Making Fire with Flint

[Cedarsavage]

I felt like I was missing out on being able to start fires with a ferro rod. So I started playing around with magnesium fire starters and flint. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be; as long as I prepared ahead of time. I used the tracker knife I built over the winter, here's a short video of the process.
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Do you guys ever use flint and steel or friction?

 

[Davebuech]

Starting a fire sans matches is a skill everyone should possess IMO. Yes, ive used flint and steel too with charred cloth. Ive also used a fire bow drill and spindle board to start fires.
I keep a knife, ferro rod, matches, lighter with me at all times. I tell my wife when she backpacks to have at least 2 ways to start a fire with her every time she goes.
Nice bush knife you’ve got there by the way!

 

[Cedarsavage]

Starting a fire sans matches is a skill everyone should possess IMO. Yes, ive used flint and steel too with charred cloth. Ive also used a fire bow drill and spindle board to start fires.
I keep a knife, ferro rod, matches, lighter with me at all times. I tell my wife when she backpacks to have at least 2 ways to start a fire with her every time she goes.
Nice bush knife you’ve got there by the way!

What's the advantage of the charred cloth? That's pretty cool about the bow drill. As a kid we tried that a bit, never got it to take off. I might have to put that on my todo list. That's a good mindset on the preparedness. Since we weren't able to eat at restaurants as much the last year, I grilled on wood fires quite a bit over the winter. The first couple I thought man, "my fire skills have diminished." We heated with wood as a kid, but I didn't start many fires for awhile. Thanks on the knife, I made it over the winter just because I thought they looked cool, lots of different uses. I wanna build another just big butcher/bowie style for the same stuff. Probably be one of my first projects when hunting season is over.

 

[Mike Islander]

"Char cloth" catches the spark and spreads it, sort of like lighting a cigarette. It burns really hot, as it's dried carbon mostly. Starts your tinder burning when you blow on it. Much harder to find natural materials that will do that.

Easy to make. Put patches of cotton (old Levi's work excellent) into an Altoids tin with pinhole in lid. Stick in campfire to smolder. Cook until completely charred.

 

[Cedarsavage]

"Char cloth" catches the spark and spreads it, sort of like lighting a cigarette. It burns really hot, as it's dried carbon mostly. Starts your tinder burning when you blow on it. Much harder to find natural materials that will do that.

Easy to make. Put patches of cotton (old Levi's work excellent) into an Altoids tin with pinhole in lid. Stick in campfire to smolder. Cook until completely charred.

Thanks, I'll give it a try. How do you know when it's completely charred? Do you have a set amount of time before you check?

 

[Mike Islander]

Thanks, I'll give it a try. How do you know when it's completely charred? Do you have a set amount of time before you check?

Check out the videos on YouTube. I think you go until is just starts to stop smoking. Also, it doesn't need to be in the hottest part of the fire. I pulled mine early, where some of the Levi material was still blue. Put it back in for a few minutes. You want what basically looks like ashes molded into Levi cloth shape, carbon Levi's.

 

[bsnedeker]

Just a minor pet peeve of mine...a ferro rod is NOT the same as flint. People use the terms interchangeably and it bugs the crap out of me for some reason.

Ferro rods are like flame throwers compared to using an actual flint and steel.

 

[Cedarsavage]

Just a minor pet peeve of mine...a ferro rod is NOT the same as flint. People use the terms interchangeably and it bugs the crap out of me for some reason.

Ferro rods are like flame throwers compared to using an actual flint and steel.

Noted, my bad. I've had that floating around my pack a few years, couldn't remember what it said on the package and I couldn't find an identical one anywhere to verify.

 

[Cedarsavage]

Check out the videos on YouTube. I think you go until is just starts to stop smoking. Also, it doesn't need to be in the hottest part of the fire. I pulled mine early, where some of the Levi material was still blue. Put it back in for a few minutes. You want what basically looks like ashes molded into Levi cloth shape, carbon Levi's.

I'll give it a try, I think I got an altoids tin at home somewhere.

 

[rayporter]

build a fire in the rain with it, not in dry, drought conditions.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

When camping with kids, I usually challenge them to start a fire with a single match. Once the get cocky, I introduce them to the ferro rod. When they can start a fire pretty consistently with one of those, they really feel like they have accomplished something. It is a great practice.

 

[Cedarsavage]

When camping with kids, I usually challenge them to start a fire with a single match. Once the get cocky, I introduce them to the ferro rod. When they can start a fire pretty consistently with one of those, they really feel like they have accomplished something. It is a great practice.

Right on. That’s pretty cool. My dad was big on one match when I was a kid.

 

[Cedarsavage]

build a fire in the rain with it, not in dry, drought conditions.

Good idea, I'll keep my kit in the truck and try it this fall. We usually get alot of rain during hunting season here. I think as long as I can keep the wood shavings dry I think it'll work, since birch bark is so combustible.

 

[Still Hunter]

OP. Just a suggestion. Don't use your knifes sharp edge for the ferrous rod. Use the back top edge of the back of the knife. You made need to file a nice crisp edge on it. Also, pull the ferrous rod back up against the knifes edge and leave the knife down low. That way you won't hit what your are trying to light with the knife on the down stroke and knock your fire tinder around. Lots of videos on YouTube for this stuff. Punk Wood, Char Cloth, Fatwood, etc. Have fun!

 

[Wilderness Spirit]

I keep a ferro rod in each of my packs along with a Bic lighter or waterproof matches. I always end up using my ferro rod to start a fire or even just to light my stove . Preparation is key when using a ferro rod or flint and steel.

 

[orionsbrother]

I’ve got a good project for the kids to use when starting a fire without matches.

Have them collect the drier lint from a load of towels. Save some pine shavings and sawdust from whenever you’re using a planer. Mix them together and put them in paper cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.

Melt some wax from old candles or canning wax and pour it over the lint and shavings in the cupcake liners. Mix it around in the cupcake liners with a skewer, chopstick or pencil.

Dunk some cotton rounds in the melted wax and use tongs or chopsticks to place one on top of each cupcake liner filled with lint, pine shavings, sawdust and wax. Allow to cool.

Once cool, put them in some ZipLoc bags.

They’re lightweight and waterproof. You can soak them in water for hours and they’ll still light easily.

When you want to light a fire, pull one out and break/tear one in half. The exposed cotton threads from the torn cotton round light easily with a spark and they burn well and pretty large for better than ten minutes.

Good activity for the kids. They start collecting drier lint, helping to make sure that the house doesn’t burn down ‘cause your wife blows it off. Dad looks like a genius/magician and you have some great fire starters.

 

[Dioni A]

I still don't get why people are into this stuff. Couple lighters and some pyro putty or similar is way easier and weighs nothing.

 

[Cedarsavage]

I’ve got a good project for the kids to use when starting a fire without matches.

Have them collect the drier lint from a load of towels. Save some pine shavings and sawdust from whenever you’re using a planer. Mix them together and put them in paper cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.

Melt some wax from old candles or canning wax and pour it over the lint and shavings in the cupcake liners. Mix it around in the cupcake liners with a skewer, chopstick or pencil.

Dunk some cotton rounds in the melted wax and use tongs or chopsticks to place one on top of each cupcake liner filled with lint, pine shavings, sawdust and wax. Allow to cool.

Once cool, put them in some ZipLoc bags.

They’re lightweight and waterproof. You can soak them in water for hours and they’ll still light easily.

When you want to light a fire, pull one out and break/tear one in half. The exposed cotton threads from the torn cotton round light easily with a spark and they burn well and pretty large for better than ten minutes.

Good activity for the kids. They start collecting drier lint, helping to make sure that the house doesn’t burn down ‘cause your wife blows it off. Dad looks like a genius/magician and you have some great fire starters.

I'll give it a try thanks.

 

[Cedarsavage]

I still don't get why people are into this stuff. Couple lighters and some pyro putty or similar is way easier and weighs nothing.

Just wanted to see if I could.

 

[Lando]

I still don't get why people are into this stuff. Couple lighters and some pyro putty or similar is way easier and weighs nothing.

Clearly you don't aspire to be on Season 9 of Alone then.