• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

The key to the Going Gear ferro rods

L

Loosearrow

Joined
Apr 14, 2008
Messages
1,810
This topic keeps coming up. I bought a number of ferro rods in different sizes to play with from Going Gear. I made some strikers for Christmas gifts. The thing that keep bothering me is the quiestion about getting them to work. Sometimes it was great, sometimes slow to go.
I just went upstairs and got one of the ferro rods that I have from LMF. Their ferro rod works O.K. every time. The difference has been noted before. Lots of flash and little gas. Using the Going Gear ferro rod and using the LMF scraper is a great combo. Lots of flash, lots of gas. Molten globs all over the garage floor.
The key is finding the right material for your scraper. Some knives work well, some don't. Some hacksaw blades work well and again some are junk.
The key is in the scraper. I think that Going Gear may sell some scapers. At least I thought I read a post about it in the past.
Try different materials as scrapers. It will surprise you. With the proper scraper they excell.
I am in no way connected with the company. I am pleased with the product and would make them my first choice.
I hope this will help all who have been frustrated with the varied performance. Regards, Loosearrow
 
Yeah, I just picked up a couple of Storl's scrapers in my last Going Gear order and they definitely ROCK!!!!! We need a firestriking smilie.
 
The goinggear strikers work great ... just what the doctor ordered :thumbup:

IMG_1073.jpg


The Corona sharpening tool also works:

31kePxpYhKL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
 
I've used both the GG strikers and the new LMF strikers (flat edged), and in my experience, the LMF strikers tend to throw more sparks, and the sparks last longer. The GG strikers are pretty good, but I just can't get them to throw sparks as well as my LMF strikers. In fact, I have tried hacksaw blades and even custom strikers, and nothing seems to work as well as the new LMF striker. Except my F1, that thing throws mad sparks. :)
 
I haven't had any luck with the corona sharpener it just seems to peel off the fire steel like a potato peeler......maybe I'm doing something wrong.
 
Big K said:
I haven't had any luck with the corona sharpener it just seems to peel off the fire steel like a potato peeler......maybe I'm doing something wrong.
Click to expand...

It definitely works, try varying the angle of your striker and use quick long strokes.
 
The little key chain thingy is great. I bought them for my kit - and thought they were pretty much awesome. They really make the LMF firesteels work too.

TF
 
Great thread, especially since this topic comes up often enough. I think it is unfortunate that some people get dissuaded from the going gear types based on rumours of their difficulty at striking. Yet in other ways they are much more versatile for the globben metal blobs they produce. When the chips are down, I think I might want a going gear rod and decent striker. Then again, if I don't have a striker, I feel like I could get an LMF to work with natural materials better, like a rock or glass or mussel shell (See Rotte's contest thread on this).

Also lets not forget that a bunch of makers here will produce little scrapers for the $25-$50 range.

I received two of these from Bryan Breeden. His warncliff shape works perfect for this application because there is no belly to cause slippage when scraping down the firesteel. He also puts a one sided chisel grind that, while not as great for cutting, does what it is supposed to do perfectly - strike sparks very well with a minimum of edge wear. The blaze orange G10 makes it easy to spot. In a striker this is critical, because once you get your flame to take the first thing you do is toss your fire steel and striker on the ground and try to nurse your fire. Eventually you gotta look around for your gear.

DSC_0008-2.jpg


DSC_0004.jpg
 
The firesteels and the scraper from going gear work great it's the corona sharpener I gave up on.
 
I just recieved a few the other day. I noticed that the striker did make a difference, I glued one into a piece of fat wood and it's pictured with a striker I made from a piece of old bandsaw blade that throws off great sparks.

2426731370033885154S600x600Q85.jpg
 
KuRUpTD...

Do their raw (handle-less) ferro sticks come with a hole drilled through one end like in your pic, or did you drill one through yourself?
 
I've been using the Going Gear Firesteels since May and they have worked good for me. Normally I use my RAT Izula or Becker BK-11 as the striker and they work really well. Just got a Bobcat (1/4"x3") firesteel and Super striker and am really impressed. As some one else said earlier, they work great together.

Both the Bobcat steel and Super Striker fit into an Altoids tin along with chard cloth, some fat wood and other tinder. :thumbup:

Heber
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top