How to Use a Traditional Flint and Steel

[Ashley Cawley]

Using a Traditional Flint and Steel...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjMNCCEwv0g

[RobbC]

Brilliant video Ash, wish id seen this when i got my first flint and steel :)

Robb

[Realearner]

Thanks for the video, very clear and concise.
Will have to make one of those steels, was it from an old file?

[JEEP]

Excellent video Ash! I'll have to share that with my re-enacting friends.

[bushcraftboy]

Very easy to make fire from this method, it was the first way I learned to make fire, when you get the fire going it's satisfying.

Yet another brilliant tutorial!

[FishyFolk]

I am in Norway. No flint in the entire country. It does not exist here as a natural resource at all. Any alternative types of stone that can be used?

[Roadkillphil]

I am in Norway. No flint in the entire country. It does not exist here as a natural resource at all. Any alternative types of stone that can be used?

Hi and welcome to Natural Bushcraft.
I've seen a steel used on quartz, I'm hoping to aquire a steel in the next month or so and where I live quartz is very common.

All the best

Phil

[FishyFolk]

Thanks for the welcome :-)

Quartz, just looked it up on an online geological map, and there is a source of that in my neighbourhood. Only problem is that we are still covered in half a meter of snow, so I'll have to wait for that to melt, as i don't fancy digging randiomly trough the snow for a piece of rock!

Anyway, I picked up a steel on a whim at a souvenir shop a few years ago. It was made in the traditional way by a black smith, and I remeber it was quite pricey, so it's probably the real deal :-)
Anyway it's been sitting on a shelf ever since, as we have no flint here. But I'll keep my eyes out for some flint next time I go to that area of the woods around here :-)

[FishyFolk]

The snow has melted in my driveway, so I wen't out and had a look, and did indeed fine some bits of quartz and was able to make some nice sparks with my striker. But I am out of tinder so I did not try to make a fire, but that will be next :-)

[chris g]

I liked the way you collected resin ash great idea.

[Marvell]

I made one of those strikers the other day at the RV. We noticed that most people hold them up the way you do Ash, but if you hold it up the other way, it affords some protection to your hand.

[Hushwing]

thanks for that - have often wanted to learn this but had no success. Hadn't even realised it was the steel that 'ignited'.
excellent.

several quick questions - you quite often can buy these made 'steels' and they arrive oiled. is it better to remove the oil?
does it work better if the steel is v. slightly rusted or not?
does the flint need to be nice pure black or will a greyed flint piece work as well? (have a big big lump of Norfolk flint that I picked up and it's quality is variable but been waiting 10 years to make good use of it!!)

[AdrianRose]

thanks for that - have often wanted to learn this but had no success. Hadn't even realised it was the steel that 'ignited'.
excellent.

several quick questions - you quite often can buy these made 'steels' and they arrive oiled. is it better to remove the oil?
does it work better if the steel is v. slightly rusted or not?
does the flint need to be nice pure black or will a greyed flint piece work as well? (have a big big lump of Norfolk flint that I picked up and it's quality is variable but been waiting 10 years to make good use of it!!)

1. Yep, remove the oil. It's tiny shavings of the steel that burn hot. Oil can hamper this process.

2. In my experience it's better to have clean steel rather than rust. The rust will soon be worn away tho by the action of striking on the flint.

3. As a rule of thumb, the darker the flint the better the quality. But I have used flint and steel for years as my primary fire lighting kit and have had success with black and brown flint. Even used quartz as an experiment too which worked ok (but poor quality sparks). The real trick is to have a razor edge on the flint. The sharper the flint, the better the sparks in my opinion.

Hope this helps
Ade.

[Hushwing]

Hope this helps
Ade.

Cheers - very helpful. Now can you travel up and light my fires this way any time!!?

[AdrianRose]

Cheers - very helpful. Now can you travel up and light my fires this way any time!!?

Lol. :)

[Ashley Cawley]

A cleaner unoxidised surface will produce better sparks, that's why your steel probably came oiled because the seller didn't want the (likely ground) surface to become rusted during storage or shipping, I'd agree; wipe the oil off before using.

[Silverback]

Well got my striker and flint today.....eager to try it out and this thread has been of so much use thank you Ashley. |One question if anyone can help.....does anyone know where i can get flint without travelling 12 hours down south and back again ? There must be an easier way ?

[FishyFolk]

Well got my striker and flint today.....eager to try it out and this thread has been of so much use thank you Ashley. |One question if anyone can help.....does anyone know where i can get flint without travelling 12 hours down south and back again ? There must be an easier way ?

Yes, buy a jungle hammock from Tony, he will ship flint with it :-)

Jokes aside. I use quartz, and I can't really see any diffrence on the sparks, if I find good quartz (nice and shiny bits as oposed to milky white. But milky works also).
The quartz is more brittle though. But you will find it just about everywhere when you start looking for it. Gravel roads are a good source for it. But I like to find largher chunks that I just smash to pieces with a hammer.

You will need to use thicker chunks with sparks also so it's not so packable in a tin as a flint shards are.

[Silverback]

Cheers rune sadly I have a couple of hammocks now and quartz is fairly hard to come by in Yorkshire

[FishyFolk]

Cheers rune sadly I have a couple of hammocks now and quartz is fairly hard to come by in Yorkshire

Hence look for it on gravel roads. The gravel is likely to be from somewhere else. So you may find some on the roadsides. Once you start looking for it, it's surprising how much you can actually find. It's the most common mineral on the planet.

[FishyFolk]

Else there is always evil bay. Lots of flint for sale there.

[David_JAFO]

hello,
Move over Ray Mears..:campfire:
T^
Regards
David

[Silverback]

hello,
Move over Ray Mears..:campfire:
T^
Regards
David

???

[SimonB]

Cheers rune sadly I have a couple of hammocks now and quartz is fairly hard to come by in Yorkshire


You should have said something when we were meeting up.. I'd have brought you some flint.. PM me your address, I'll get some off to you monday. :)

[Silverback]

You should have said something when we were meeting up.. I'd have brought you some flint.. PM me your address, I'll get some off to you monday. :)

Cheers fella. Got my stove to work by the way

[FishyFolk]

This forum rocks!

[SimonB]

Cheers fella. Got my stove to work by the way


Nice one... Got some SS off cuts from the flue of the extractor from the new kitchen... I see a nice little woodburner/stove shield in the making.... ;)

[SimonB]

This forum rocks!

It does indeed Rune. :)

[Silverback]

Nice one... Got some SS off cuts from the flue of the extractor from the new kitchen... I see a nice little woodburner/stove shield in the making.... ;)

excellent !! I'll put a pic up on your other thread of it working...outdoors of course ;-)

[SimonB]

excellent !! I'll put a pic up on your other thread of it working...outdoors of course ;-)



lolol..

[Ashley Cawley]

PM me your address, I'll get some off to you monday. :)Very kind! - I'm sure Sapper will appreciate that :o

I agree Quartz does work really well although like Rune says more brital.

[Silverback]

Very kind! - I'm sure Sapper will appreciate that :o

I agree Quartz does work really well although like Rune says more brital.

I do ash! Met Simon last week at a mini moot we had. Nice fella

[David_JAFO]

hello,
Sapper4038.. '???' maybe I should have said what I was meaning in the quote :o
Thanks for the tutorial, very clear and concise, Ray Mears couldn't have done it better :wink:
No offence to Ashley or Ray. No offence given or taken by the post.
Regards
David

???

[Silverback]

No offence given or taken by the post.

none taken at all. just trying to clarify

[David_JAFO]

hello,
T^
regards
David

none taken at all. just trying to clarify

[Tony7]

Really Enjoyed Watching That and reading the Thread, Funny only yesterday I was looking at a site on PC, A little box With Steel, Flint, Mushroom, ETC, Little leather bag all traditional Fire kit, For £28.00 or £40 ish with the leather Bag, I would like to try using the Traditional method But don't want to pay £28.00 quid, I'm Sure I could find a nice Steel myself on line, and other bits and bobs without to much trouble if I put my mind to it, Or is this a Good price I'm not sure guys as I have never bought this kind of thing before, Well done Ash Top Video

[Tony7]

http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/swedish-natural-flint--steel-firelighting-kit-1238-p.asp Hi Guys found the link for the Traditional Steel and Flint Cheers Tony

[midas]

After overcoming my adiction to making stoves,(almost)lol.The next thing I'm hooked on is FLINT n STEEL.After trying to find a suitable "source of Steel,I purchace a couple of Hudson Bay Co,style steels.Made up a nice tinder box,in a first world war (Bradford Pals)Tobbaco tin,N the larger U shaped one into more everyday working tinder box!(toffee tin)
Anyway I've now discovered a ready source for a STEEL,Heavy weight "SECURITY" motorcycle chain,each link,2.75"x1.5"x5/16ths,If you have a friend,or have a chain yourself one or two links wont be missed,(usually too long anyway!!)Have to cut with an angle grinder.also whilst youve got the angle grinder,remove the surface coating off the link.n you have a STEEL that will last you a life time.

[midas]

http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/swedish-natural-flint--steel-firelighting-kit-1238-p.asp Hi Guys found the link for the Traditional Steel and Flint Cheers Tony
Tony if you look further down the the bushcraft stores page they do a Steel,"Pioneer Steel Firelighting Stricker"£7.95,comes with a piece of flint,Is a reasonable size and works.(I've got one).You can soon make a small leather pouch,(skin an old sofa)or use a tin as a tinder box.

[Pete K]

If flint is hard to come by and quartz does not float your boat then you can also use Chert.
Chert is to limestone what flint is to chalk, they are related if you like. Chert occurs in nodes or beds in limestone regions and makes a good (not as good) substitute for flint.