Had a bit of free time today and decided it was about time to practice with the old flint and steel. Without a doubt this is skill that needs to be done on a regular basis or at least it is for me.
Good fun too.
Riven
Flint and steel practice
- Thread starter Riven
- Start date
Had a bit of free time today and decided it was about time to practice with the old flint and steel. Without a doubt this is skill that needs to be done on a regular basis or at least it is for me.
Good fun too.
Riven
Practised a couple of days but only could get sparks with my opinel no. 8. As soon as I put amadou (well dried) onto the flint, the opinel was totally knackered. Got a fire steel now and will try after my hols here in France. Any flint in Provence?
Flint and steel has never been my strong point but I just spent 15 minutes with John Fenna at the bushmoot (he regularly demonstrates and tutors this method) and I had and ember and then a flame in no time 
- now I just need to practice!
- now I just need to practice!
Flint and steel has never been my strong point but I just spent 15 minutes with John Fenna at the bushmoot (he regularly demonstrates and tutors this method) and I had and ember and then a flame in no time
Now come over and show me?
Yep, that's the method I was always shown that I struggled with (me being the problem not the method). Doing it the other way round, holding the flint with a piece of charcloth above it and striking down with the steel worked very quickly for me!
I would expect that most cultures that used flint and steel would have tried both (and more) and people would have just had personal preferences.
I would expect that most cultures that used flint and steel would have tried both (and more) and people would have just had personal preferences.
I tend to use a downward strike because I am demonstrating to large groups of kids, I want them to see what I'm doing and I need a result in under 30 seconds.
In rougher conditions I tend to switch to the tinder on top method you describe.
In rougher conditions I tend to switch to the tinder on top method you describe.
Sorry, not up in Northumberland till next may/June
I should have managed by then ................ or totally gave up!!!
Finally got a fire steel, flint at the ready and we'll dried amadou. DOES ANYONE THINK A SINLE ONE OF DOZENS OF SPARKS would hit the Amador, 1 or 2 perhaps but not the tiniest of embers!!!
Any pointers??? Pretty please?????
Any pointers??? Pretty please?????
I picked up some flint over the weekend and gave it a quick go today - plenty of sparks on the charcloth and a good ember quite quickly.
You're getting sparks so how far are they having to travel to get to the amadou? As I said earlier I can't get the 'striking the flint down onto the steel' method to work. So, as John showed me at the moot, I hold a small piece of charcloth on top of the sharp edge of flint, strike down with steel and the sparks fly up into the cloth - but it's only a few millimetres they have to fly.
Listen to me pretending to be an expert, I've only just managed to get this working! Better listen to Wayland instead
You're getting sparks so how far are they having to travel to get to the amadou? As I said earlier I can't get the 'striking the flint down onto the steel' method to work. So, as John showed me at the moot, I hold a small piece of charcloth on top of the sharp edge of flint, strike down with steel and the sparks fly up into the cloth - but it's only a few millimetres they have to fly.
Listen to me pretending to be an expert
, I've only just managed to get this working! Better listen to Wayland instead
Ha, charcloth!!! The easy way out, I'm sure I could do it with that!
I'm trying "natural" stuff like amadou and hemp........fluffed up, but still, NOTHING!!!! Mind you, I've only got small pieces of flint and will have to go to the beach again to get larger ones!!! I will prevail!!!!
I'm trying "natural" stuff like amadou and hemp........fluffed up, but still, NOTHING!!!! Mind you, I've only got small pieces of flint and will have to go to the beach again to get larger ones!!! I will prevail!!!!
Ah, OK, IMHO life is too short to be making good amadou
I hear you brother Broch. I myself have less and less hours on this planet. But, as with any fine wine, one has to start at the bottom. Been there for quite a while already so I'll crack on with the elementary materials available. Perseverance is everything!!
With amadou I always use it on top of the flint and strike down with the steel.
I've never seen anyone manage it with the other method.
Fluff the edge and leave it just over the edge of the flint. Usually takes a few strikes but pretty reliable.
For my purposes, using it almost daily, I couldn't source enough amadou and processing it would be an almost constant job.
When demonstrating to a bunch of kids I need spark to flame in exactly the time it takes me to describe what I'm doing which is about 30 seconds. That includes opening the tinder box and preparing the bundle while talking about the contents, each and every time.
I had to slow it down for the camera in the clip above.
I've never seen anyone manage it with the other method.
Fluff the edge and leave it just over the edge of the flint. Usually takes a few strikes but pretty reliable.
For my purposes, using it almost daily, I couldn't source enough amadou and processing it would be an almost constant job.
When demonstrating to a bunch of kids I need spark to flame in exactly the time it takes me to describe what I'm doing which is about 30 seconds. That includes opening the tinder box and preparing the bundle while talking about the contents, each and every time.
I had to slow it down for the camera in the clip above.
Last edited:
Similar threads
