Coghlans mag block and ferro rod

Hey Guys...

Here are the Scrapers I use...

scrapers.jpg


All of them are made from saw blades of one type or another...
The two in the middle are made from one Sawzall blade cut in half, teeth ground off and squared up on the grinder...

I find these are the best for me, as they fill the hand and scrape off a shower of sparks....

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Evolute,

Very good article, well done.

The Coughlins and Military issue Doan tool might very well be made by the same people, but they are not the same size, at least the ones I have. The Coughlins that I have are slightly larger than the Doans.

I often use the can opener on my wenger SAK when lighting cottonballs with the pull method. I also use hacksaw blades and I square off the backs of my moras and machetes with a file to give them a sharp 90 degree edge. Mac
 
Hey Pict...

I've never noticed the size difference...
Granted I've had more of the Coleman, Cougglins type than I have the Doan type...

Do you have a comparison photo of the two ??
I'd be interested in seeing just how much of a difference there is..

Thanks

Eric
O/ST
 
Yeah, I have a bunch of el cheapo bluje hacksaw blades in the garage, so I just snapped one down to size. I didn't realize how difficult it can be to get good mag shaving off these guys! Tried to get the fire going with it last night, without luck. But then it had rained off and on all day; took a concerted effort with the bic!
 
Eric,

Thanks for the sawblade photo! I used handsaw blades. I see yours are from an electric saw? I've noticed that the ones from an electric saw are much less flexible, then from a handsaw. That must be the trick I was missing?

Usually I use the awl or back of my saw in my SAKs.

Again: a picture tells more then 1000 words.....:D

Thanks again!
CZ
 
I played around with the Doan yesterday, I am normally a swedish firesteel and PJB fan.
I used my favourite instrument to make shavings, the Fallkniven F1. The shavings were plenty and so were the sparks.

The amount of sparks made by the knife back is dependent on the radius of the corner (very technical). The smaller radius, the more sparks it gets. As Normark stated before, it has nothing to do with the blade material, just how "sharp" the corners are.

If you really want a really good knife to make sparks with, just place the knife in a ice skate grinder press ON. Naturally you are to grind the back up to ice skate sharpness.

Hey, why have noone said anything about that before. If you are out skating and fall through the ice you are already wearing the ultimate firestarter. It needs testing :)
 
Hey CZ...

Yes,, the Sawzall blades are much stiffer than the hacksaw blades.. I find hacksaw blades are a little small for me..Especially when it's cold. If you are forced to work with gloves on,, a hacksaw blade can be a real pain in the ass..

I find the larger saw blade is easier to hang onto and produces a good amount of sparks..

They are a little harder to make, and you have to have a few tools, like a bench grinder, but they are worth the effort....

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Hey Guys..

Nodh...

You are correct about the ice skate..
That's exactly the type of edge sharpness I was thinking of...
you just said it better..

As for testing the skate for fire making ability..

I believe Tom Hanks already proved that in Cast Away...

So we know for certain it does work!! :) :)

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Eric,

On that sheath I made that fits a Doan tool I used an actual new Doan tool from Doan to form the leather. The leather was wet formed and then treated with a wax mixture to make it rigid. My old worn out tool fits loose (small strip of duct tape fixed that) and the two Coughlins tools wont even start into the sheath. I could reheat and force them to fit. The difference appears to be just a mm or two and the spark insert is slightly larger too. They also have a rougher sand blasted texture while the Doan is smooth. Mac
 
Buck268 said:
I am a little curious why the hacksaw blade works so good and my knife doesn't (it has a very squared off backside).
Click to expand...

Buck268 said:
Now, I was using my S30V Native, and I've heard stainless isn't the best for a striker. Should I expect better results with a carbon bladed knife/hacksaw blade?
Click to expand...

The old myth of stainless not working well for sparking doesn't hold water. You need a good sharp edge, like the back of a blade that is nice and square, not rounded. However, what really gets the sparks going is hardness. The hacksaw files that work so well are hard. I have lots of knives, both stainless and carbon, that spark good and bad, and it's directly related to hardness. My moras, both stainless and carbon do poorly, as they are on the soft side. My really hard knives, Doziers, etc., do much better. Hacksaw blades do the best for me. From what I've heard, broken glass would probably be even better (glass is *very* hard), but dangerous to use. YMMV.
 
Guys,

I forgot to mention, just like Normark: You don't need steel to get sparks.

I use a "Sandvik Coromant" seal remover, as scraper. These edges are sharp and the material is extremely hard. And this tool gives sparks, you've never seen before! :D

Works great, but it has no hole for a lanyard or something similar, so it's prone to getting lost easy.....Everything is a trade off....:jerkit:

CZ
 
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