The Tibetans are traditionally people high up in the Himalayas, primarily in Arunachal Pradesh. They have an innovative history in tool development, keeping in mind the severity of cold, rugged terrain. A classic tool that goes by the name of iron box-for-tinder shows its use in kindling fire before lighters and matches came into being in the Tibetan lifestyle. The iron tinder box is quite commonly rectangular shaped and made of an entire piece of iron, often covered in leather for insulation and ease of handling. It usually comes with an iron carrying handle that can withstand misuse and tends to make it really easy to use in adverse weather conditions. The iron portion acts as a striker that produces some sparks when hit against a piece of flint or some other hard stone, and these sparks are directed toward a piece of dry tinder, most often prepared plant fibers or char cloth, which is stored in the box in some carefully marked way.
Such a tool provides existence in a cold mountain area where the fringe between comfort and hardship would be a matter of fairly quick-burning tinder and the means to ignite it. It shows the creativity and environmental knowledge of the Tibetan people. Besides its utility, the tinder box symbolizes a whole range of cultural meanings-the warmth, survival, and hospitality. The iron tinder box may today not find use in the normal course, but it still stands as a tangible legacy of the culture and living traditions among the Tibetans.