You guys remember that Viagra commercial?

[NateReed]

Well, I saw the same fire-starting method in the season premier of Longmire. Sheriff Longmire was freezing and used the spine of the 110 against a rock as a flint and steel. I want to know, is this possible to do, or Hollywood magic?

 

[Ken44]

Hey, if Longmire can do it, it can be done

One of my favorite shows, and that was a good episode:thumbup:

 

[9blades]

Hollywood magic, the 110 uses stainless (and always has, as far as I know at least) when you're sparking a knife against a rock it has to be carbon steel to get sparks.

 

[tatfiend]

9blades;

Are you sure? I have seen lots of sparks when grinding 316 stainless against a grinding wheel. Looking at the "rock" used I thought that it looked like iron pyrites which is a very good spark producing mineral. It was used in the wheellock as the sparking material. The thing I found most questionable is that the brass bolster was what it looked like he hit the mineral with and brass is definitely not sparking normally.

 

[9blades]

9blades;

Are you sure? I have seen lots of sparks when grinding 316 stainless against a grinding wheel. Looking at the "rock" used I thought that it looked like iron pyrites which is a very good spark producing mineral. It was used in the wheellock as the sparking material. The thing I found most questionable is that the brass bolster was what it looked like he hit the mineral with and brass is definitely not sparking normally.

First of all, my prior statement was a little broad, stainless will spark, but I've never heard of anyone doing it with flint. Also Keep in mind I only have a relatively crude understanding of the science behind this, I'm sure when your using a grinder a high speeds it will spark, my understanding is as follows: when you strike a piece of flint against a carbon steel or iron knife/striker the small bits of metal that are shaved of oxidize, and it's my understanding that a byproduct of oxidation is heat, in other words the sliver of metal shaved of oxidizes so fast it turns into a spark.

Now I said stainless wouldn't spark, which isn't true (to an extent it was true in the contexts it was used) I was (and still am) under the impression that it was harder to make stainless spark because it doesn't oxidize as quickly...I could be wrong, that's just my understating (please remember it is 1:00, its possible None of what I said makes sense)

Lastly, I thought the only purpose of the rock was to shave metal off the steel in question (again could be wrong)

Here's some good reading on the subject.
http://survivaltopics.com/article/flint-and-steel-what-causes-the-sparks/

 

[NateReed]

First of all, my prior statement was a little broad, stainless will spark, but I've never heard of anyone doing it with flint. Also Keep in mind I only have a relatively crude understanding of the science behind this, I'm sure when your using a grinder a high speeds it will spark, my understanding is as follows: when you strike a piece of flint against a carbon steel or iron knife/striker the small bits of metal that are shaved of oxidize, and it's my understanding that a byproduct of oxidation is heat, in other words the sliver of metal shaved of oxidizes so fast it turns into a spark.

Now I said stainless wouldn't spark, which isn't true (to an extent it was true in the contexts it was used) I was (and still am) under the impression that it was harder to make stainless spark because it doesn't oxidize as quickly...I could be wrong, that's just my understating (please remember it is 1:00, its possible None of what I said makes sense)

Lastly, I thought the only purpose of the rock was to shave metal off the steel in question (again could be wrong)

Here's some good reading on the subject.
http://survivaltopics.com/article/flint-and-steel-what-causes-the-sparks/

I should be a little more specific myself. If appeared as if the rock he was striking was the one making the sparks. So I think I was getting more at what makes a rock spark, rather than the knife. I've used stainless knives on flints before, so no question that will spark. As tatfiend was saying, it must be the rock...

 

[Sonnydaze]

Darn it; I missed that episode. Just set up for series recording. Perhaps that one that I missed will be run again. Decent program last year.
sonnydaze

 

[NateReed]

Darn it; I missed that episode. Just set up for series recording. Perhaps that one that I missed will be run again. Decent program last year.
sonnydaze

They might show it right before the next episode. I think it comes on Mondays