Why I love this forum !

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Messages
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There are a many reasons I love this forum, I love seeing pics from other areas of the world, I learn a hell of a lot from other peoples posts but most importantly I've made some great friends.
Sadly some such as Fonly etc have dissapeared, others such as Doc Canada, tknife,gunknifenut and mistwalker to name but a few are still regulars and then there are newer names who within only a few posts I can already tell are great guys !

One that falls into the latter group is forumite Moosez45,in one of his posts he used a firesteel from going-gear.com and I commented that I would like to try one out so as to compare it with the LMF type of which I am used to.
Quick as a flash I got an e-mail from Moose saying send me your addy, I have a gently used GG firesteel I'll send ya !!! When you get items from fellow forumites be it a knife from the makers or a fire steel etc I always feel a better connection to those people, I think that's why I always try and save up for custom knives rather than going with the big manufacturers.

Anyway enough of my waffle, here is the fire-steel, I carved a Hickory handle for it before taking it out to test today:

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By pitdog2010 at 2010-11-15

I wish everyone on this forum could experience just how wet the PNW is. I talked about this with a friend of mine as we hiked the other day. I told him how forum members demonstate splitting wood with a batton in the forest to get to dry wood and how they batton their Mora's through trees Mors Kochanski style. I then illustrated the point to my buddy by picking up a sturdy looking branch about 2" in dia and striking the spine of my knife in an attempt to knock it through another piece of wood. The batton instantly broke into a dozen damp pieces !!! Everything here is either rotten or in the process of rotting, finding a branch solid enough to use as a batton is like finding rocking horse sh#t.

I found a huge stump of fatwood today but with only having my small ML knife I couldn't process it down. Luckily I managed to find a smaller bit that although not great fatwood, would do the job. I split it down:

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By pitdog2010 at 2010-11-15

I made some shaving using the pencil sharpener method,

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By pitdog2010 at 2010-11-15

I then experienced the GG Molten globules !!! Only problem was they seemed to go everywhere except on my tinder....the dogs ran for cover !:D I guess I'm gonna need some practice with this after using my LMF for so long !
It took about 6 strikes and I had fire,

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By pitdog2010 at 2010-11-15

With the firesteel away Maisy returned,

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By pitdog2010 at 2010-11-15

We sat a while enjoying the relaxing motion of the water,

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By pitdog2010 at 2010-11-15

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By pitdog2010 at 2010-11-15

As we hiked back to the parking lot we passed a waterfall that was in full flow !

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By Pitdog2010 at 2010-11-15
 
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As always, great pictures Pit.

I agree with you, it's the people that make this forum my home. I visit other sites every once in a while, but this is the only one I come back to.
 
Cool knife and scenery, I agree this is the forum to learn practical and no nonsense information.
 
pitdog said:
I then experienced the GG Molten globules !!! Only problem was they seemed to go everywhere except on my tinder....the dogs ran for cover ! I guess I'm gonna need some practice with this after using my LMF for so long !
It took about 6 strikes and I had fire
Click to expand...

ROFLMAO!!!! Glad you got it, the US mail here is gettin' iffy. Tell the dogs, I apologize, I should have warned ya!! It takes some gettin' used to. When I got mine, I played with it for a few days, before I took it out for a test ride.

The first thing I noticed, was you have to really move FAST. With my LMF, I place my rod ON the tinder and SCRAPE the striker down, controlling the sparks.

The GG I stay about 6" away and flick my knife at my tinder. I can actually stand up and light fine cedar shavings, from about 4' away. GOD I love these steels.

Use it up Pit, I'll just got some more in (small ones for my many kits) but I'm gonna be gettin' some big ones in, in about a month. MOOSE MODEL BABY!!! 1/2" x 5" and its got my name on it!!!!:D

Lady wants another one (hers is still new, she says she doesn't want to scratch it up, women?!?!) to use out and about.

I'm thinkin' about gettin a BEAST MODEL and cuttin' it up to send out to friends for Christmas. Hey Pit, you wanna 1/2" by 3" in your stockin'?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Moose
 
Hi pitdog -

Cool - and good on Moosez45 -

Great pictures as always.

I did a little fatwood fire starting today myself. Good fun.

best regards -

mqqn
 
Yep Pitdog, I really enjoy this forum too. Great people and I love to see the pics posted and to read what others are doing and learnig and sharing.
LOL it looks pretty wet in your area Pitdog.

Bryan
 
Yeah the wetness really needs to be experienced to be believed. I find it funny when people say that you don't need to split wood because "there's always something dry around if you just look for it." I've tried that and sometimes in the year, it just ain't happening here. Being able to baton/split wood is a real survival task where we live. :D

On a side note, how'd you harvest that pitchwood with a small knife? Or did you break it off with your hands before splitting?
 
Shotgun said:
Yeah the wetness really needs to be experienced to be believed. I find it funny when people say that you don't need to split wood because "there's always something dry around if you just look for it." I've tried that and sometimes in the year, it just ain't happening here. Being able to baton/split wood is a real survival task where we live. :D

On a side note, how'd you harvest that pitchwood with a small knife? Or did you break it off with your hands before splitting?
Click to expand...

It was actually just resting on top of a stump, maybe it was what I'd broke of in the past and forgot about, LOL !

I found some real big stumps of fatwood today so will go back with my Knatchet or Chopweiler sometime soon !;)
 
pitdog said:
It was actually just resting on top of a stump, maybe it was what I'd broke of in the past and forgot about, LOL !

I found some real big stumps of fatwood today so will go back with my Knatchet or Chopweiler sometime soon !;)
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LOL...that's funny.

One skill I've been meaning to try is harvesting fatwood from a stump with a small knife. I imagine worse case scenario is to carve shavings straight from the stump.
 
Shotgun said:
LOL...that's funny.

One skill I've been meaning to try is harvesting fatwood from a stump with a small knife. I imagine worse case scenario is to carve shavings straight from the stump.
Click to expand...

Worse case scenario I could have used a rock and beat my little blade through the big stump today, I'd have to be in a real bad situation to abuse my knives like that though !
 
I am new here but have already experienced some of what you speak. This place is now my favorite spot on BF.

I ordered a steel a week ago and hope it will get here soon. I need to make a handle/holder for mine and yours looks killer! I want to make something similar from cedar. Can you give me a tip on securing the handle?

Thanks!
 
moosez45 said:
I'm thinkin' about gettin a BEAST MODEL and cuttin' it up to send out to friends for Christmas. Hey Pit, you wanna 1/2" by 3" in your stockin'?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Moose
Click to expand...

Funny enough, I have one of the 1/2" by 4" rods and I've struck it so much (just because it's so damn fun) that it's developing a noticable hourglass shape.

In order to better direct the globules, I use the following method:

1) place the end of your firesteel atop the tinder as you might with the harder ferro rods.
2) place the striker at the top of the firesteel (nothing unusual here)
3) pull the firesteel back, fast, against the striker (instead of the other way around). I also find that I move the striker down simultaneously but that's sort of a reflex. This means the globs are cast off just above the tinder and don't have as much chance to go everywhere.

If you have a nice nest of preferably fluffy tinder set up, you'll catch enough globs to ignite. A few always go flying somewhere, I think it's unavoidable :D

Over here in jersey, my best bet for tinder is usually fluffed cedar bark but scraped up birch bark is decent. Despite having the whole pine barrens with PITCH pine, I have never found fatwood. 'Course there's lots of dry pine needles and occasional globs of pitch though.
 
This forum is a great forum, full of many great people. Some people pass as time goes on, but then more people come up.

Glad you finally got a GG firesteel Pit. I love mine :thumbup:
 
I couldn't agree more, Pit. I haven't been as active on here as I'd like to be lately but the things I've learned on here are invaluable and the people here are truly selfless.
 
unit said:
I am new here but have already experienced some of what you speak. This place is now my favorite spot on BF.

I ordered a steel a week ago and hope it will get here soon. I need to make a handle/holder for mine and yours looks killer! I want to make something similar from cedar. Can you give me a tip on securing the handle?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

You need a Drill bit the same size as your fire steel, and then after drilling a hole, just apply 2 part epoxy to the hole and insert...good to go.
 
I am honored to be mentioned amongst your buds Pitdog, thanks for all the pics, I wish I had your freedom, its dark when I go to work, and dark when I come home....I love camping in the winter, but miss the daylight, during the week.
 
The Great Pacific North Wet must been experinced to be belived...
I echo your sentiments on this forum, but I must add one of The reasons I love this forum is your pics!
Allan
 
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