Howling Rat with fire starting (flint and steel)??

W

wyldoliv

Joined
Jan 5, 2007
Messages
42
Hey
I'm thinking about getting a howling rat, but I've got know how they work with flint in fire starting. I usually use a cheap carbon-based blade. I work for a program which requires me to use flint and steel to light fires. I'm not aware of the make on the Swamp Rat blade material (SR101?). Anyone have any experience with this?? I'd hate to drop the $$ on the blade and see that it doesn't work at all. Thanks a lot
 
I'm not really sure what that means. I'm pretty lay when in comes to knives (well, compared to this forum anyway). It's just my understanding that the HR is a real worker and I like the choil option for close-up work. But, again, don't know about it's ability with flint.
 
Tons of people have experience with this blade. I'm just guessing here, but the earlier versions of this knife very well may have been the most successful knife in the Swamp Rat line to date.

Rather than find 500 people with something great to say about this blade, I think you'd probably find it a little harder to find 5 people who had bad things to say about them. BTW, FWIW, I have 6 HRs!
 
There have to be more Howlers out in circulation than any other SRKW blade. By numbers it has to be one of their top selling models if not THE top selling model. It is a high quality, rugged and very capable knife.

I have never whacked flint with mine so I can't comment specifically on your application. The proprietary 52100 steel is very tough stuff as Rat pointed out. If you're worried about getting sissy steel - don't be. It's a 1% high carbon steel that's better than 1095 and better than O1. It is not considered a stainless steel.
 
I have 4 of them. Two of the older ResC handles and two with micarta. Love them all. The company store still has some micarta gripped ones in stock. Buy today at retail or next month at something more. If you get one and don't like it, you can sell pretty easily.

pete
 
you will have to file away a little of the coating on the spine and make a sharp corner there to use to strike your fire steel with though.
 
I use the finger choil on my HR's, both respirene c and LM, to use with my ferrocium rod, no problem at all making lots of sparks.
 
I know you didn't ask this (and you may know this already), but if it were me think I'd use a piece of hacksaw blade - some firestarters have these attached to them on a cord - or a file for sparking purposes rather than diing my knife blade. Regards, - -
 
Any sharp edge on the knife will do, it doesn't have to be the cutting edge. Actually, I'd rather not use the cutting edge, this dulls the knife pretty quickly. The Howling Rat is thru-hardened, so there are no soft spots on the knife. As long as there is a good sharp shoulder or spine, the steel is hard enough to give you very good sparks. A lot of people think that stainless steel won't give sparks. Not so. A piece of glass or hacksaw blade will give excellent sparks. The HR gives off great sparks also.
 
bigbcustom said:
you will have to file away a little of the coating on the spine and make a sharp corner there to use to strike your fire steel with though.
Click to expand...

To answer your question, SR101 works quite well with fire steels.

To save the edge, get a small flat file and either square off a portion of the spine or choil to get a good 90% (no degree symbol) and use that for the firesteel.

I used about 1/2" or so of the spine. A well cut 90 is sharp and the choil for me, wasn't a good place.

I usually use a bit of hacksaw blade that is attached to the firesteel. The knife is a backup.

Rob
 
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