Recommendation? Best way of making removable knife scales

[doublepiedavid]

How come everyone here is talking about ferro rods? I am putting a firesteel, not a ferro rod, in the knife.

A firesteel is a piece of high carbon steel tempered to HRC 60 that, when struck with a hard rock, makes sparks capable of lighting charred materials and a few mushrooms. Less efficient than a lighter, but very low maintenance. (Along with the history)

A ferro rod is an inefficient mall ninja device that wears out in a year and both costs and weighs the same as three Bics

Look up the firesteel river, there is no way it was named after the modern “flints”

 

[JG Custom Metal Works]

Bic Maxi Lighter has about 3000 flicks to it. If you packed a couple in that should cover it.

How does it work in a wet environment? I like ferro rods for what they are. But I don’t see the need to store them in a handle, unless it was a hollow handle integral like Chris Reeves does. I’m fine carrying mine on the sheath, or in a pack while hiking.

Of course 99% of the time I light fires while car camping it’s with a lighter, charcoal lighter fuel, and or a torch/leaf burner. Hiking camping I use a lighter. But if I was in a true survival situation, I’d rather have a ferro rod over it all.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

How come everyone here is talking about ferro rods? I am putting a firesteel, not a ferro rod, in the knife. ….

I think they are trying to advise you of better options.
If you google firesteel, you will see images of a ferro rod. It has replaced the firesteel as the most reliable emergency fire starting device other than a Bic lighter. They are hardly a Mall Ninja item.
A firesteel is not normally a straight rod/bar. It is a lyre shaped piece of steel that looks like brass knuckles.
Except for Boy Scout demonstrations, rendezvous, and reenactors, a Bic lighter or ferro rod is more reliable and compact than a "flint and steel" kit. Besides the steel, ou would need to carry some tinder and charcloth or other catch material . Relying on finding dry tinder in an emergency is a sure bet you will spend a cold and wet night.

If you are determined to make a traditional style firesteel, I would suggest making it as a belt pouch or case that has all the items enclosed and in waterproof bags.

 

[GBinGA]

Ya'll gotta bear in mind that bushcrafting is a sport/hobby. It isn't necessarily about doing things the most modern or easy or practical way. It's a minimalist, back to basics kind of a thing.

To make an analogy, there isn't anything practical about a really fine custom made knife with the latest and greatest steel. You pay three times as much for an item that is not three times as good. Which ain't the point of buying a custom knife, but that's my point. You'd like to have a really fine custom knife as a matter of emotion and/or principal. If it was just about getting a durable tool to cut things with, I'm pretty sure Benchmade or a bunch of other mass producers could fix you up. And you could buy a bunch of bic lighters to start fires with.

Having said that, I think the firesteel goes in a pocket on the sheath. Trying to hide it in the handle is going to be a klutzy and overly complicated solution.

GB