fire steel kit

atakach

atakach

Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Messages
3,721
Well, im not positive, but this maybe my first posting in this part of the blade world. So if ya can cut me a little slack if this has been show by others hundreds of times.

So me and my son threw together survival/fire building kit together the other day, something for him to play with out back in the burn pile, and take to the mountains when we head up. Didn't have much in it so far, i think some cotton, fire steel, junk china made sak (with built in red led light), a orange high pitch whistle, ect. we plan to add some cord, fishing line, and some hooks, ect.

He's going on 7, so it's not really for survival, more just something to tote around in the woods with the red ryder, and play with.

Anyway, he'd been using the file in the sak, to strike the ferro rod, and when that didnt work well he used the knife blade, which did work, but not to well either., so i figured i'd make him something to throw in it that would do the job.

Here's the pic, it's the knife & rod, with just some wood i cut with it just for looks.

firesteel001_edited.JPG


It's made from high stress cable i forge welded, and this is just what what left off the billet. It's flat ground, edge hardened and tempered And man does it throw the sparks, i made sure to keep the spine of the blade nice and flat with a sharp corner, and it worked out real well.

I think im gonna make up a leather sheath that'll hold both, maybe something the size of a playing card.

thanks for bearing with me and my long drawn out story,

abdrew takach
 
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Looks like that will work great ... thanks for sharing
Post a pic of the sheath when it's done.
 
will do,

i may even make up a few sets, if i was to do this, whats the prefered dia. of rod, for this size kit? I think shown is 3/16'', good for his small hands, but a tad small for me, though for a last ditch effort , will work just fine.

thanks
andrew
 
You know what's funny is those little beaters turn into favorite knives right quick. Thanks for sharing!
 
KuRUpTD,

the knife ,o.a. is about 3 3/4'', and the blade is about 5/8'' wide, and 1 1/4''long.

and the rod i think it 3/16''x3''

If i make more i'll probably make it a 4'' knife, w/4'' rod, and i'm kind of thinking of keeping the rods w/out handles, but not sure. I think they'd be more compact that way, though i see alot of them with fancy wood handles guys are making.
 
atakach said:
KuRUpTD,
If i make more i'll probably make it a 4'' knife, w/4'' rod, and i'm kind of thinking of keeping the rods w/out handles, but not sure. I think they'd be more compact that way, though i see alot of them with fancy wood handles guys are making.
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I like a handle on the fero rod, it keeps it from slipping out of my hands. A handle might give you son something to hang onto when he has gloves on and give you something to put a string on to attach it to a kit.

It doesn't have to be fancy, maybe a piece of antler or wooden bead glued on.
John
 
atakach said:
KuRUpTD,


If i make more i'll probably make it a 4'' knife, w/4'' rod, and i'm kind of thinking of keeping the rods w/out handles, but not sure. I think they'd be more compact that way, though i see alot of them with fancy wood handles guys are making.
Click to expand...

I definately like a 3/8ths thick rod. More surface area, more sparks.

I'm with you on the handles, I like to drill a hole and use a lanyard. Less bulk and with the lanyard you get a good grip.

The big handles on ferro rods definately are preffered in the colder months when you have your gloves or mittens on.

Nice kit knife by the way.

Look forward to more of your posts over here, maybe share some stories of what you and your boy do while out camping. I know many of us have small children, and love getting ideas about things to do out in the woods when our kids get older.

Cheers,

Tony
 
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tonym said:
Look forward to more of your posts over here, maybe share some stories of what you and your boy do while out camping. I know many of us have small children, and love getting ideas about things to do out in the woods when our kids get older.

Cheers,

Tony
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Tony sure no problem, i kinda like to test the waters to get an idea on people before i just start rambleing. I'dd surely have some stories to tell.

thanks andrew
 
like the fact that ive taken my boy hunting first day of buck for the past three years, and the first year he was building forts, throwing spears, and piling up leaves. Im not talking just out back hunting, i mean up in the allegheny national forest, took him to the hunting camp of ours for 3 yrs now.

things have gotten considerably better. first year after telling him shhhh five thousand times, he says " dad im just a kid, and i cant keep my words in that long" he was 4.....and actually is arguing a valid point with me..........i cant win.

or the year we went camping and he was chopping sticks with a hatchette, chopped right threw his thumb nail:o, and 99% of the flesh :eek:, luck he missed the bone.Despite his stitched thumb that trip still turned out well, even though we also had our tent blown down, and sleepware saturated with rain while we were out......i guess those little nylon loops are there for a reason.....they must want you to use all those little cords and pegs.

Try finding a laundry mat on a sunday eve, in that area to go dry cloths and all the bedding for 6 children......one of them just over a yr. old. and on top of that taking all of them to the laundry mat, and waiting for those things to dry.....:(
 
I had a question about these things, do more people desire a knife in these kit's or is it assumed another knife is accompanied, and these kit's are more desired with just a flat steel w/lanyard ?


im trying to come up with something unique....well unique to my style, that will hold the rod,steel, and a small char cloth pouch pouch in one......or maybe not, maybe something that could be slipped comfortably into an inside pocket, or a pack.

The pouch could also be used to store other things as well. Im trying to keep it about 3''x5'' approx. overall.
 
atakach said:
I had a question about these things, do more people desire a knife in these kit's or is it assumed another knife is accompanied, and these kit's are more desired with just a flat steel w/lanyard ?


im trying to come up with something unique....well unique to my style, that will hold the rod,steel, and a small char cloth pouch pouch in one......or maybe not, maybe something that could be slipped comfortably into an inside pocket, or a pack.

The pouch could also be used to store other things as well. Im trying to keep it about 3''x5'' approx. overall.
Click to expand...

When I'm hiking I have a small fixed blade in a neck sheath. Attached to the sheath is a small ferro-rod, whistle, mini compass, and a keychain flashlight. I think there would be an interest in a small blade that had a rod with extra room to store a few small items. Just my opinion.
 
Nice posts by the way. Great to see he is carrying a whislte too! I make my seven and five year olds do so.

atakach said:
I had a question about these things, do more people desire a knife in these kit's or is it assumed another knife is accompanied, and these kit's are more desired with just a flat steel w/lanyard ?


im trying to come up with something unique....well unique to my style, that will hold the rod,steel, and a small char cloth pouch pouch in one......or maybe not, maybe something that could be slipped comfortably into an inside pocket, or a pack.

The pouch could also be used to store other things as well. Im trying to keep it about 3''x5'' approx. overall.
Click to expand...

I like the thoughts you have here as I do flint/steel method too. Were you planning on carrying a small tin for the char cloth too?
 
atakach said:
I had a question about these things, do more people desire a knife in these kit's or is it assumed another knife is accompanied, and these kit's are more desired with just a flat steel w/lanyard ?

im trying to come up with something unique....well unique to my style, that will hold the rod,steel, and a small char cloth pouch .
Click to expand...

Around these parts it's very safe to assume another knife is carried :D I think a small knife instead of a flat steel w/lanyard would be better embraced since it can serve as a backup edge IMO. I'm sure the end result will look great judging by the rest of your work.
 
Had to put this idea on the back burner for a bit, and get caught up on some other work.

Fishhiker i am really liking the idea of making this a neck pouch, so if the extra room is used for char cloth or matches, they will be kept dry.

Quiet bear, actually one thought was to take one of these small pill cases, that sell in the pahrmacy's and it would go in the center of the leather pouch, with a slot stitched on each side of the case 1 for the rod the other for the knife.
 
Andy,

I like it. You could make it so it holds a small knife and the steel in a back slot, and have a small pouch in the front for char cloth and such. I also like the neck idea. some thing else that works really well, cost nothing, and is not hard to get is dryer lint. I want one after you get the bugs worked out.

Todd
 
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