Fire lighting with flint. AND Tinder.

[Dave Barker]

As you can see from my incredible niavity ( and poor spelling) I have little knowledge about bushcraft.

I have watch ray Mears on occasion and have some comments about the programs but that does not belong to this forum....

I have seen him light fires by using flint, and want to know where I can get it and how to do it.

I know the best thing is to use matches or the like but sometimes even the best laid plans fail, we were out on a sunday trip at the weekend and wantedto light a fire, we had matches, but although theses were in a waterproof container, they wouldn't light due to the wind, Flint would probably have been better right??

So, where do I find usable flint, what is the best thing to strike it with, and what tinder or kindling gives the most " definate " result.

For the comments on Rays programs, then send me a pm or mail.

Thanks for the help. One day I might learn something!!!

 

[C_Claycomb]

A Swedish Fire Steel, or Fire Flash ferocerium rod will give you more and hotter sparks than genuine flint and steel. These can be used to light a wide range of both natural and prepared tinder. Birch bark shavings, resin soaked pine shavings, plant downs and so on. The modern ferocerium rods make sparks hot enough to get flame straight off using the right tinder.

For real flint and steel you will probably need prepared tinder for it to work best. Cotton cloth that has been charred is probably the easiest to get hold of or make. For the steel you can use a bit of an old file, you don't want teeth on it, so use the safe side, or grind the teeth off. Tinder is placed on top of the flint flake, the fuzzy edge of the tinder just above the edge of the flake. Then strike down with the steel. Think of it as a machining operation. The flint is taking off bits of the steel as sparks. These need to be caught by the tinder and breathed into an ember.

Not sure where you would get flint in your area. Here in the UK you can get it over much of the South East, possibly more places. If you can't find any in the soil and no one here jumps for mailing you a rock, ;-)you could try the muzzel loader supplies. They sell bits for people to use in repro flint lock weapons.


Chris

 

[giancarlo]

Hi Dave,

I'm sure some of the others on here can answer more in depth but here's what i think:

Ray knows so many ways of making fire, that throughout his programs he shows a lot of different ways.
If you're just talking about "Striking" types then
It seems he sometimes uses a "C Steel Strike-a-Light" off Flint, but seems to many use a firesteel and back of knife off onto any tinder.

Tinder?:
There's loads, whole thread about it in here somewhere from Char Cloth to Tampons
Thread here

If you want to get something going then i'd go get myself a firesteel and have a play with that.
FireSteel Site
There's 2 versions, Scout and Army, basically Army is bigger, will last longer and give you more strikes.

Using some finely teased out cotton wool as tinder.
That's pretty easy to get going after a few goes and it's probably something you'll have about the house.

You can get FireSteels from lots of places online, not 100% sure which is the cheapest etc:
Survival Schools
Adventure1
Field & Trek

Thread on here about where to get them

Like i said, the other fellas on here can give you a lot more info on it all.
but that's my 2p's worth

Hope it helps

Cheers
Carlo

 

[ESpy]

Hopefully, if my new refractories arrive this week, I should be forging out some steels (not firesteels!) this weekend...

 

[Gary]

Dave flint and steel - is a good technique what you need is,

A steel (buy one or me out of an old file)- c shaped is the old trade shape used in north america while U shape is the traditional european design -both are equally as good.

Flint shard (the blacker the flint the better - make sure you have a good edge on the stone too)

Tinder (char cloth or Amado)

Kindling (buffed up grass lke materials to start with)

Now holding you tinder ON TOP of the flint strike it a glancing blow witht he steel to shower sparks ontot the tinder. Once alight this will glow. Transfer this to your kindling and blow to life.

you can use the back of a carbon steel knife or iron pryites but for now stick to a simpler steel as using your knife scrathes the spin badly.

Hope thats helped.

 

[harrynorth]

Hi Dave.

To be honest with you I have used FireSteels for years and I have always
sworned by them. But, I am now the proud and astonished owner of a
Matchblaster!! I have heard and read about them in the past but have never
really bothered with them because I didn't know where you can get one as
they are American. After looking through the messages and threads on the
site I visited woodland organics online shop and they are the UK's
distributor for the Matchblaster! So I gave my piggy bank a shake and forked
out the twenty quid for one. Arrived in the post this morning and my god,
what a tool!! I am glad that I am over 18 as I sure that you couldn't own
one if you were any younger!

Forget about tinder...... you are not going to need it, this thing will set
fire to anything as my shirt will tell you. You use it one handed so you
don't have to worry about using a knife or any kind of strike as this has
one built in. Comes with a lifetime guarantee and it is made by a US company
called Ultimate Survival and they also do a whole host of other survival
tools. Can't rate it high enough! Most go, I am sure I can here a fire
engine!

The company is called woodland organics and the site is
www.woodlandorganics.com check it out. They also do the Firesteels.

 

[ESpy]

Is that the Blast Match?

They're fun - I bought one because my wife was having problems working with a firesteel. Now, however, she's happier with a short piece of hacksaw blade on a ferrocerium rod... Ho hum. NOt entirely convinced about their resilience yet.

My refractories now aren't going to be with me until Monday - so there goes my weekend rebuilding my forge & making steels. Hmph.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Come on 007, some of us shopless makers are waiting with bated breath for your shop to be finished. ;-) :-D hehe

Any luck on that tank cutter?

Chris.

 

[ESpy]

Yeah, yeah, I know...

As with paintings, a workshop is *never* finished - mind you, I still haven't rebuilt the kitchen either!

Decided not to use a diamond grit tank cutter, as the things were blooming expensive. Found some suitable jars with metal lids instead!

 

[Dave]

Hello Dave.

I think the steel brace you saw Ray Mears use is from a scandanavian company called moskoselkatan.

www.moskoselkatan.se

It may or may not be pictured on their website but if you email them and ask for a catalogue, the Tinder-Box is listed and comes with steel brace, flint, tinder material and description. Hope this helps!

 

[Martyn]

I think this is the one Dave..
http://www.moskoselkatan.se/standard.asp?TextNummer=2107

more..
http://www.ragweedforge.com/cat-misc.html#strikers
http://www.hollowtop.com/hopsstore_html/flintandsteel.htm
http://www.survivalschool.com/products/fire_starting/Flint_Steel.htm
http://www.jastown.com/fire/fire.htm
http://www.rutabaga.com/subcategory.asp?scid=257

and a very informative link with some genuine viking fire steels.
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/fire.htm

 

[ODS]

[EDIT/ Sorry Joe, blanket rule of no advertising I'm afraid. - Martyn]

 

[ESpy]

Oh, NOW you tell me Joe... :-D

 

[Rob]

I have just got some of the Moskoselkatan flint and steel boxed sets in. They are pretty good, and come with tinder fungus, dried grass, leather and a fair lump of spare flint to keep you going.

I am even getting a nice Swedish man to translate the instructions, after a pretty poor effort from me.

Anyone interested, please let me know. I also try to be the cheapest in UK for all sorts of other stuff from Gransfors Axes and Sharpening Stones, through fire steels to tents.

Website still on way, afraid the continuing good weather means I keep going outdoors

 

[ESpy]

Any pictures? I just forged a bunch yesterday to make up kits as Christmas pressies...

Good forging practice, if nothing else!

 

[Jeff Wagner]

You boys and your modern sparking devices.... :-( Suppose you were caught in the bush unprepared - without matchs nor flame thower nor fire seel. Then what ? Could you still make fire?

Has anyone made fire with a sandwich bag?

 

[Tony]

Fire by Friction - A very reliable method of fire lighting. Takes more of an investment in time, but when you get the hang of it opens you attitude to the outdoors even more.

 

[giancarlo]

Jeff, is:

Has anyone made fire with a sandwich bag?

Filling it with water and pulling the corners in to make a lense?
Never tried it, but sounds good..
Would need some sunny days over here to get out and try it though.. i think they're all behind us now

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Jeff, is:

Has anyone made fire with a sandwich bag?

Filling it with water and pulling the corners in to make a lense?
Never tried it, but sounds good..
Would need some sunny days over here to get out and try it though.. i think they're all behind us now

Yes, thats the idea. I have seen it done with Saran wrap plastic film. It took only a few seconds with charred cloth and a bit long with fungus.

The grey days are upon us I'm afraid and it has already snowed here. I was rather surprised to find that I could effectively get a coal using the polished soda can method even with a low sun angle last February.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Personally I like the Coke can method, but if dumped far from a supply of suitable cans I would probably fall back on the bow drill :roll:

I was told, and I remain highly dubious, that it was possible to start fire with ANY eye glasses, irrespective of whether the wearer was short or long sighted. I would have discounted this a total bunk but for who was telling me. Anyone got an opinion?

Chris