Food For Thought?

[Mistwalker]

I have heard a few people over the years ask about the Fiddleback Forge knives not having squared spines. Recently, while out in the field conducting experiments in preparation for workshops coming up later this year, I found myself inspired to write a blog post that goes into a few thoughts on this subject, some of Andy's and some of mine. So hopefully giving you guys some food for thought.

http://www.fiddlebackforge.com/index.cfm/fiddleback-news-information/no-squared-spines/

And the argu...err...debate begins in 10...9...8...

 

[Scotcha]

I agree completely. I would rather carry a dedicated striker than use one of my Fiddlebacks as a striker. Only exception is a survival situation where you only have the knife available but a chance of that happening in my case is almost zero.

Nice post :thumbup:

 

[Dman3d]

Great article. I would only use mine in an emergency. Dedicated striker all the way, or a bic lighter

That a recluse or patch knife in those shots? Nice blade.

 

[Tekton]

I'm with you on this one. I've seen and had accidents happen when miles out in the bush. I never use a knife as a ferro striker. As a side note, I think the chamfered spine also adds to the beauty, as well as the comfort, of the knife.

 

[Mistwalker]

I agree completely. I would rather carry a dedicated striker than use one of my Fiddlebacks as a striker. Only exception is a survival situation where you only have the knife available but a chance of that happening in my case is almost zero.

Nice post :thumbup:

I agree, the chances of me needing more than one emergency fire before getting back to a more secure area are very slim these days. If that happened and I needed fire, and all I had was my knife, then I'll be fixing what little damage I do to the edge shortly after starting the fire.

Great article. I would only use mine in an emergency. Dedicated striker all the way, or a bic lighter

That a recluse or patch knife in those shots? Nice blade.

Ferro rods are fun, and a great back up tool, particularly in higher elevations. But in most cases a lighter or match safe will me quicker and more practical.

It's a Recluse in 3/16

 

[Mistwalker]

I'm with you on this one. I've seen and had accidents happen when miles out in the bush. I never use a knife as a ferro striker. As a side note, I think the chamfered spine also adds to the beauty, as well as the comfort, of the knife.

Me too, and out on the ocean...

In the old school view of things a knife with a sharply squared spine was considered unfinished or poorly crafted...

 

[Tekton]

Precisely my thoughts.

 

[Tim the Wizard]

The spines can and will strike a fire rod though. If they won't, the edge will. I started a few fires with the spines of a few fiddlebacks and ferro magnesium rods. I may be cubically challenged though... they look square enough to me. Perhaps not as sharp as they could be, but certainly not unusable. I agree with the spirit of your post, though, especially with knife safety and the many different tools for fire starting if that is a necessity in the wild.

 

[VANCE]

If you look from where the handle ends and the blade begins
you can see it change from "square" to beveled .... The shiney part for a lack of better description


Iirc
The squared of spine is a "stress riser"

 

[Joe Duder]

Here's an idear...

Buy a six pack of these bad boys and throw one in your back packs, survival kits, camping boxes, first aid kits etc... A six pack costs less than half the price of a decent ferro rod.

Cool blog entry, and interesting perspective, as always. I think people tend to over think fire sometimes.

 

[Mistwalker]

The spines can and will strike a fire rod though. If they won't, the edge will. I started a few fires with the spines of a few fiddlebacks and ferro magnesium rods. I may be cubically challenged though... they look square enough to me. Perhaps not as sharp as they could be, but certainly not unusable. I agree with the spirit of your post, though, especially with knife safety and the many different tools for fire starting if that is a necessity in the wild.

The older Fiddlebacks had a square spine that would strike a ferro rod very well.

At some point Andy's engineering background kicked in and he removed that stress riser. The new hand mades as well as the mid-techs all have the sharp corners of the spine removed. That is the bright line between the two darker pats of the blade side and the spine. That bevel reflecting the light.

.

Here's an idear...

Buy a six pack of these bad boys and throw one in your back packs, survival kits, camping boxes, first aid kits etc... A six pack costs less than half the price of a decent ferro rod.

Cool blog entry, and interesting perspective, as always. I think people tend to over think fire sometimes.

Thank you, and I very much agree. A ferro rod is an excellent back up, but in most cases a lighter or matches in a match safe will give you flames much quicker.

 

[swonut]

Thanks Mist! Someone once said that the best ferro rod was the one in a Bic lighter. I tend to agree. For me, I usually have two Bics (One with my stove), some matches in my waterproof medicine bag, and then a firesteel or two. If the weather is nice or I have the time, then I may firesteel it. If I'm cold and hungry, then I flick my Bic and fire up the jet-Boil. Bottom line, any mistake I make in starting a fire is usually in the tender/kindling department, not the spark/ignition. The beauty of the BIC lighter is that it is really spark and tender all together in one. A big one can even dry out your kindling. Hard to beat the cost/weight/utility ratios on the mini-bics.

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks Mist! Someone once said that the best ferro rod was the one in a Bic lighter. I tend to agree. For me, I usually have two Bics (One with my stove), some matches in my waterproof medicine bag, and then a firesteel or two. If the weather is nice or I have the time, then I may firesteel it. If I'm cold and hungry, then I flick my Bic and fire up the jet-Boil. Bottom line, any mistake I make in starting a fire is usually in the tender/kindling department, not the spark/ignition. The beauty of the BIC lighter is that it is really spark and tender all together in one. A big one can even dry out your kindling. Hard to beat the cost/weight/utility ratios on the mini-bics.

Yeah ferro rods have their uses, and are an awesome tool, and I always have at least one for a back up. Though in the vast majority of cases a bic lighter will be quicker and easier, or even a match safe with some storm proof matches.

 

[crpngdth2001]

Yeah ferro rods have their uses, and are an awesome tool, and I always have at least one for a back up. Though in the vast majority of cases a bic lighter will be quicker and easier, or even a match safe with some storm proof matches.

Except up here in the Rockies at elevation. Darn Bics won't light worth a darn. Storm proof matches are my primary firestarter, then ferro rods.

 

[Mistwalker]

Except up here in the Rockies at elevation. Darn Bics won't light worth a darn. Storm proof matches are my primary firestarter, then ferro rods.

Yeah, I know from my friend's experiences and books I've read that the higher elevations have that affect on butane lighters. I mention that in my classes. I personally carry a zippo as well and a match safe with storm proof matches. I have experienced frostbite and hypothermia first hand, and have had to boil water to drink, so I am always prepared to start a fire. How do the zippo type lighters fare at higher elevations?

 

[Onedog]

Yeah, I know from my friend's experiences and books I've read that the higher elevations have that affect on butane lighters. I mention that in my classes. I personally carry a zippo as well and a match safe with storm proof matches. I have experienced frostbite and hypothermia first hand, and have had to boil water to drink, so I am always prepared to start a fire. How do the zippo type lighters fare at higher elevations?

I can't answer this from a fire starting point of view but I do travel extensively and I also smoke a pipe. Anytime I'm anywhere higher then Denver, CO, which is around 5600 I believe, I switch to a Zippo and have no problems. I think Telluride, CO is around 10,000 feet and I've had no issues with a Zippo there whereas a Bic is next to impossible to keep lit. However, I do notice that a Zippo seems to go through fuel faster at elevation.

I also own a Xikar all weather lighter. It's one of those torch style butane lighters that are popular among cigar smokers. That lighter has worked at higher elevations then a Bic lighter will.

 

[D.H.]

Looks like I'm the odd man out here.

I really prefer a knife spine with a sharp 90 degree angle.

I use it to strike a ferro rod sometimes. But I use it for other things more frequently (i.e. shaving birch bark down to dust) in order to save the edge of my knife.

But I rarely baton with any knife.

In a perfect world, I guess Fiddlebacks would hit the market with a mix: some squared spines and some rounded.

I don't get too zealous about any of it though. Seems like a six on one hand half dozen on the other type situation.

 

[crpngdth2001]

I can't answer this from a fire starting point of view but I do travel extensively and I also smoke a pipe. Anytime I'm anywhere higher then Denver, CO, which is around 5600 I believe, I switch to a Zippo and have no problems. I think Telluride, CO is around 10,000 feet and I've had no issues with a Zippo there whereas a Bic is next to impossible to keep lit. However, I do notice that a Zippo seems to go through fuel faster at elevation.

I also own a Xikar all weather lighter. It's one of those torch style butane lighters that are popular among cigar smokers. That lighter has worked at higher elevations then a Bic lighter will.

Good to know. I regularly hike and hunt near Telluride, on up to about 12,000 feet, but have never tried a zippo, only a bic. Guess I need to buy one.

 

[Onedog]

Good to know. I regularly hike and hunt near Telluride, on up to about 12,000 feet, but have never tried a zippo, only a bic. Guess I need to buy one.

Nearly all of my travel these days is done for work and I'm rarely anyplace for more then a day. Unfortunately I don't get to explore a lot of the places I go. Telluride is one of the places I visit where I wish for a few days off to go exploring. It must be beautiful up above the town. It looks it from main street.

As far as the Zippo goes, it's something I always take when hiking along with a match safe. Always check it before you go out. Even without use a Zippo will lose fuel. I check mine once a week out of habit weather they see use or not. Also, if stored for a while, the spark wheel could develop a small amount of rust as the lighter fluid lubricates it through use. Just a couple of things to check for. Other then that I find Zippos to be a very reliable source of flame.

 

[McVeyMac]

Nice write up as always Mist, and your pictures always amaze.