Bow Drill Bearing Block or Handhold Ash handhold with stainless steel metal insert making it virtually frictionless. Treated with boiled linseed oil to help protect it from the elements! Each handhold is handmade and handcrafted! A bow drill consists of a bearing block or handhold, a spindle or drill, a hearth board or fireboard, and a simple bow. It's an ancient tool used to make fire that applies friction to generate heat. The heat eventually produces an ember in the burnt wood dust. The ember is tiny and fragile. Once it is formed it is carefully placed into a "tinder bundle" where it is carefully nurtured and coaxed into flame. Once the tinder bundle bursts into flame, it is placed into the fuel that has been assembled ready for ignition. Bow drills were used between the 4th and 5th millennium BC. Whether you're experienced, a novice, or someone who is trying to make a fire using a bow drill for the first time, finding a suitable branch for a bow and getting the material to make a spindle and a fire board can sometimes be challenging. However, it is not nearly as hard and challenging as making or finding a good handhold or bearing block. Anyone who has tried making a fire using a bow drill knows that it is very tough and can lead to frustration without a good handhold. No matter if you have a perfect bow, a nice spindle and a good fire board, if you don't have a good bearing block or handhold, it is very tough to produce an ember for your bird's nest. This bearing block is made from ash which if a hardwood that is harder than oak. It has a stainless-steel metal insert which makes it virtually frictionless when used atop the spindle to make fire using a bow drill. This means that the spindle can easily spin fast to produce heat quickly between the spindle and the hearth board. This handhold is treated with boiled linseed oil to help protect it from the elements. The stainless-steel metal insert is shiny enough to use as a signal like a mirror in an emergency. Parts description:Bearing block or handhold made from Ash, which is harder than Oak. It is treated with boiled linseed oil to help protect it from the elements. It has a handmade stainless-steel plate insert that is virtually frictionless.