flint and steel

[carpenter374]

hey all. ive been wanting to get a new firestarter ive just about worn out my old boy scout one. i have some assorted spalls of tx edwards chert and some other misc flint peices ive picked up. what type or grade should i look for in the chert? do i wanna use a sharp peice of steel to strike the flint or what works best? what type of steel works best?                                   -carpenter

[DanaM]

Good question I'm also wondering what to get to use for steel

[Minuteman]

Get an old file, preferably a short one. I bought a shoe box full of old files at a garage sale coupla years ago for a dollar.
 You're gonna need a real hot fire, a pair of blacksmiths tongs or vice grip pliers to hold it, and a non plastic magnet.  A wood fire will do it' You just have to make sure its big enough that you don't run out of fuel before you get the metal hot enough.
 The name of the game is getting the metal super heated so the magnet won't stick to it. Once you have done that you have two options . You can leave it in the fire and allow it to cool slowly thereby softening it (annealing)and allowing you to belt sand off the file marks ( or beat 'em out with a hammer )or you can go straight to the next step if you aren't concerned about it looking like a file. Once its red hot and the magnet won't stick to it you'll need to hold the side that you want to use as a striker in some water til its cool. That hardens the metal and makes it easier to get a spark from.
 You'll prolly wanna put a hook in one end so it'll hang off your fingers while yer wacking it with the flint.
 A piece of copper pipe with the end crimped down to a small hole, makes a great bellows for the fire, by the way. Increases lung capacity as well!
 Have fun fellers

[Kegan]

The steel should have carbon. Files work, but I've seen on the internet where a "mountain man" striker costs about $8. Cabela's even sells the whole kits for about $13. And the striker will last you quite a while, not to mention bing more comfortable to hold. iF you want, you can use the back of a high carbon steel knife blade.

[Minuteman]

I was told the same thing about the carbon steel knife, Kegan. I've never been able to get a spark from one. But steel hardness varies so I guess it could work , just doesn't on any of my carbon steel knives.

[Kegan]

I was told the same thing about the carbon steel knife, Kegan. I've never been able to get a spark from one. But steel hardness varies so I guess it could work , just doesn't on any of my carbon steel knives.

My father has a very old high carbon knife. We tried it and it sparked pretty well- but we only did it once, as it was his good trapper knife, and we didn't want to hurt it. Harder to use than a file or C striker though, as only a little stuck up from the wooden handle. Convenient though.

[hawkbow]

I have carried a hand forged steel and flint in my war bag for years. picked it up at a rondezvous when I was a kid. the steel throws a shower of sparks, I keep my tinder and char cloth in a small steel box which i use to make more char cloth when it runs out. anyhow I lost it last year at the head of the north fork of the Shoshone river, three feet of snow and fifteen miles from the trailhead.kind of a bad deal to loose something I have carried for so many years. sorry about the long sob story but your post reminded me of it. I wonder if anyone will ever come across it up there, probably not, but if they do will they think they have found a real artifact I have though the same thing about lost arrows, what do people think when they find a stone tipped arrow in the woods, miles from civilization Hawk

[huntertrapper]

hawk thats true ive lost two glass tipped arrows now people findem and think theyve found some indian artifact?

[Otoe Bow]

Funny thing.  I was cleaning out my shop last night and came across my fire starting kit. I haven't seen or used it in years.      It is almost just like the one that Hawk describes inside its own little metal box.  I did notice that the flint in it appeared to be a nice piece of Kay County that will make a pretty good point.  I replaced it with a piece of chert that Cowboy sent me (kind of a grayish white with dark streaks) and it throws a great shower of sparks, better so than the KC.  I don't know if that is Edwards or not, but if it's hard like that stuff that Paul gave me, it should work great.     The steel in the kit is made from an annealed file that's been forged into a "U" shape that you hold in your hand with the striker surface against your knuckles.

Your 

[65x55 swedis]

you can use any steel really but i prefer a high carbon striker knife. it looks funny but is cool i will try to get some pics of it.