Starting Fire with Traditional Flint & Steel

[British Red]

I thought a quick thread on using real flint & steel as opposed to ferrocium rod (Firesteels) might be interesting - I've been practicing this since getting my first firesteel and it is as fast and reliable as I've heard.

Here goes

To do this you will need some high tech ingredients :

A piece of flint with a sharp edge,
A piece of high carbon steel (an old piece of file works well),
Some charcloth (theres a guide to making charcloth on another thread )
A leather pouch to keep it in and look authentic



Okay I confess, that’s a proper "steel" just like the Vikings used - it is forged from an old file though!

First, before you get going, prepare your self a "nest" made out of bone-dry tinder. A good double handful of dry (and I mean dry) grass is great. For the demo I used some wheat straw - because it was handy. When using course tinder like straw, rub and crush it to break the coarse stems up into finer fibres. Make a ball when doing this and then open it out into a ball shape.



Next, take your flint shard in your left hand. You do have flint round you yes? We have tons (literally) - the ploughs keep dragging 18" nodules out of the fields. Did you know that flint comes from sponges? It does really...sorry, rambling. Your flint needs to have a sharp edge like this



Next step is to tear a piece of charcloth and clamp it on top of the flint with your thumb - like this




Next take your striker, piece of carbon steel, old file etc. and hold the flint pointing upwards. Imaging you are trying to shave the edge of the steel with the flint being a knife. However you hold the flint still and bring the striker down sharply just grazing the edge of the flint. Sparks fly and will catch on the charcloth.



Blow a little on the cloth to get it going



Drop your charcloth into the nest now




Next gather the nest in both hands, closing the nest so the charcloth is loosely surrounded by tinder



Raise your hands towards your mouth, blow on the cloth through the tinder in a long steady puff. Lower the nest, breathe in then raise the nest and blow again. Repeat until you get a flame





Make sure your tinder bundle is well alight....then place in the fire and add fine twigs and build the fire




I hope that’s interesting....if anyone likes the fancy steel - I claim no credit - Ask Jason for one here....(I have no association with Jason other than meeting him through these pages and loving his work)

http://www.jasonbhall.freeserve.co.uk/

 

[Wayland]

Here's my tuppence worth.

 

[British Red]

Here's my tuppence worth.

Better write up, better beard

Red

 

[Wayland]

It wouldn't be the first time I've set that beard alight.... :yikes:

 

[sodajoe]

Excellent stuff guys. Clear and well presented. :notworthy

 

[Nemisis]

Char beard now theres a thread lol
Dave.

 

[beowolf762]

Two great tutorials!!

 

[Infragreen]

Beautiful shot of the red hot steel, British Red.

I gotta make myself an asbestos pouch to carry one with me

And the method? Yup! At least, that's the way I do it.

Keep the sparks flying.

Infy

 

[redcollective]

Just acquired one of Jason's firesteels myself - a 'viking' style C shaped steel with curls and the 'hump' behing the striking surface:

There's a good set of pictures on this link which illustrate the obvious lineage of this style of firesteel:

http://razorland55.free.fr/fire.htm

In this case I bought Jason's kit and he made a pouch for it as well. I am very happy with it. Also came with some more charcloth which as it happens it better than the stuff I made myself (mine was undercooked).

In use the steel is brilliant - really easy shower (I am not overstating that) of sparks - easily a dozen or so good bright, hot ones and very quick ignition. Lots more entertainment than a ferro rod anyway and only a few quid more for something made by hand - bargain.

Managed to burn my fingers. All good fun.

 

[ScottC]

Did you get a braided string like material in yours aswell? I think it is jute tinder but how do you prepare it, it doesn't seem to take a spark?

 

[jason01]

Did you get a braided string like material in yours aswell? I think it is jute tinder but how do you prepare it, it doesn't seem to take a spark?

Hi Scott

It is jute tinder, its not intended to catch a spark though. Unwind a thin strand and then tease it out into its individual fibres until you have a small birds nest, add a small piece of glowing charclothg and blow it into flame. I like to include it so that you have everything at hand to make fire when you get the steel You only need a relatively small amount to get a flame.

 

[ScottC]

Ah ok thanks Jason.

 

[redcollective]

I just fluffed up a short strand piece about 2 cm long into a loose ball - about the size of a large grape or a chestnut... just like Jason says - like a nest, except I had a bit of birch bark around that as well - and bundled the glowing charcloth in it - a couple of long blows and it bursts into flame. Quite dramatically. I have the scorch marks to prove it.

 

[BorderReiver]

Just lit the living room fire with one of Jason's steels.

Almost as easy as matches and a lot more enjoyable.

 

[Goose]

If you run out, you can get plumbers hemp from B&Q or similar, this will go straight to flame from a ferriconium rod but with flint and steel you will need an ember first.

 

[gregorach]

If you run out, you can get plumbers hemp from B&Q or similar, this will go straight to flame from a ferriconium rod but with flint and steel you will need an ember first.

I'll second that - it's both good tinder and ideal for practicing making cordage.