I have been kinda getting into the show Alone lately. I have been thinking about making tools that are optimized for that sort of thing. Does anyone know if it's possible to make a sparking surface that could be attached to a blade or a way or material something could be used in a working blade that could be sparked. It doesn't have to be as good as a Ferro Rod but a surface that could give reliable sparks well enough that starting a fire isn't wishful thinking?
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How to make a sparking surface.
- Thread starter Storm W
- Start date
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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For it to be integrated with the knife consider a knife with:
A ferro rod that inserts down the handle.
A folder with a ferro rod attached along the spine.
A fixed blade with a ferro rod attached down the spine.
Those could work, but what I prefer doing is to make a fixed blade with a ferro rod on the welt of the sheath ( like a marlin spike)
This is not a knife by me, but shows what I am describing. I generally make the rod handle smaller and matching to the knife handle. Make the spine of the knife with crisp edges and use it to strike the sparks.
A ferro rod that inserts down the handle.
A folder with a ferro rod attached along the spine.
A fixed blade with a ferro rod attached down the spine.
Those could work, but what I prefer doing is to make a fixed blade with a ferro rod on the welt of the sheath ( like a marlin spike)
This is not a knife by me, but shows what I am describing. I generally make the rod handle smaller and matching to the knife handle. Make the spine of the knife with crisp edges and use it to strike the sparks.
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2010
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One possibility is to integrate a flint striker into the knife. An example of forging an isolated flint striker:
You could make this striker as a frame handle of a knife. Alternately, forge weld it or otherwise affix it to the handle. This would isolate the large-grained, high carbon steel from your blade steel.
Separately, the user needs a piece of flint, chert or similar object for striking against.
If it were me, I would forge weld it to the tang and expose the striker steel at the butt of the knife, since exposing it on the handle perimeter would be uncomfortable. Heat treat the blade as normal, then come back and use an oxy-acetylene torch to heat only the striker section.
This would not throw sparks to the same level as a ferro rod, and would be a small region to strike against, but it would satisfy the "makes sparks and is a knife" design. I've made a case-hardened mild steel striker and was successful in igniting char-cloth with it, so it's not unreasonable.
You could make this striker as a frame handle of a knife. Alternately, forge weld it or otherwise affix it to the handle. This would isolate the large-grained, high carbon steel from your blade steel.
Separately, the user needs a piece of flint, chert or similar object for striking against.
If it were me, I would forge weld it to the tang and expose the striker steel at the butt of the knife, since exposing it on the handle perimeter would be uncomfortable. Heat treat the blade as normal, then come back and use an oxy-acetylene torch to heat only the striker section.
This would not throw sparks to the same level as a ferro rod, and would be a small region to strike against, but it would satisfy the "makes sparks and is a knife" design. I've made a case-hardened mild steel striker and was successful in igniting char-cloth with it, so it's not unreasonable.
Thats Kinda what I was thinking of. Just for personal use it could be kinda cool to have something that falls within the tool set but is a popular show and I was thinking there may be a market for items that would have more function but still fall in the rules.
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I think this is going more in the direction if you can rather than if you should. It is possible to make a flint striker that is attached to the knife but just because you can doesn't mean you should. I recommend to go with stacy's idea and attach a ferro rod to the sheath.
I agree in function but that's not what I was wondering. The idea is that it would have to be something that would fall within the rule set and I'm pretty sure including a Ferro rod even if it was built into the knife somehow wouldn't work. At the moment it's probably just a thought experiment but if I can come up with something that could be at least somewhat better than just using a carbon steel blade it might be something to market. From some of the experiences of people who have made it to the testing faze they said that there are 20k applicants at least some years and there might be a fair bit of interest in the idea. It would be both fun to build and to try out at least. I have a family member who is very big into that sort of thing and I'm pretty sure we could have a bunch of fun testing it. His son is also just getting into knife making.