Is Coghlan's Flint striker anygood?

T

TKM

Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
252
Hi guys!

I was wondering if anyone has ever used the Coghlan's Flint Striker (the one that looks like a Fire Steel)?

I've found mixed reviews on the web, and I have personally tried the Coghlan's Magnesium Fire Starter which just doesn't work that well, I'm going on a hiking trip this weekend and I'd really want to have something like this as a secondary fire starting method, and this is the only one I have available down here and the price is really good.

However if performance is poor, I don't think it is worth spending my 9 dlls.

Thanks.
 
Hi TKM,
Welcome to the best room in this joint. Where are you? In my experience the Coughlans is not all that bad. What I've found to be the deciding factor is the actual scraping blade that you use. I hate that scraper style and have found that it takes off a proportionate amount of skin from my index finger. An onld hacksaw blade cut to about 4.5 inches with 1 inch taped for comfort should do you fine with the Coughlan's. If you really want to go Cadillac, get a burnishing tool/machete sharpener from the ax/saw section of your hardware store. I have one made by Corona and it makes things a lot easier.
 
Yeh kinda what Marcelo said. I haven't used the one you're asking about, but I've generally found the quality of the scraper to be more important than the quality of the firesteel.
 
Check out the November "Owning the Skills" thread. I'm starting all of my fires using the Coghlan's firesteel. I'm no firesteel expert, but for the price it seems like an excellent value. I did have to re-glue the handle to the blank, but I always have superglue on hand, so it was a zero-cost two-minute repair. (I found my steel for $4 though)

I use box cutter as my scraper, you can get one for about a buck and replacement blades are about a nickle.
 
It should function fine for it's intended purpose but I have also heard stories of the handles not being secure.

[youtube]jOz0yu6T9s4[/youtube]
 
I've been eyeballin' these guys since they came out. Guess it time to get one. I saw you usin' your CP, and thought what the hey, for $5 (local) its worth a look. Thanks guys. Moose

ETA that's the best vid I have seen in a long time, and good info too. Sweet.
 
Thank you very much for your answers.

Well, I think I'll give it a try, I'm in Mexico right now so this is the better option I found for 9 dlls. at the local Sears.

I'll be using whether my SAK or my Leatherman as a scraper, so I guess one of those will work.

Just out of curiosity, how does the Coghlan's compare to the Swedish Light My Fire?

Thanks again.
 
I've never used the Light my Fire steel, but I've never heard any complaints. I'm willing to bet the law of, "you get what you pay for" applies.
 
Light My Fire firesteels only work well with a good striker. I have always used the LMF firesteels with goinggear's so called super striker. Goinggear's firesteels also work very well but it will take practice to get a nice shower of sparks because of the misch metal. I have had no experience with Coghlan's flint starter but I can tell u that a combo of LMF firesteels and goinggear's superstriker work well for me. (Practice will always make you better with using firesteels)
 
Well, I guess I'll give the Coghlan's a chance, after all, if the handle breaks but the rod still works, that will be no problem.

If the whole thing fails on me in the middle of the woods, then I think I'll stick with the Light my Fire Scout.

Thanks again guys.
 
coghlans fire steel is just as good anbd in my opinion better than an LMF or goinggear firesteel. The key is to use a good striker. the edge of yoru knife or an LMF striker will produce just as much or more hot sparks than any other firesteel on the market. even if it is only " just as good" as all the other ones on the maket, it is a fraction of the price.

for me they are 5 bucks at campers village or wholesale sports canadian. VS 20-27 for an LMF army or 33$ from going gear including shipping

to me its a no brainer. Its a misch metal though, which responds much differently than a ferrow rod like the ESEE fire steel.
 
I bought 6 for the same price of an Army LMF. They work great for me. I put them on a few sheaths. I gave up on the Cohglans mag. bars. The spark rods seem to be getting to be of worse quality. One beef: The rods on these are very poorly fixed to the handle. Pull it out as soon as you buy it ( with pliers) and put epoxy or super-glue in there and squeeze it back in. Done deal . I haven't had a problem with the striker bar either , but I prefer hacksaw blades. Made in China , I know... but they work very well , at least for me. They are soft ( probably misch) but throw a ton of sparks.:thumbup:
 
I've got both the Coghlan's and the LMF Army. from my experience the LMF works better using the stock striker. However the coghlans will still start a fire and it cost me 5 times less then the LMF.
 
I bought a couple of them last Christmas for $5 each. The rod fell out of the handle on one of them, so I pulled the other one out and super glued them both back in. No problems since.

When I've used the supplied striker the results were lackluster, but using the spine of my Case Sodbuster Jr. throws a nice shower of sparks. I use this ferro rod for my backyard practice, as it was so cheap, but I think I'll pick up a bunch more to throw everywhere I don't have one yet.
 
hiwa said:
I bought 6 for the same price of an Army LMF. They work great for me. I put them on a few sheaths. I gave up on the Cohglans mag. bars. The spark rods seem to be getting to be of worse quality. One beef: The rods on these are very poorly fixed to the handle. Pull it out as soon as you buy it ( with pliers) and put epoxy or super-glue in there and squeeze it back in. Done deal . I haven't had a problem with the striker bar either , but I prefer hacksaw blades. Made in China , I know... but they work very well , at least for me. They are soft ( probably misch) but throw a ton of sparks.:thumbup:
Click to expand...

I hate to break it to everyone but I think they're all made in China. And according to the following, all such rods are called 'mischmetal'. Everything you ever wanted to know about ferro/mischmetal, etc. rods.

Doc
 
DOC-CANADA said:
I hate to break it to everyone but I think they're all made in China. And according to the following, all such rods are called 'mischmetal'. Everything you ever wanted to know about ferro/mischmetal, etc. rods.

Doc
Click to expand...

that's what i suspected, and ordered some large ones from an "extreme deal" website that has free shipping. side by side with my LMF Army version i can't tell any significant difference. they have different sizes and prices.

unfortunately, it's hard to tell what ones are actually what sizes.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
And according to the following, all such rods are called 'mischmetal'.
Click to expand...

Doc,

They may all be called 'mischmetal' but there is an unmistakable difference in the composition of an LMF firesteel (harder) vs. a rod from Goinggear.com (softer)
 
KuRUpTD said:
Doc,

They may all be called 'mischmetal' but there is an unmistakable difference in the composition of an LMF firesteel (harder) vs. a rod from Goinggear.com (softer)
Click to expand...

Hey K, I don't doubt it. Probably different percentages of included materials.

BTW, I have a Coghlan's ferro rod and find it works well. No handle separation issues, yet. Then again, I don't build many fires anymore.

Doc
 
yes, i agree, firesteels are less prone to failure and wetness..and disease...

I have to go with a Bic lighter...1st...(it will only fail when wet really) when that fails i go to matches...(if coated with wax, it would be practically unfallible)...if those failed me..i would resort to the firesteel..cos then my lucks almost out. And then after that, id be looking to a bow drill of some sort...

this is my opinion of course...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top