another firestarting question...

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I have and use a BSA metal match to start fires, but I was wondering what type of steel, or specific knife, would get a spark from the flint? My SAK's do not create a spark. I realize the striker or a piece of hacksaw blade will work, but I'm just thinking ahead in case I end up without either. Thanks in advance. Dave
 
Try the back of the saw on your SAK. Just wrap part of it with cord or something. This acts as a handle so you can push on it with out the saw closeing on you. Also try different angles with your strikers.

 
Im afraid I dunno why your SAK wont throw a spark. Survival is my main interest. In fact i got sent to the bladeforums by hte hoods. Anyway, anything sharp should throw a spark from the metal match. The idea of using the back of the saw is a good one, as long its flat and you use the edge. You can commonly find a bottle in the wilderness
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. Break it and use a glass shard. Also any silica rich rock (flint, obsidian, chert, quartz) can be flaked into a sharp chunk. If youre talking about a REAL flint rock, no a knife wont throw a spark. Its the wrong kind of steel. Movies lie. You need a HIGH carbon steel. Like a common file (if its a file, just about any old rock will work as long as it aint smooth). But if youre using the match, try the other idea of angles. I can get it to work pretty well when its perpendicular to the rod. NW
 
Thanks to all for the replies. I tried again, using the inside of the bottle opener, instead of the slightly rounded back edge of the main blade and got sparks!! I also tried different angles, which helped too. I guess this is why I come to this forum, to get answers. Thanks again. Dave
 
Dave, Try the awl in the Soldier or Pioneer model. Mine gives an awesome shower of sparks from the BSA model ferrocium rod.

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It's not the pace of life that concerns me, It's the sudden stop at the end.
 
sgtmike88, thanks for the tip on the awl. After reading your review of the Victorinow Soldier, I got one and I'm quite pleased with it. As to using the awl, you're right! Thanks to all. Dave
 
i always use the fingernail file in my SAK. I don't file my nails, and my girlfriend tells me that as a nailfile it sucks anyway for some reason, so I may as well use it as a striking surface ;)

 
A somewhat rough surface works much better to get large hot sparks from ferrocium. I've been able to get some good sparks with the choils of many of my knives, but not others. At first I thought it was the steel, but the edges of the same blades produced good sparks, so then I realized that the choils that worked well were not highly polished but left a little rough.

Sometimes a little rough is better
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If your knife has a sharp blade spine, that will work too. I use the spine of my Fallkniven F1 and WM, but the rounded spine of a SAK blade won't work. The semi-sharpened clip on a USMC Combat knife or USAF Pilot's knife work too.

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It's not the pace of life that concerns me, It's the sudden stop at the end.
 
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