firesteel / strikealight problem

[Brixton]

I have a question about my(I probably call it by the wrong name) Firesteel
Here's a picture so you know what I'm on about.

I used it on my Frost Mora knife - no problem
I used it on my Country trader (deluxe) knife - no problem
I used it on my new shiny Helle Odel knife - bugger all sparkage
What makes these things work?

My Odel is laminated stainless steel and some folk say "no no Brixton you buffoon you must use a carbon steel knife"
However my country trader knife was also stainless steel
Is it a chemical thing? i.e. the grade of stainless make a difference
or is it down to the shape of the edge of the knife?
I'm currently back to using the wee metal thing that came with it which is OK but being a serrated edge it seems to be munching through the firesteel quickly.

 

[bloodline]

rough the back or spine of your knife on a stone or try a different angle

 

[Justin Time]

The outer part of the Helle laminate seems too soft to use on firesteels. I have the same problem with my Helle Fjellkniven. The firesteel needs a hard sharp edge to work against. Martyn did a thread somewhere about the various materials which he used succesfully.

 

[Brixton]

The outer part of the Helle laminate seems too soft to use on firesteels. .

Pants
Apart from this it's a lovely knife

I am still intrigued as to how firesteels work however

 

[spamel]

I know it is made up of different metals, how it actually sparks is another thing. You'll find that they can be 'fired' with all sorts of things, so long as it is hard enough it'll go. I've tried a bit of flint which produced an amazing shower of sparks. Stones will work, brick aswell. Glass and the harder metals will also work.

Experiment with the other kit you normally take with you, such as an eating utensil. Maybe you could use the handle of your spoon, or something similar, that you always carry.

Edit: I just tried mine on the edge of my Crusader cup and got sparks, not the best but it would work at a push! Experiment!!

 

[luxor1]

it might be worth trying the end of the striker rather the the serrated edge, it works on my fire steel ok.

 

[Elliott]

it might be worth trying the end of the striker rather the the serrated edge, it works on my fire steel ok.

Re the supplied striker:

Ditto this otherwise you will work through to the other side in no time - and do as the engraving says i.e. "UP" not the other way around as I did initially (too excited to take the time to look).

Elliott

 

[Stuart]

firesteels are made from a pyrophoric alloy called ferrocerium, which is composed of 37% cerium, 37% lanthanum, 23% iron, 2% copper, and 1% magnesium.

When the rod is shaved with a hard edge, the heat generated by friction is enough to ignite these shavings due to cerium and lanthiums low ignition temperature of 150 to 180 degrees Celsius.

cerium and lanthanum are too soft to be used on their own so they are combined with the iron, copper and magnisum in order to make it hard enough to be made into rod which can be scraped with a hard implement to product the shavings and friction required for ignition.

the composition of the material used to scrape the ferrocium rod is irrelevant, the only factors which are of consequence are that the material must be hard enough and have an edge of a suitably acute angle to 'shave' the rod, and in doing so cause enough friction to induce temperatures of at least 140 degrees Celsius.

 

[MartiniDave]

This is why my Helle Eggen doesn't get out much these days, but when it does I carry a small length of busted hacksow blade in my possibles pouch for striking the firesteel.

Dave

 

[Ogri the trog]

it might be worth trying the end of the striker rather the the serrated edge, it works on my fire steel ok.

My thoughts exactly, or file one side of the supplied tool - that way you'll have a smooth side for practicing and a serrated side for real emergencies when you need a big shower of sparks.

Ogri the trog