Whats in your firesteels?

Waldganger

Waldganger

Joined
Dec 16, 2006
Messages
1,180
Hi there everyone

I have two firesteels that I would like to know more about, and the company websites do not offer the answers (packaging is long gone)

Basically I have a Pro-Force Army Firesteel here and also a LMF Firesteel 2.0 here

I have a nice custom knife by GL Drew, and I'd like to have a matching firesteel. With my technique I get the LMF steel to create more sparks, hotter, and doesn't leave bits of metal (or markings) on my blade. The Pro Force one will leave chunks of steel, which are damaging to fingernails to scratch off, plus leave a scar on the blade. It also doesn't give off as much spark.

So is the LMF one a Mischmetal rod or a Ferrocium Carbide or the combination steel (I forget what that one is).

I'm kinda hoping its Misch, as Going gear sells the blanks, and then I could just handle it myself (I need walnut wood and a red liner for it to match the knife)

Thanks for any info you can give me
 
The Mischmetal steels are the ones that are harder to spark and give fewer but bigger sparks (molten balls).

I used to like the LMF type better but have discovered that I have better success with the Mischmetal.
 
I actually have a Misch Metal blank here, I might slap a handle on her and give it a go. If its the go'er I'll get another to handle in the manner I'm chasing.

So you find that you get less sparks, but the sparks you get glow hotter and longer? That never really occurred to me as what might be happening.

Cheers mate
 
And how does one determine which material a fire steel is made from? Is there a visual difference? I have heard of the different materials, but have never seen either listed on packaging, they are just fire steels...

Thanks!
Dave
 
I'm asking because I'm hoping that someone here has some knowledge of what the materials are via company information (packaging, press releases, knife/outdoors shows etc)

Here in Australia we have very very little of this outdoors stuff happening, the local outdoor suppliers only know what they are told, which quite often is the same basic drivel seen in the pamphlet.

I'll just try out stuff that actually tells me what it is so I can then buy a blank to suit for correct handling
 
Waldganger said:
So you find that you get less sparks, but the sparks you get glow hotter and longer?
Click to expand...

Exactly.

I've only bought Misch blanks and customs that used LMF so I've never seen any packaging.

I'm sure that Firesteel.com or other sites could give you the composition.
 
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