Why are the ends of the steaks charred before being pounded into the ground? Old method log cabin construction.
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I have a very old book called *Lees Priceless Remedies* which is pretty much a DIY guide for the 19th century. In it is a recipe for “everlasting fence posts” which recommends you soak your posts in a mixture of raw linseed oil and pulverised charcoal. The Japanese use a technique where they char the outer face of timber so it’s basically pure charcoal. Apparently this makes the timber underneath less liable to rot or insect attack.
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The most important reason is resistance to rotting. Charcoal does not biodegrade for hundreds of years. When you char the wood there is a protective layer that prevents the bit that you bury from rotting. Untreated wood lasts about 10 years in the ground, treated wood can last much longer but is expensive.
So that we can entice worms and mice to finish the job in creating a stable foundation for our log cabin.
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my hungry ass immediately imagined actual steaks, and i couldnt for the love of god understand what does that have to do with building a log cabin
Oh, you mean wooden STAKES, not grilled cow meat
To answer your question, fire removes moisture from the wood and changes the structure. This makes the pointy tip like on stakes or spears harder and more dense. This allowed you to drive the stakes into the ground a bit easier.
Ohhh STAKES! God that took me a while to figure out, to be fair to myself I’ve only just woken up.
Hardening.
Ulysses and the Lads did this to a sharpened tree stump when they used it to put out the eye of Polyphemus.
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