This one's for the flint and steel guys. If my life depended on it, I have 100% confidence in my firesteel to make a fire. I wanted to expand my knowledge of fire making, so I picked up a steel and flint. I am able to get the char cloth that I'm practicing with to light only 20% of the time. I'm holding the steel at a good angle, close to the cloth. I can only get some small sparks to fall on the cloth, most of which do not ignite it. Any tips?
Also, should pieces of flint be chipping off as I strike? I suspect that I may be striking too hard.
Chris
As an active historical reenactor of many years (most reenactors have this skill down to a fine science for obvious reasons), I have made literally thousands of fires using flint & steel using a variety of methods. Methods will change when the conditions demand such. First, you MUST have quality materials if you expect good results. The char cloth must be cooked enough, you must have a good steel properly heat treated (good steels produce lots of sparks), and quality flint (or other glass-like stone).
If the hot spark is hitting the char cloth in close proximity (as you mention), good char cloth should catch and hold it quickly. Most always I can get my char to catch a spark within just a few (3 - 6) strikes.
With regards to striking the flint with your steel; one simply wants to make a quick, glancing tick or flick across the sharp edge of the flint. Most beginners have the tendency to crash the steel into the flint and break off the desirable sharp edges. Very, very little contact is required to shave off micro amounts of friction heated steel. Too, learn to sharpen your flint when required. One does not need to be a skilled flintknapper to keep his firestarting flint sharp, or the flint in his flintlock rifle or smoothbore.
There are several roads to the post office when it comes to flint & steel spark making. I have written booklets on the subject, web and magazine articles, teach it in my classes, performed countless demonstrations for the public and schools, and have practiced these skills with hundreds of reenactors over the years. Seen and heard most of it, I think. Take my word for it, there is a TON of crap out there regarding the use of flint and steel. It just isn't all that complicated, and even some of our young children at the rendezvous win the occasional trail walk firemaking competitions. Good materials and methods will take the "mystery" right out of the skill real quick.
This is one hand and materials position I use with regularity. I prefer to teach flint & steel with a *full-sized* steel in the "C" configuration. The smaller steels won't throw near as many sparks, BTW. The char is sitting in a nest of tow linen which shields it from beginner impacts, and it makes only a fair tinder, too.
