Opinions (and help) on fire starters

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bulbboy

Joined
May 29, 2005
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The search feature wasn't working and I'm sure this has been beaten to death. But, I need some help on what and where to buy a couple different fire starters. I've seen some that look like old skeleton keys and that attach to a knife sheath. Any help would be appreciated!!
 
Try these guys too while you're at it, in case the LMF model does not appeal to you. I've ordered from them a couple of times, and got the firesteels quickly and at a great price.
 
I don't know anything about firesteels but why would these be a better choice than a Bic lighter in the field? The Scout model firesteels claims 3,000 strikes while a Bic disposable claims 3,000 flames. Wouldn't the Bic be the better choice? They're easier to use, take up about the same amount of space, and cost about 1/10 the price.
 
In a word: Reliability. Bics can break, rendering them useless. If a firesteel breaks it's still capable of starting a fire(granted you lose some of the ergonomics). Altitude also becomes a factor in some lighters, not to mention that most lighters fail once fully submerged. With a firesteel, you can still shake off the surface of water, and if you can find dry tinder, create a fire.


Gautier


Gauiter
 
There was a person on this forum who submerged a bunch of cheap lighters (including Bics) in water for 24 hours. He shook them out and laid them in the sun for a few minutes and all of them worked. (If I remember correctly.) I just took a Bic and ran it under the faucet for a minute. After shaking it and blowing on it for a few minutes it lights just fine. I've never used a firesteel but I would assume it is easier to start a fire with a live flame as opposed to a flying spark. Also, a Bic is one handed. This may be important if you need to use your other hand to position tinder or shield from wind. As far as breakage, you'd really have to bash it with a rock or stomp on it on a hard surface to break it.

That being said, I'm probably going to order one of those firesteels to play with. :D
 
One other thing to consider is, A Bic=flame, which is not desirable in windy or foul weather. Where as a firesteel(depending on your tinder, i.e. charcloth) you can create a ember, which gets stronger with wind. I just got a fire steel, and I can't quit playing with it.
 
Bics are highly sensitive to wind. I don't even use them in the city for this reason. I have a butane jet lighter that I use for Bic-type tasks.

One advantage Bics do have though, is that they are a hell of a lot easier to use. Ferrocerium rods definitely do require practice and skill to use. They are more durable, and I do believe that they are more reliable if you know what you're doing, but I think the main reason that people use them over Bics is just that they are so much COOLER. ;)
 
Khalnath said:
One advantage Bics do have though, is that they are a hell of a lot easier to use. Ferrocerium rods definitely do require practice and skill to use.
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Not necessarily.

The other day I started a fire using both a vasaline cotton ball, and fatwood in front of my dad. Just from watching me my dad, whose never touched or seen a firesteel in his life, was able to start a fire using both methods on his first try, with less than a handful of strokes. Vasaline cotton balls and fatwood, are practically idiot proof, and will never break, freeze, or leak. Now it does take skill to start a fire with regular wood, but not much more, and it can be done, if you happen to lose your fatwood and cotton balls.

Of course, lighters are easier, slightly faster, and one handed, but they can fail, and if they do, a firesteel will always work. It's not that firesteels are in some way better than a bic or zippo, it's just that they are a guaranteed backup in case your ideal tool doesn't work or isn't available.

Everyone owes it to themselves to get and play with a firesteel, fatwood, and some petroleum jelly cotton balls. Just for fun if not for anything else.
 
Knowing that you have to use PJ cotton balls or similar tinder is part of the skill involved though. How many people have you heard of trying to use a firesteel for the first time and getting nowhere? I've seen it. I dunno if the LMF rods come with instructions, but the one I bought didn't.
 
also, Butane lighters fail over a certain altitude. Even expensive turbo weather proof lighters won't work at higher altitudes. The firesteel should still create hot sparks.
 
stingray4540 said:
Not necessarily.

The other day I started a fire using both a vasaline cotton ball, and fatwood in front of my dad. Just from watching me my dad, whose never touched or seen a firesteel in his life, was able to start a fire using both methods on his first try, with less than a handful of strokes. Vasaline cotton balls and fatwood, are practically idiot proof, and will never break, freeze, or leak. Now it does take skill to start a fire with regular wood, but not much more, and it can be done, if you happen to lose your fatwood and cotton balls.

Of course, lighters are easier, slightly faster, and one handed, but they can fail, and if they do, a firesteel will always work. It's not that firesteels are in some way better than a bic or zippo, it's just that they are a guaranteed backup in case your ideal tool doesn't work or isn't available.
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I think that says more about the cotton balls and fatwood than the fire steel. You stated that your dad had watched you and needed a "less than a handful of strokes". Which means he was trained (by you) and it did take him a few practice tries (lesss than a handful) before he got the fire going. Give an average person a lighter and another average person a firesteel under average conditions and see who will light their cotton balls and fatwood first.

Also a firesteel is not a guaranteed back up and they won't always work. According to the ad that was posted they last for 3,000 to 12,000 sparks depending on the model. And the article that was posted stated that firesteels are prone to rust and corrosion in damp environments. To me that sounds like firesteels can fail just like lighters and other fire starters.
 
stevekt said:
I think that says more about the cotton balls and fatwood than the fire steel. You stated that your dad had watched you and needed a "less than a handful of strokes". Which means he was trained (by you) and it did take him a few practice tries (lesss than a handful) before he got the fire going. Give an average person a lighter and another average person a firesteel under average conditions and see who will light their cotton balls and fatwood first.

Also a firesteel is not a guaranteed back up and they won't always work. According to the ad that was posted they last for 3,000 to 12,000 sparks depending on the model. And the article that was posted stated that firesteels are prone to rust and corrosion in damp environments. To me that sounds like firesteels can fail just like lighters and other fire starters.
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I know charcloth isn't the best, due to its ability to absorb moisture and fail, but when I stuck my firesteel to it, It took one strike to get quite a few strong embers going.

And about rust, it would only take a few scrapes to get it sparking again.

If I had to chose one, I would definitely take a firesteel over a bic.


Edit:
stevekt said:
. Give an average person a lighter and another average person a firesteel under average conditions and see who will light their cotton balls and fatwood first.
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Yes, but what about bad conditions? It only takes the smallest gust to extinguish a bic.
 
When a firesteel rusts it doesnt really rust like really bad - with pitting or corrosion. Its only a very light surface rust which can be removed with two strikes.
 
Im a convert to ferro rods
But I still carry a bic style mini lighter or three in my car and on my person , as well as permanant match on my keyring , and a box of matches of five spread thru my gear .

Ferro rods are so hard to use it took my 9 yr old barely a couple minutes to light a fire the first time he tried using just cotton wool and pine she-oak needles

it took me a couple minutes to figure out how to do it to get a good spark , and how to get that spark to go where I wanted it to ...

they seriously are not hard to use
 
My experience so far has been that with prepared tinder (pj cotton balls, or even just plain cotton balls) I can light a fire just as fast with either a lighter or a ferro rod. I've not practiced enough finding and using natural tinder to be able to reliably get a fire going with the ferro rod that way. I usually carry both.
 
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