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Fire steels?

Dabling

Dabling

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2005
Messages
1,097
I have noticed there are several brands with different mixes. Forgive me if this has been done before; I tried searching threads but didn't come up with a comprehensive list. I have two kinds that I use one from Going Gear in my sparky (which I will review one day) and one of those standard magnesium and flint blocks. The sparky rod is awesome, it throws some hot effing sparks. The mag is ho-hum, but works.

My question to the rest of you is: What is your favorite type and why?
 
I like the 3/8 x 4 incher (I think it's called the Badger) from Going Gear. It takes a little longer to learn how to get the best sparks, but once you learn, it throws hot, lasting sparks.
 
So the concensus is they are all made of basically the same stuff, but different brands do behave differently. The one you prefer seems to be a matter of taste. Some folks love the Going-Gear steels which are remarkable for producing a little molten ball that stays glowing for several seconds while others hate this type as the striking technique requires more vigorous striking which compromises aim and requires a sharper striker.

Then there is the Light My Fire type performers that will produce sparks with very light strikes. You can use the edge of your blade on these without really dulling it and they produce sparks with many different types of strikers. I even produced sparks on my LMF rod with a piece of freshwater mussel shell! With these rods, you can strike the very bottom of the rod, last 1/4" at the tip and produce sparks which conserves the rod for a very long time. Finally, you can hunker down real close to your fragile tinder and aim your sparks more accurately to light it. The compromise here is the sparks are almost instantaneous and run colder and will not light as great a variety of tinders as the Going Gear types Rods will.

The third type is the cheap ass knock off type that sucks at throwing sparks. These things come under a variety of names, usually made in China and purchased at a sporting good store. Sometimes they work pretty good and sometimes they just suck, in the latter case best to just throw it out.

Finally there are the Doan Sticks with a little ferro rod attached to a mag bar. You can shave the mag bar into curls and then light that as tinder, or just use the ferro rod to light suitable tinder like any other firesteel. The DOAN sticks I've used were bought under the Coglan's brand, are cheap (about $5.50) and the ferro rod seems to throw sparks similar to the Light my fire type. I actually prefer the doan sticks myself. While the small rod will not last as long and also has been known to fall off with the glue unsticking on them, I find the black really easy to grip while striking.

I carry a LMF, a knock off Army sized one that throws similar to a LMF and a couple of DOAN bars in different kits I have.
 
I've got a couple of different strikers coming in soon that will hopefully alleviate the complaints about my blank rods being harder to use. The strikers work crazy well, even without hard and fast scraps. I should have some in the next 2-3 weeks.

Honestly, the best and most effective technique I have found is to use the edge of a blade and scrape like you are whittling a piece of wood. I know that knife purists will scoff at this, so one of the strikers is a little piece of steel with about 1" sharpened on it. The spine will also be squared off for those that don't want to use the edge.

The other striker is from the firesteel manufacturer and is a little piece of steel in a wooden or plastic handle. It sounds really simple, but they work really well.
 
I really like the goinggear ones. They really arent that hard to learn how to use, and then they seem too light tinder that other firesteels have a very difficult time doing. I got a couple 1/2" X 6" but found they are too heavy and too large to put into packs/psk's.
So I am ordering more smaller ones :D
 
Wow - you have two awesome posts on this thread - I would like to add a +1 to both posts.

I have found that the harder steels last longer - but they produce less in sparks.

The softer ones (particularly the ones that Going Gear has / a GREAT place to get them BTW) take a lot more material off - but SLABS of hot molten metal come off and light up a lot of things

Both seem to have their strengths - check them out and make a decision for yourself.

Milani,

I don't want to take a sale away from GG - but you can cut yours down - simply use a hack saw and go slow - you may throw some sparks - but you will find no issue.

TF
 
Talfuchre said:
I don't want to take a sale away from GG - but you can cut yours down - simply use a hack saw and go slow - you may throw some sparks - but you will find no issue.

TF
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You are disinvited from any future Going Gear parties. :P

Just kidding, I tell customers to cut them down all the time. I actually use a Dewalt jig saw to do it and it's quite a sight. I wear sunglasses (seriously).
 
storl said:
Just kidding, I tell customers to cut them down all the time. I actually use a Dewalt jig saw to do it and it's quite a sight. I wear sunglasses (seriously).
Click to expand...

I was actually wondering if you have ever considered, cutting your firecap firesteels in half, say a 3/8x2" or 3/8x3" for a lower pricepoint? It would be pretty awesome to be able to get two for $20, if the material prices would allow for it.
 
stingray4540 said:
I was actually wondering if you have ever considered, cutting your firecap firesteels in half, say a 3/8x2" or 3/8x3" for a lower pricepoint?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I need to do that. I have 3/8" x 3" rods, so I might add that as an option this weekend.
 
I've had mixed results with hacksaw blades. I recommend a stiff striker with a sharp edge with the misch metal type rods. With the LMF just about anything will work, but the sparks aren't as hot or burn as long.
 
Storl, I'm still waiting for a firesteel with your match container as the handle. Even bigger than the scuba tank container, which would be sweet. Is there anyway this is possible?
 
storl said:
Yeah, I need to do that. I have 3/8" x 3" rods, so I might add that as an option this weekend.
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That would be AWESOME!


Do you know what kind of price difference there would be if any? Did you order them at 3"? Just curious if they're any more expensive than just cutting your 6" ones in half?
 
Thanks fellows exactly what I wanted to know. I really think the molten gobs of goo are the way to go. I didn't find mine hard to learn my curve was about four strikes. Wala! Big fire.
 
How do you guys feel about firesteel.com's firesteels, particularly the ones that come in the aluminum tube enclosures?
 
Rotte said:
I've had mixed results with hacksaw blades. I recommend a stiff striker with a sharp edge with the misch metal type rods. With the LMF just about anything will work, but the sparks aren't as hot or burn as long.
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Me too. At least the hacksaw blades I've had. Definitely need a stiff and sharp striker for the molten globby mish metal rods :thumbup:. I have a Gossman striker but it's big, sharp, and heavy...it needs a sheath of it's own before I can carry it around.

Speaking of strikers, has anyone tried the new LMF flat edged strikers? They are AWESOME. Huge improvement over the old strikers. I think it might even work better than the spine of my F1.... And it's good to hear you're coming out with strikers, Storl, will have to keep an eye out :thumbup:.


I prefer the LMF rods, have em on all of my sheaths. But if I couldn't get a fire going with one, I also carry a Going Gear firesteel in my pocket as a backup.
 
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I like the GG firesteels the best. A good way to gain control with them is to put your firesteel into your tinder, and then place the knife/striker as if you were going to scrape down to create sparks, but drag the firesteel up instead. You get lots of control and you don't lose accuracy because of the harder to scrape surface.
 
I am wondering about them, myself. I like the fact that you can cut the firesteel down and use the tube to store more kit. I also like the fact that they keep the firesteel safe from the corrosive properties of moisture.

I bought a couple of ferro rods off of ebay. Can't say I'm too happy with them. I seem to shave more metal off of them than sparks. I've tried hacksaw blades, hacksaw blades with the back squared by filing, the sharp spine of my knife and a file and get mixed results. I wonder if their poor performance is due to their construction or are all firesteels like that?

Pyre said:
How do you guys feel about firesteel.com's firesteels, particularly the ones that come in the aluminum tube enclosures?
Click to expand...
 
I have tried an unfiled key, no glorious results but in a pinch it would work. However, what I do have ( that works for me) is a jigsaw blade. The one I use is for cutting metal and it's extremely dull so instead of throwing it out I thought "why not try it" it works great and takes up less space than any other striker I've seen. I use it on a doan's type mag/ferro combo block and a LMF type ferro rod.

David
 
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