better known in the trading posts and in the wilderness camps of the white trappers. Probably the important thing to be said about any of these fire makers is that in their day they were almost indispensable, and even for the white man, they rested at the heart of his concept of and appreciation for fire. To the Indian, they became a part of the mysterious force that made fire sacred. 2
Strike-a-Iites have been found on numerous
other historic sites in North America; these include:
Womack Site, Texas (Harris and Blaine 1965:351)
Ada, Michigan (Herrick 1958:7)
Lasanen, Michigan (Cleland 1971 :20,22)
Grand Portage, Minnesota (Woolworth 1967:13)
Longlac, Ontario (Dawson 1969:48)
Woods Island, Alabama (Morrell 1965:43-44)
Birch Island, Ontario (Greenman 1951 :43-44)
Fort Ligonier, Pennsylvania (Grimm 1970:147)
Numerous references to the importation and use of strike-a-lites can be found in historical documents containing seventeenth to nineteenth century trade-good lists. Several of these early sources indicate that strike-a-lites were in common use throughout the historic period, although no indications are given of the use of different strike-a-lites types at different times. One source written in 1721 notes the distribution of one gross of fire-steels for 108 Livre to "monsieur de Louvigny for his Equipment and that of the officers who accompanied him, for buying provisions and for making presents to the savages" (Thwaites 1902: Vol. 16,403). By comparing the price of strike-a-lites with other items in this same list, we arrive at a standard of relative value for this commodity. For example, 40 strike-a-lites are as valuable as one trade gun; 20 gunflints are as valuable as one strike-a-Iite. Strike-a-lites were an important trade-good item throughout both the French and British periods of control at Fort Michilimackinac. The identification of strike-a-lites on other comparable historic sites and their mention in contemporaneous trade-good lists indicate that this item was a common trade item throughout most of North America. 1
*Ebay fakes:
Please beware of any flint strikers/fire steels being sold on Ebay as legit 18th or 19th century artifacts. I was told by a very reliable source that many strikers have made there way on Ebay as of late. Apparently a large numbers of these so called strikers are for sale in markets in Afghanistan and in the former Russian republic located just north of that country and are being sold as legit pieces.
Above, relics of various strike-a-lites as well as a tinder box. All were found in the Mackinaw city area. Take note of the bottom striker.
The above strikers were found at Fort Albany (James Bay) 1610-1686. Only one complete specimen was found No. 3054. It is 8.4 cm long and has a striking edge 3.5 mm thick.
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French Colonial Steel Striker or "Strike-a-lite" |
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Type 1a Semi-Rectangular in shape *Notice on the marking on this striker of what appears to be two claws, both facing the opposite way.
Type 1b Elongated oval in shape
Type 1c Circular in shape and consistently much smaller in size than type 1a and 1b.
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TYPE 1 : This type
shows an oval fire steel from the site of Fort Michilimackinac,
Michigan. This type appears among French artifacts of the late
seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, which have been recovered in
a number of places in French North-America. This type of strike-a-lite
consists of a single piece of steel which is ovular to circular in the
shape; therefore, each longitudinal edge may have been used as either a
striking edge or as a handle edge. Type 1a, 1b and 1c all have minor
variations of distinct striking edge and handle elements however all
retain the same basic shape. They could be struck against the fireflint
anywhere on their entire periphery . Lenght(s) : Firesteels found at the Rock Island site in Wisconsin vary in their dimensions between 58 by 29 by 2 mm to 93 by 38 by 2.5 mm. As Ronald J. Mason mentions "... such artifacts are recurrent in low frequencies at other early historic sites in much of the Upper Great Lakes region." 3 Note : The oldest specimen found at the Rock Island Site (see below) is also the smallest. Markings found on firesteels : - heart motif stamped at one end (1760-1770) - a V (possibly another heart) on one side - embossed characters I*VIAI or I*VIAL within a rectangular depression framing them like a cartouche The name VIAL comes up in the St.Etienne, France records and was a 17th or 18th century maker of coffee makers and other metalware. This could indicate that oval French flint strikers were in fact made in St.Etienne along with clasp, butcher and kitchens knives exported to the French colonies and used in the fur trade. See link below. http://vieux.saint.etienne.club.fr/dpexpmou.html#liste
Origin: France, French colonies Date: Fire Steels were found at sites occupied or influenced by the French
between 1670-1760 and could possibly be attributed to the British
from 1763 on to 1781. (Fort Michilimackinac, 1715-1781: An
Archaeological
Three flat oval fire steels have holes in the center for gripping. One is stamped "G.A.E." or "G.R.E.". All are from the Ojibwa community at Grand Portage, Minnesota. Sites where Type 1 were found :
The underwater search conducted at Double Rapids on the French River out of Lake Nipissing in 1961, oval steels were found in their original packs with appropriate flints inserted in the space in the center of the steels. The finds now in the Royal Ontario Museum: iron knife with wooden handle, a hinge, awls, strike-a-light (Underwater finds in the French River, Doris K.Megill, Ontario Department of lands and forests, Ottawa, August, 1964)
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Strikers found at the Rock Island Site in
Wisconsin
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Type 2a
Type 2b
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TYPE 2 : Type 2 strike-a-lites that have been
recovered at Fort Michilimackinac resemble strike-a-lites in shape but
have not been definitely identified as such base on two reasons :
Origin: France, French colonies or possibly British Date: Type 2 strikers were found at Fort Michilimackinac 1715-1781 Sites where Type 2 were found :
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Type 3
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TYPE 3 : The type
3 strike-a-lites consist of a
solid steel bar which has been bent and shaped to produce a rectangular
(D-shaped) strike-a-lite. The striking edge is approximately parallel to
the handle elements which are extensions of the striking edge ends and
which join on a parallel plane above the center of the striking edge.
Handle ends have been bent (curled) to the outside of the object. Origin: France, French colonies or possibly British Date: Type 3 strikers were found at Fort Michilimackinac 1715-1781 Sites where Type 3 were found :
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Bibliography: 1. Fort Michilimackinac, 1715-1781: An Archaeological 3. Ronald J. Mason, Rock
Island, Historical Indian Archaology in the Northern Lake Michigan Basin,
Kent State University Press.
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