Light My Fire/Fire Steel Blanks

[Chambers]

Does anyone know where I can get what I would refer to as Fire Steel blanks? I would be after a few I think

Like this but without the handle and the striker, just the rod

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LIGHT-MY-FIRE...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item4ce4abe1cd

Also does anyone know what they are made of? I always just thought they were made of steel but after looking on the bay it seems some (all?) of them are magnesium?

 

[maddave]

http://www.firesteels.co.uk/firesteel-blanks/

Have a look here

 

[Chambers]

Thankyou

Doesnt seem to be as cheap as I might have hoped, looked around and seems to be about the right price.

Anyone know the quality of the Hoong Kong E-bay ones?

 

[Pcwizme]

I found them cheap from the US (Via Ebay) cost me £35 for 20 of them to be delivered including a;ll taxes, so i can add antler handles and horn ones for scout people here, They called the Ferrocium rods (dont know if my spelling is right there) but its the same stuff.

 

[Chambers]

Thanks, does anyone know the difference between the high carbon steel and magnesium ones? Are all of the modern ones mag?

 

[Ogri the trog]

Thanks, does anyone know the difference between the high carbon steel and magnesium ones? Are all of the modern ones mag?

From the little that I have learnt about them, those descriptions are all bunk. The Alloy is sometimes known as "Misch" metal - with a number of contents to the alloy, some quotes say up to 22 different compounds. There is an element of carbon steel (one of the compounds that makes a spark) and magnesium (one of the elements that makes the sparks burn bright).
High Carbon Steel "Firesteels" are often the "C" shaped strikers you use with traditional flint and when coupled with a magnesium block, which can be scraped to produce fine magnesium swarf which burns bright and hot to get a flame going.
Ferrocium rods are all much of a muchness, though some give bigger sparks with certain scrapers or techniques. There was a list floating around some years ago of the things used to get sparks from one - including broken glass, brass screws and slate IIRC, they'll certainly work with a piece of sharp flint.

HTH

Ogri the trog

 

[FGYT]

try Going gear in th USA he has a shop font here in the traders bit you can also get BCUK discounts but you do need to order a few to make it worth it

if you do give me a shout i could do with a few more but not enough to order on my own

ATB


Duncan