Under or Over?

[Blundstoned Love]

When creating sparks from a steel and flint do you hold your charcloth under, or over the flint?

As a novice, and someone who's only done it a few times, I've held it over [which worked] - because that's what the Youtube vid I watched showed.

But on Mountain Men last night, a fella said hold it under as the sparks will drop.

Does it make any difference?

 

[Mesquite]

I always hold the charcloth over the flint

 

[JonathanD]

I was taught to hold it over as the spark is produced on the downstroke, so the red hot metal shavings that come off the steel are on top of the flint. Under would work, but take longer.

 

[Mesquite]

I was taught to hold it over as the spark is produced on the downstroke, so the red hot metal shavings that come off the steel are on top of the flint. Under would work, but take longer.

Actually, on thinking about it, it depends on technique.

If you're holding the flint still and moving the steel downwards to produce the shavings then on top is best.

However... if you're holding the steel still and moving the flint downwards then on bottom is best as demonstrated in the video by Wayland and he gets a spark to take very quickly with good technique

[video=youtube;pmTssR5csdg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmTssR5csdg[/video]

 

[Blundstoned Love]

Thanks guys.

In my mind I could not see why it was a good idea to have it under - it just goes to prove some of my doubts about some of the skills of guys on TV programmes who are supposed experts.

Thanks for the vid Mesquite - on TV it was the steel that was being moved, but it's great to see another way of doing things - it's always good to know the options as sometimes a simple change can make all the difference.

 

[JonathanD]

Indeedy, striking the steel up will mean the charcloth would have to be under the flint for best results.

 

[British Red]

Clamped on top of the flint - like this

9. Flint and steel by British Red, on Flickr

 

[DomC]

I always hold the charcloth over the flint

^^^+1 ^^^

DomC

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk

 

[Tony]

Yeah, I always put it on top, second nature, cloth on top of flint and move the steel rather than the flint, very easy to get char cloth going, I think because i've never had an issue i've just kept on doing it that way, I will be copying Wayland though and see if that works for me. Goes to show how easy it is to limit our own options....

 

[Toddy]

On top of the flint and move the steel.
I find trying to move the flint just means that I end up knapping it

M

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

Me too for char cloth on top of flint and striking the flint with the steel, but I am gonna try the upside down way out of interest, thanks for the info.

 

[Gray]

Always on top for me too

 

[2trapper]

Over, same way British Red had showed. Great pic!