I just last month started collecting FerroCerrium Sparking Rods. In essence, they are the alloy which is comprised of over a dozen metals which spark when struck my a hard metal. These are the "flints" that are used in the Magensium firestarting kits, Zippo and Butane lighters, and almost anything that throws a spark when a wheel is turned, or struck by knife or striker. Traditional flints are harder than steel and when struck with a soft steel object, the Steel sparks, not the flint. The sparking steel is not as hot as the ferrocerrium "Flints", and certainly not aseffective.
I have collected 6 different types of Ferrocerrium sparking devices...
1) boy scout "Hot spark" w/striking bar
2) Sparklight Aviation survival firestarter with Tinder
3) Strike Force (formerly marketed by Gerber)
4) Military Issue Magnesium Firestarter
5) Coleman Lantern lighting device
6) BlastMatch
Starting fires with a Ferrocerrium rod is a pretty dicey project if you don't have the best tinder available. Your best bet at starting one with or without the correct tinder is the lighter. This is because you're already producing a flame. Barring that, the best FerroCerrium device is the Blastmatch. It can be operated with one hand and throws an unbelievably large amount of very hot sparks. The Strike Force is pretty much the same as the Blastmatch and is made by the same people with the major difference being that it takes two hands to operate, although on the plus side, it holds a special tinder cube which burns well dry, and even longer wet. FC flints do not absorb water, and can be used immediately after being submerged in water provided they are shaken or wiped dry. The are, however, subject to a wierd corrosion but I am informed that it only takes some scraping to remove the layer of corrosion and thus effectiveness is restored.
The military Magnesium bars are pieces of crap. For some reason, the striking "flint" seems harder to use than any of the others, and the Magnesium seems too hard to shave with anything other than a hardened steel file. I've ruined quite a few knife edges trying to shave that silly stuff, getting only a few shavings which were very hard to light with the sparks, and when lit, burned too fast to pile on more tinder, and if sprinked on other tinder, got lost too easily.
The "Hot spark" sold by the Boy Scouts of America is pretty much the cheapest "sparker" here. At about $2.50 at my local BSA retailer, you get an inch and a half long FC rod and a steel striking bar. I notice that if you hone down the edges of the striking bar, you get a better spark. This sucker throws off some sparks,but nothing compared to the BlastMatch or StrikeForce. As a matter of fact, the sparks are less that that of the Magnesium bar. It does however, smaller and weighs less. With the right tinder, this sucker will do well.
The Coleman lantern sparker... well, it's awkward to use and not very effective, but can be refilled with regular lighter type flints. I mean, use it if that's the only thing you have, but if you might need something to start a fire with, bring three or four different alternatives with you.
Aviation "Sparklite"... think of it as the zippo lighter without the body and the lighter fluid. It also comes with 8 tinders which are pretty much compressed cotton fibers impregnated with a paraffin type substance. The sparklight likes cotton fibers and may have difficulty lighting anything less inflammable than that. It throws off the same amount of sparks that a zippo does but in not normally refillable. They however, can be split down the middle seam and then refilled and reassembled although it takes alittle finesse and ingenuity. The length of the original FC flint is approximately two regular lighter flints.
There are many types of tinder, but one of the best is Cotton. I use cotton balls soaked in candle wax or Bees wax. Sometimes I use Cotton and Petroleum Jelly. P-Jelly has a few uses in the field, but most of us would not carry a jar of that around simply for those reasons. However, a tube of Triple Antibiotic ointment... aka Neosporin is mostly P-Jelley and is totally useful for medical purposes, chapped lips, moisturizing hands and starting fires.
As for lighters, they seem to be the best. When a zippo lights up, you're already providing a flame. That's one step closer to lighting a fire. I use Naptha in my zippo's (aka camp gas or white gas) it's alittle more volatile than regular lighter fluid (which is mostly Naptha anyway except they add stuff to keep it from evaporating too fast), but burns cleaner. I use it for my camp stove and carry an extra bottle of it anyway so I always have fuel for both stove and ligher and even firestarting. Also, there is a little niche under the felt pad in the zippo for storing spare flints... always be sure to drop three or four of them in there. The biggest enemy of the Zippo is water, so if you venture into the field, store your zippo (and any firestarting device for that matter, in something waterproof.
THat's all I can think of right now...Hope it helps.
)
