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Flint and Steel

Thanks for answering. I thought a softer steel would work better. Ive been knicking the heck out of an old barlow.
 
It would be so cool to start a campfire with a knife and a rock from the river. My brothers would crap. They think Im nuts anyways.
 
I've never had any luck with any of my knives with flint, or any other rock.. I guess thats one of the reasons I keep the flint and steel handy.. I also carry a chunk of file in my hunting pack(JIC)...
 
I can never get enough chances to show this off. I haven't been home to try it myself but She Who Must Be Obeyed has started a few fires with the Fresnel lens and is trying with the flint and steel. As soon as I get my hands on it you can bet it will be used plenty.
Firepouch702.jpg

Thanks again Rick.
 
I missed out on getting just the container a few weeks ago, for $5 BUCKS:eek: at a yard sale.. I didn't have any cash on me.. I almost cried...
 
Tried to make char cloth this evening.

Mixed results.

I loaded an empty can with a couple of old rags. The can was quite full. I sealed the can with a double layer of foil and threw it on the coals of the grill for a about an hour and 40 min.

628349661_UKXxY-L.jpg


It was no longer smoking when I removed it.

The cloth on the exterior and bottom had blackened, but the interior cloth was just browned. The brown stuff didn't catch a spark. So in the end it was a mixed result.

I think I should have used less cloth to allow for better heating or allowed the can to cook longer, maybe hotter.

I did not put a hole in the top, this seems a bit extraneous, and smoke was able to escape from under the foil.

Any suggestions?
 
Just take out the good stuff and close it back up.. Don't forget to poke the hole, and put it back on the fire for a while longer..... It's always a bit longer process with big tins...

HTH
 
linen works pretty good for charcloth as does small rotted pieces of wood. these can be charred in your tin also. they seem to last longer when lit.
don't forget to carry a small candle stub in your kits.
when i don't have the best of tinder, i put char in the jute twine "birdnest", light the nest and then the candle. my 2 pennies
 
Would using the tins with the lens be possible for making charcloth? I'd be worried about cracking the lens.
 
I'd prefer to do it in another tin entirely.. No need to mess up your lense if you can help it..
 
dipbait said:
Thanks for answering. I thought a softer steel would work better. Ive been knicking the heck out of an old barlow.
Click to expand...

It is actually the other way around. You want steel to be pretty hard. It is the hardness that allows the little bits to come off and make the sparks. a soft piece will just dent and not spark.

Here is a pic of my kit....love flint and steel!

firewallet1.jpg
 
That's a pretty nifty little kit for your flint and steel.. Almost looks like it'll fit in your back pocket with no trouble...
 
Hey Dipbait....



dipbait said:
It would be so cool to start a campfire with a knife and a rock from the river. My brothers would crap. They think Im nuts anyways.
Click to expand...

A couple of years ago I went for a walk in the bush across the road, found an old hinge bolt on a fence post, and tested several different field rocks that gave decent sparks and managed to make a fire...

The best way to learn sometimes is just try different things while out and about...

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Hey Rotte...


Rotte said:
Tried to make char cloth this evening.

Mixed results.


Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

No reason at all that shouldn't work...

The only thing that I can suggest is leave it longer,, Especially if it's Packed full...

If you run into this again,, lay it on it's side and roll it around...

Make sure your fire is hot enough, and you have a small hole poked in the top...

I once did a HUGE batch of char cloth in a tobacco can..There were easily several hundred pieces in the can.. I did it on a propane burner and let it sit for a good long time,, rotated it,, flipped it over etc etc..

I let the can sit for a couple of hours, then opened it to examine the char.. Looked great..

I set it on my vise on the workbench and went in the house.. An hour or so later I came out and as I passed by the can I could feel the intense heat coming off of it...

A Good lesson learned, that could have burned my shop down under different conditions..

Always let it sit longer than you may think,, Especially if you are doing large batches....

Eric
O/ST
 
Hey Protourist


Nice looking kit...

I use one of Rick's Kits as well...

Gotta love the traditional look...

Eric
O/ST
 
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