Traditional flint and steel advice

[Barney Rubble]

Hi all, am working on fire lighting techniques and as part of the fun I've got a traditional steel striker to play with. Only thing is that I don't have a flint.

So I'm wondering if anyone could tell me what I need to look for as I live in an area of Kent where flint is everywhere. Do I just need to find a piece that is thin, shiny and has a nice sharp edge for striking against? Alternatively I presume I can just get a piece of flint that I can knap into shape with a hammer or another piece of flint?

I know that I can go online and just buy a piece for not a lot of money but that would kind of feel like I'm cheating as I'm not sure that the primitive folk had this facility in their day!

 

[Mesquite]

Any piece of flint with a sharp edge will do.

Best way to get some is to get a large lump of flint and whack it a few times with a hammer and use the flakes or lumps you strike off it

 

[woodpoet]

Hi Barney Rubble. Basically any piece of flint is ok. Black flint I find is best but Chert or any Quartz is ok as long it has a sharp edge. I find it easier to place Char cloth onto flint and hold at an angle then strike the Steel downwards. Others might say different. If you have you-tube there are lots of videos on using traditional flint and steel. Good luck, you will definitely enjoy it once you get a spark onto char cloth.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Thanks all, your advice is much appreciated. I have char cloth and some jute twine ready to go in the fire kit so I'll be hunting me some flint so that I can start practicing

 

[TarHeelBrit]

No need to echo the advice of others but I will say patience and practise are your friends when it comes to making a fire with Flint and Steel. My first few attempts were not too inspiring at all. But stick with it and I'm sure I'll hear your "WooHoo" from here as you make your first fire this way. Good luck and have fun mate.

 

[Ferret75]

I've used a piece of grey flint that I found broke up into shards, but purchased a traditional striker as I liked the shape and comfort of it. I used the with some untreated Amadou... Certainly does take practice and patience as TarHeelBrit says, especially if you made your own rather naff Amadou like I did! But hey, you live and learn! I wish I'd known about WoodPoets charcloth back then... But I hadn't found BCUK at that point.

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[TarHeelBrit]

Ferret75. quite rightly said.
But hey, you live and learn

That's one of the things I love about this hobby. There's always something new out there to try. Sometimes you succeed, sometimes you fall flat on your face.

My current faceplant is bow drill fire making.

 

[tsitenha]

Go ahead and buy a good flint, practice with it. Maybe practice with someone who can physically show you. Practice some more.
No such thing as cheating, cheating would be having someone else make a fire and you taking credit for it. Relax enjoy learning the skill.

 

[Dave]

I find this method of firelighting the most rewarding by far, dont know why.

Has anyone tried using rocks? Striking one with iron pyrites in against another?

If the iron age in Britan started circa 800BC, i wonder when using the flint and steel became common practice?

 

[Ferret75]

Never tried pyrite yet, but I have a piece somewhere... I feel my next 'faceplant' coming on as Tarheel might say!

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[Barney Rubble]

Well, I took the advice and found some flint in the farmers field near home. I'd love to make this sound more technical but I quite simply smashed it up with a hammer and hoped that I got some nice sharp pieces. Being flint I figured there's a good chance this would haopen. Alas it did and moments later I introduced soe char cloth to the mix and created my first ember from flint and steel. Happy days! Am camping out in a couple of weeks so I'll look forward to some real world testing!

 

[honisoitquimalypense]

Any piece of flint with a sharp edge will do.

Best way to get some is to get a large lump of flint and whack it a few times with a hammer and use the flakes or lumps you strike off it

as original post. but where do i find large said clump of flint. cluelessatthiscarvingprimitivefire.com

 

[honisoitquimalypense]

Well, I took the advice and found some flint in the farmers field near home. I'd love to make this sound more technical but I quite simply smashed it up with a hammer and hoped that I got some nice sharp pieces. Being flint I figured there's a good chance this would haopen. Alas it did and moments later I introduced soe char cloth to the mix and created my first ember from flint and steel. Happy days! Am camping out in a couple of weeks so I'll look forward to some real world testing!

im in N.kent now. wot field????

 

[crosslandkelly]

Pm me, and I'll send you some.

 

[woodpoet]

Sorry. crosslandkelly embarrassed me. Should have offered. Anyone who can't find flint I have loads. Get it from foreshore River Thames while mud larking. (Black flint ) pms welcome.

 

[Barney Rubble]

To be honest i reckon you can take a walk around most fields in north Kent and find some flint. It's quite common in this part of the country. So much so that it does feature on some of the buildings in the region.

 

[The Lord Poncho]

Since the builders left after completing my extension, my garden seems mostly flint. The lawn mower is great at finding particularly large lumps of it.....

 

[rancid badger]

I'd suggest using a tennis ball size(or a bit bigger even) and shaped rock as a hammer, rather than an actual hammer, as well as either a small sheet of thin'ish leather or a proper cut resistant glove when working flint for the first few times.

Also, beware of tiny flakes shooting off and going into your or any spectators eyes.

 

[Paul W]

Has anyone tried using rocks? Striking one with iron pyrites in against another?

I have been experimenting lately with pyrite (which is an iron sulfide) and marcasite (a purer and more durable iron sulfide). Striking two iron pyrites together as much modern literature suggests does nothing. Prehistoric finds are of a single piece of pyrite along with a flint striker. Using this method I have had some success with pyrite but no luck with marcasite so far. There are some US experimenters but they have the exact opposite results, swearing by marcasite. The techniques for using both rocks differ greatly though.

 

[Tommyd345]

Where can I find pyrate rocks? What's the tell tail signs it contains it? Or is it a completely different rock all together? I live next to a Flint beach, stuff is everywhere.

Also what's the difference between black flint and other colours?