Survival Skills: Using REAL Flint & Steel
Sometimes I feel like I’m speaking a different language when the subject of true “flint and steel” comes up. For many people, ferrocerium rods and magnesium bars have become synonymous with the word flint (one major source of this nomenclature is the two decade run of ABC’s show Survivor, in which magnesium bars are nicknamed “flint”). To further the confusion, the Swedish Fire Steel product can lead people to think that ferrocerium can also be called steel. These days, it’s hard to have a nice conversation about fire starting without everyone getting really confused.
I’d love to clear all this up, so let’s talk about the real flint and steel fire kit - the one that was used by our forebears long before matches were ever invented.
Flint and steel is an early fire making technique that dates back to the first days of metal experimentation in Europe and Asia. This fire starting method creates a red hot spark by striking a piece of high carbon steel against a hard, sharp stone edge (like a flake of flint). The steel shaving is ignited by the friction of striking steel and stone together. This steel spark is immediately caught in fire charred material, then placed in dry tinder and blown into flame. Easy, right? Well, there is the unpleasant learning curve (the part where you are scraping off more knuckle meat than steel). Just remember that practice makes perfect.
The Equipment
A Steel Striker
The Striker is a piece of high carbon steel that makes sparks when struck by the edge of the stone piece. The steel strikers are often worked by a black smith to achieve the right hardness and also to make the steel into a comfortable shape. Efficiently shaped strikers have been hammered into “C” shapes, “D” shapes and “Horse shoe” shapes over the centuries. Strikers are often made from old files, machetes and other tools, though some these tools and some knives have the right hardness and carbon content to strike sparks without being modified.
Flint
The Flint can be almost any type of stone that is harder than the steel striker. The piece should fit comfortably in your hand and pose no danger of cutting you. The striking edge of the flint should be 90 degrees or less, though an edge less than 45 degrees will work best. Some of the most common stones in use are flint, chert, jasper, granite and quartz, just to name a few. You can take a look at our stone tool butchering post if you’re wondering how to break the stone into flakes. (link to stone tool butchering post)
Char Cloth
We just discussed this in the previous post. The char cloth is some form of blackened, plant based material for catching and feeding a spark. Check out the last blog for all the details about char.
FLINT AND STEEL TECHNIQUES
Strike the stone downward across your steel, holding the stone at a 45 degree angle to scrape off steel sparks. These sparks come from the carbon in the steel; and the sparks can be scraped off by any sharp stone that is harder than the steel.
The sparks may be struck onto char cloth that is already sitting on a bundle of tinder.
If you used cotton cloth for your char, you can also wrap the char cloth around the edge of the flint, strike through the brittle cloth, and then place the burning char cloth into the tinder.
TROUBLESHOOTING
If you are having trouble striking sparks:
• change the angle of the flint
• use a sharper edge on the flint
• strike harder or possibly softer with the striker
• change your striking motion
If the sparks will not catch on the char cloth:
• strike the sparks closer to the char cloth
• change the angle at which you are striking sparks
• change out the char cloth with a different material
(especially if you see the sparks hitting the cloth, but they aren’t catching)
Want me to teach you how to make flint & steel fires in-person? Our Bushcraft class and our Ultimate Fire Starting class will give you all the tools you need for success.
Written by Tim MacWelch First draft published on outdoorlife.com