esee and a lmf

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dnhald

Joined
Oct 11, 2010
Messages
128
how would you guys go about using a fire steel on an esee with the powder coating and what not?
 
The striker that came with it? Some people remove a spot of coating on the back or choil for that purpose. I try not to use my knives on firesteels if I can help it.
 
Bring something else metallic that could be used to spark the steel. Attach it to the steel with a lanyard. The coating on the blade will not allow sparks to fly from a steel.
You could also sand a little of the coating off of the spine of the knife, but that will take the rust preventative as well as some aesthetics away from it.
 
dnhald said:
how would you guys go about using a fire steel on an esee with the powder coating and what not?
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I strip 99% of all my knives, I only have 1, ESEE3 that still has a coating and I use the knife edge when I HAVE to. Which has been never, I usually use the striker. All my other knives are stripped and squared on the spine.

Moose
 
I use a rock to strike my firesteels. But if you must do it with your knife, you can always file the back to square it off and remove the coating.
 
I have probably 20 firesteels, and every single one has a 3" or so chunk of hacksaw blade attached. Snap it off , grind the burr so it doesn't catch on stuff , and spark away. Pretty much free or inexpensive. If you grind the teeth off the blade , the metal seems to be tempered differently there and throws even better sparks ( depending on rod used.) I don't like the idea of using my knife to strike firesteels because of the residue left on the blade I have to clean off before cutting food or other stuff with it.
I got all the Esees and never use them or any other knife to strike sparks. If I was in a true survival situation and didn't have the saw blade , it wouldn't bother me to use the edge.It won't hurt it for a few strikes as the knife steel is much harder. But for everyday use ( and I use them a lot) the hacksaw blade is what I use.
 
TheGame said:
I use a rock to strike my firesteels. But if you must do it with your knife, you can always file the back to square it off and remove the coating.
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i didnt think of a rock. and i usually use the striker that came with the fire steel i was just woundering how some of you solved the problem :D thanks
 
As long as the rock has a sharp enough angle. My nephew gave me a rock one day, and I think of it as my lucky rock. Not only that, but it strikes a firesteel like a charm. :)
 
A knife is a tool and tools are to be used for work. Not to win beauty contests.
 
I tried it once with my rc 4, just to see what would happen....It took a little of the powder coating off, and now I just use my leatherman wave as a striker......
 
I think if you're going to have to remember to bring a hacksaw blade for your firesteel you might as well remember to bring a Bic lighter.

Unless I was practicing lighting fires or something and had something like that along with me, I would just use the very end of the blade near the choil or ricasso to strike. At least that way I don't damage a part of the blade that's very usable.
 
Here is my RC-4 after several uses of a firesteel.

I never even gave the coating a second thought. This knife is meant to be used.

I think the effects of a firesteel on the blade is overblown. Maybe with a crap knife you'll lose the edge, but this RC-4 is still just as sharp and the edge shows no ill-effect after using the firesteel.


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I am not 100% but I understood the issue to be the temprature of the sparks. I believe Firesteel rods especially Misch metal throw sparks new 2000-3000 degrees. I know when i first tried it on some of my knives they got black superficial spots on them. they rubbed off right away, but with that kind of temprature it may ruin the HT on the edge????
 
KennyB said:
I think if you're going to have to remember to bring a hacksaw blade for your firesteel you might as well remember to bring a Bic lighter.

Unless I was practicing lighting fires or something and had something like that along with me, I would just use the very end of the blade near the choil or ricasso to strike. At least that way I don't damage a part of the blade that's very usable.
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I always have a striker attached to my firesteel, nothing to forget that way !

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By pitdog2010 at 2010-08-05
 
KennyB said:
I think if you're going to have to remember to bring a hacksaw blade for your firesteel you might as well remember to bring a Bic lighter.
Click to expand...

that's what 550 cord is for!

hacksaw blades have a hole at each end. most (but not all) ferro rods have a hole. just tie the two together. i've also seen strikers bolted to grommets on some sheaths.

make it part of the kit and there's nothing to forget, or need to remember... however you want to look at that.

and a Bic is handy enough that it's a good idea to have a few tucked away. use a ziptie to keep the button from being pressed accidently and wasting all the gas.buy 'em in red, yellow or orange so they're harder to loose. even when i have my Windmill packed there's usually a ferro rod and a Bic as backups.
 
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