How many licks...

fedaykincmndr

fedaykincmndr

Joined
Aug 3, 2004
Messages
971
... does it take to get a bleedin' fire?! I guess I've not been paying attention; I can't seem to get my firesteel to work as well as I'd like, so I'd like to shoot a few questions out:

What is the best technique for striking?

What kind of tinder is best?

In how many strikes (or licks :D) should I be able to get smoke?

What is the best method for keeping your tinder from moving around so much?

That's all I have on my mind right now, but I'm sure there will be more. I know also that this is a topic we've discussed a lot, I just never thought it was this hard. To add a little more info, I'm using a Swedish Army firesteel, I've tried every kind of tinder I can get my hands on: fuzzy rope, PJB's, dryer lint, wood shavings, dry grass, etc. The one that worked best was PJB's and dryer lint, but I'd like to be able to use anything at anytime. I can get some smoke but it doesn't stay lit; on say wood shavings, it just smokes a second then goes out. Thus, I'm wondering what the DEUCE is wrong with my technique or tinder or whatever.Thanks in advance fellas I hope this one hasn't been beat to death too much.
 
Did you switch the battery in your firesteel, it may be dead?:D:D

Seriously, I use a slow to medium speed firm stroke from end to end with my rod tip holding my tinder in place. And yes, sometimes it does take a couple of good showers to make the "poof". Practice, practice, practice at home in a controlled setting, with assorted tinders until you get a feel for your particular style. It will work. Also, don't be afraid to use more tinder, don't be too skimpy with it at first, use a whole cotton ball if needed.

Good luck
 
Try holding the knife or striker still and move the ferro rod insted !

In windy conditions I put my tinder onto duct tape to stop it blowing away, this might also help you to stop it moving about !!!
 
1 strike.

I take a firm grip on the steel,put the tip of the firesteel down on the edge of my tinder, place the spine of the knife near the tip about 1-2 cm from the end, brace it with my left thumb (the one on the firesteel) as a pivot point, then give it a steady, firm scrape.

Obviously the kinds of tinder will vary greatly from region to region, where I live birch bark is my favorite, just cut a little section and scrape a little pile of dust with my knife, the bark usually curls a bit providing a little tray with a little wind protection and becomes kindling once the dust catches a spark.

You can even use plain hardwood provided it's dry and shaved up fine enough.
 
Your shavings might not be thin enough. It has to be extremely thin and some woods work better than others. Try Birch bark. Peel off translucent fibers of it. Get a nice pile together. Rest your rod at the front of the pile. Scrape very firm but slow.
 
Also I remember this being asked: If you strike with your knife do you run the risk of ruining your temper on your spine?
 
pitdog said:
Why would you ? There is minimal heat generated !
Click to expand...

Indeed. Even though the sparks are incredibly hot, the total amount of energy they contain is minute. Same reason that kids dont burn themselves with those birthday sparklers.
 
pitdog said:
In windy conditions I put my tinder onto duct tape to stop it blowing away, this might also help you to stop it moving about !!!
Click to expand...

That's a great freaking idea! The problem I always have with magnesium is the slightest breeze breaks up the shavings.
 
Pitdogs duct tape idea is a good one, I always keep my magnesium bars wrapped in duct tape because of this.

Another good tip is to start with simpler tinders at first, like cotton balls, then PJ soaked cotton balls, then fatwood. Fatwood is my mainstay right now, always works and works easily.

I can't recommend using your knife spine enough! It's great for scraping very fine amounts of tinder. Makes it super fine/dusty.

As far as technique, as others have said already, it helps to use slow/heavy strokes, and to pull the firesteel towards you rather than the striker away from you. :thumbup:
 
Jute twine is my favorite tinder...I have a piece of lighter/fatwood wrapped in jute so that I can have both types ready and waiting...
 
fedaykincmndr said:
"......... but I'd like to be able to use anything at anytime....."
Click to expand...

Sorry, feday........., it doesn't work that way. You have to learn what works, and how, and what doesn't, and has been mentioned, practice is a good idea. I guess I was lucky. My first introduction to ferro rods was an old Coghlan (Doan) magnesium block and I've never had any problems then or now.

I think sometimes expectations can be blown out of proportion. Ferro rods are excellent tools, but like everything else, have some limitations. Proper tinder is one of them. By reading things in forums such as this one, you can sometimes get the idea that all you have to do is point the ferro rod at something, and it will burst into flames. Of course, that's not the case. Stick with it and practice. You'll soon get the feel for it.

One other thing, by a lot of posts in this forum, you could get the idea that the striker that comes with the Light My Fire ferro rods are useless. That is simply not the case.

Doc
 
Thanks all for the suggestions. I was playing with it tonight and I'm making a little more progress than I had previously. I held the tinder (hemp or jute rope) in place and used a long stroke (after many failed light strokes) and I got a "poof."

What are some natural tinders that would be around Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky? We have birch but I'm not sure what to look for and plenty of cedars, but what esle could be used? I've seen a couple of folks from this area...
 
fedaykincmndr said:
....What are some natural tinders that would be around Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky? We have birch but I'm not sure what to look for and plenty of cedars, but what esle could be used? I've seen a couple of folks from this area...
Click to expand...

The inner bark rom a lot of trees works. Silver Maple has several papery layers of drak brown inner bark, which when folded several times and pounded with a rock works reasonably well. Aromatic ("red") Cedar will work well, even pulled off a live tree (be gentle and miserly about it) and prepared the same way. I like to use a small piece of hacksaw blade as my striker becasue it doubles as a tool to comb out fibers and tease them (or jute) up into an airy ball. Fox Tail, when dried up well, works really nicley. I collect that when it's good and dry and keep a bunch in a tobacco tin but it's available all Winter - if it stays cold enough that it's not damp. Whatever you use, the finer and the drier it is usually makes it that much better. I have even gotten small piles of fatwood "dust" and tiny curls scraped off with a knife edge to "go." Even if you only get an ember, get air on that ember - start blowing on it and keep it near some more tinder to set alight once you blow a flame up from the ember. You may have to blow until dizzy but it works and is rewarding.:thumbup:
 
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