OK to use Diafold to make Magnesium Powder for fire starting?

[Longfisher]

Have one of those Wal-Mart magnesium fire starting kits and have taken a while to produce shavings (not fine powder) from it with the back of my knife; maybe 20 minutes to get enough of it. Now, that seems like a long time if I'm cold and wet and approaching hypothermia.

I also carry to the field the DMT diafolds in coarse and fine. Does anyone know if the use of the diafold to produce powder would harm the sharpener in any way? Has anyone done this before? If so, what effect on the magnesium fire starter, on the diafold and on the fire starting itself?

Thanks,

LongFisher

 

[BARRY JONES]

I don't think that it would harm the sharpener. I do think that it would take too long to get a noticeable amount of "powder" for you to use.

I would stick with the shavings. You really don't need that much to start a fire. Just shave a little into a nest of really dry tinder (I use a cottonball) and let the sparks fly.

If you are in the situation where you may go hypothermic quickly then use the edge of your knife to scrape the magnesium. That works fast. In that situation you should be more concerned with living than messing up the edge of your blade.

 

[fishbulb]

I can't imagine that using the diamond stone to shave the magnesium would hurt anything, but it will probably take a while. If it is an emergency I would recommend a different approach than what you suggested.

Use the edge of the knife to get a pile of shavings, and then resharpen the blade with the diamond stone while sitting by your warm fire.