Fire Steel/Fire Starter Question

[DunkEm]

I see a number of sheaths with a Fire Steel/Fire Starter rod attached, but I don't see a striker on them. My assumption has been that people used the back of their knife on the rod. I tried it with my stripped BK16. I got no sparks, and I got a few small burrs on the back of my knife. When I used the little striker that came with my fire steel I got plenty of good sparks.

Was my assumption totally false? Are strikers hidden somewhere on the sheath? Am I doing something basically wrong? Am I not supposed to care about the burrs and just push harder?

My plan is to just sand the burrs out and move forward, but I'd like to know if and how I can use the knife with a fire steel successfully.

 

[vaguy]

I had the opposite experience just earlier this week........a couple of ferro rods I ordered came in and I was able to make a shower of sparks using the spine of my BK16. Oh and it left little to no marks on the back of the knife, not that it mattered to me.

So yes you can use this knife with a fire steel successfully.

 

[Aikiguy]

Good sparks from a ferro rod needs a nice sharp edge. Since the Beckers come coated, the top spine of the knife is more rounded from the factory. All you need to do is take a file to the spine if your knife and get a nice 90 degree edge on it. I promise you'll get a shower of sparks then.

 

[vaguy]

Good sparks from a ferro rod needs a nice sharp edge. Since the Beckers come coated, the top spine of the knife is more rounded from the factory. All you need to do is take a file to the spine if your knife and get a nice 90 degree edge on it. I promise you'll get a shower of sparks then.

What he said. I should have mentioned my 16 has a nice square profile on the spine because it has seen a belt grinder.

 

[Blackhawk45hunter]

My BK2, BK4, BK11, and BK13 all have had their spines squared and they now all throw showers of sparks.
It's a very tiny mod that can really improve the versatility of any blade and I recommend it.w

 

[DunkEm]

My BK2, BK4, BK11, and BK13 all have had their spines squared and they now all throw showers of sparks.
It's a very tiny mod that can really improve the versatility of any blade and I recommend it.w

Do you end up getting small burrs on the spine of the knife when you use your ferro rod?

 

[Auraria]

Do you end up getting small burrs on the spine of the knife when you use your ferro rod?

I don't really get any burs, but if I do I just sand them down.
I use my knives as work horses especially with the Becker series so I don't mind.

 

[willis]

The "burrs" are probably material left from the ferro rod,as Moose 'splained to me"the knife is harder than the ferro rod".A stick scraped across the spine removed the stuff on mine.Give it a try.

 

[DunkEm]

The b"burrs" are probably material left from the ferro rod,as Moose 'splained top me"the knife is harder thanp the ferro rod".A stick scraped across the spine removed the stuff on mine.Give it a try.

Thanks. That makes sense. I'll try it.