firesteel hardness

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ipm

how hard is a typical firesteel? does this vary with manufactuer?

i have used the back of a knife to make sparks a few times to see how this could work, but I wonder if there are knives that would be damaged significantly by doing this if they are much softer than the firesteel.
 
I don't know exactly how hard they are, but they need to be softer than the knife steel in order to work. In my experience, all of the ones I've used seem to be a lot softer than the blade. If this is ever a concern, keep in mind that you can also spark a firesteel with a sharp rock edge, or shattered glass, or anything hard with an edge.
 
just use the spine. its hard to say how hard they are but im going to say not as hard as steel. there are many different kinds all made with slightly different types and amounts of materials. if firesteels and blades were the same hardness, you would be able to sharpen a knife in two passes..i dont know about you but i dont have any knives that do that. i say dont worry and keep on strikin man:thumbup:
 
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