Knife Spine to Strike Fire Steel

[overanalyzer]

The LMF Fire Steel has a very high advertised temperature for the sparks created. When using the spine of a knife blade to strike the Fire Steel, can the temper or heat treatment of the blade steel be negatively impacted? While playing around, I found myself thinking this after I struck the Fire Steel about half a dozen times within a few seconds. I would think that only a very small portion of the heat generated actually transfers to the blade steel. Thanks for the knowledge.

 

[Hadji Flip Me Over]

I would think that because it's only for a fraction of a second it would not be enough to alter the temper of the steel. Even if it did, it would be in a small enough area that it should not cause a problem.

 

[claycat]

Wondering how much time does heat treat take at the required temp?
This should give you a relative idea of whether the fire steel strike would effect it. Maybe?

 

[Confederate]

There is no damage to the knife blade or change in temper. The steel would have to reach very hot tempertures and sustain them for a protracted time. (The blade steel would have to burn you to the touch and stay that hot long enough to change the steel's temper.) Not very likely.

 

[MikeC]

Not even a chance you would have to get the blade Hot and keep it at that elevated temperature for a prolonged period of time. Fire steel it up my friend, no worries.

 

[knarfeng]

There is no damage to the knife blade or change in temper. The steel would have to reach very hot tempertures and sustain them for a protracted time. (The blade steel would have to burn you to the touch and stay that hot long enough to change the steel's temper.) Not very likely.

Not even a chance you would have to get the blade Hot and keep it at that elevated temperature for a prolonged period of time. Fire steel it up my friend, no worries.

Plus 1.

Hours with the steel itself above 400F in order to affect the heat treat.

 

[james terrio]

When using the spine of a knife blade to strike the Fire Steel, can the temper or heat treatment of the blade steel be negatively impacted?

You're doing it right by using the spine, so the short answer is, don't worry about it.

The steel would have to reach very hot tempertures and sustain them for a protracted time.

Sorry folks, that's simply not true. You can ruin the temper of a blade very quickly. It's ill-advised to be stirring the coals of a campfire with a knife blade, for instance. It's also remarkably easy to blow the temper of a tip or edge with a grinding belt, and Roman Landes has published experiments documenting very high localized temperatures even from sharpening by hand without a lubricant.

However - that kind of heat exposure on a tiny area of the spine is not going to cause any problems you'll ever notice. Please please please do not strike sparks with the edge of your knife. (you'll dull the heck out of it before you notice any tempering problems, anyway)

 

[Magnaminous_G]

Heheheh, if you do it often enough, maybe you'll inadvertently give your blade a differential heat treatment, and that's good!