The 1,000-Year-Old Lighter That Never Goes Out 🕯️ #shorts

Added: 2026-05-21

[00:00:00]This is a lighter used by ancient people over 1,000 years [music] ago. How did it ignite the moment you opened it? First, you would borrow a bolt of lightning from the heavens to set a branch on fire. This gave you your initial flame, [music] but when you tried to carry it away, a gust of wind would easily put it out. So, being clever, you decided to make fire yourself. You took a wooden stick and rapidly spun it [music] against dry wood. With enough speed and effort, you successfully ignited a fire.

[00:00:22]This is known as fire by friction.

[00:00:24]However, although this method could start a fire, it couldn't preserve the flame. Later, you accidentally discovered that dried sweet potato vines, once ignited, would still retain a faint ember even after the flame was blown out. This gave you an idea. You gathered fresh vines and soaked them in water until they softened. Then you took them out and placed them into a stone mortar, adding reeds, plant fibers, and cotton. You repeatedly pounded the mixture until the fibers were evenly blended. After that, you spread it out under the sun to dry. Once fully dried, you crushed it into a fluffy fibrous mass, then mixed in substances like saltpeter, pine resin, and camphor to help combustion. Next, you used grass paper to wrap the prepared material into a tight cylindrical shape. Then you found a section of bamboo and split it into two parts, shaving the edges so they would fit snugly together as a lid and container. To ensure air flow, you also drilled a small hole in the bamboo lid. Finally, you placed the prepared tinder inside the bamboo tube.

[00:01:16]Congratulations, you have invented the fire piston. When not in use, you close the lid and the ember inside remains in a semi-burning smoldering state. When you need it, simply open the lid and gently blow on it. The ember will reignite. Convenient and practical. So, did you learn something new today?