Flint and Steel

[C Bryant]

Here's a related question.

The vast majority of those describing the technique say to hit the flint with the steel. Why? A flintlock doen's work that way, and the objective is to slice steel off with the flint. So why not hit the steel with the flint. (Was my Patrol Leader wrong all those years ago? )

Works just as well both ways, the end result is the same. I personally like my fingers safe behind my steel when I'm swingin toward a sharp piece of flint. Swinging the flint is just begging for me to screw up and cut myself

 

[Jeff H]

Works just as well both ways, the end result is the same. I personally like my fingers safe behind my steel when I'm swingin toward a sharp piece of flint. Swinging the flint is just begging for me to screw up and cut myself

I like to place a small wad of char cloth under my thumb, on the flint and just kiss the flint with a quick swipe of the steel. That keeps the char cloth intact and stationary so I can see the spark land on it. One spark is all it takes and if I am flailing the flint/char cloth, I may have caught a spark that I didn't notice.

 

[C Bryant]

I like to place a small wad of char cloth under my thumb, on the flint and just kiss the flint with a quick swipe of the steel. That keeps the char cloth intact and stationary so I can see the spark land on it. One spark is all it takes and if I am flailing the flint/char cloth, I may have caught a spark that I didn't notice.

That is the best way I have found too