Mine is six inches long

Doc Ruby

You heard me. I picked up a new firesteel a while back, a six inch long blank, half an inch in diameter, and strapped some paracord around the middle of it.





As you can see it's been through a bit of use! That's a double constrictor knot, just a simple X with the cord pushed under it on either end, then a double shoelace knot (that's what I call it, no idea what the offical name for it is, I tie my shoelaces with it) to bind the whole together, and the same to tie the two ends together.

I used those knots in case I ever need to unbind it and use the cord for other purposes, they hold well while being easy to pick apart. This is also why I didn't melt the knots for a better seal.

Initially the plan was to drill out and carve a piece of bog oak for a handle and holster but then I thought, what does that gain me? I lose an inch and a half off the back end, the thing won't slide into a knife sheath no matter how modified it is, and I'll be stuck with packing a sharp lumpy piece of wood. Sure it would look pretty but really, I think I'll save that for the next blank I buy. Now I can switch the rod around to get the maximum life out of it.

I got that off ebay, rapid delivery and no complaints on the price. Initially, worried about quality, I went to these guys looking for a big un. I went through the ordering process only to be told they didn't deliver to Ireland. Great, I'll send off a quick email to query that - no reply after two weeks, so bad cess to them.

That blank produces a fine fat shower of sparks, but you have to use the right striker. The proforce was too big, and the sparks went flying off in every direction far too early. A simple dog tag one built up a hard to remove residue and just stopped working. Oddly it also scraped the top of the firesteel so flat that it didn't spark at all! I eventually got the results I wanted with the Light my Fire striker, whose smaller teeth did well in terms of control and quantity.

Overall I have to say I deeply enjoy using this firesteel. There's something very satisfying about lighting your fire with a shower of sparks, and the heft and weight of it adds to the experience. You don't need a handle, as the modifications show, but if you did you could make one fairly easily. I feel more interested in practising my tinder production skills with this in hand, and it will last for decades.

An important note about firesteels in general:
SALT WATER OR SWEAT CORRODES THEM.
If it's on a necklace next to your skin, you're damaging your firesteel. Even being in a salty environment like near the sea can cause a blueish black compound to form, and it will absolutely consume your steel. Varnish the exposed bits or keep it in a waterproof baggie with the rest of your tinder and firemaking supplies. Salt of any sort plus firesteels equals destruction.

Esel

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Mine is six inches long

"This size... is perfect for scout masters" :eek:

Doc Ruby

Esel wrote: »

"This size... is perfect for scout masters" :eek:

They do a twelve inch blank too, I can't imagine what that would be perfect for!

Actually you could put it inside a walking stick, that might be quite nice.I was reading some guy's blog a while back and he estimates the six inch should do for about a quarter of a century lighting fires daily, so that should keep me going for a while anyway.

I'm still getting another one and do the bog oak project though, it would look good on the hip while swaggering about in a nettle fibre suit.