- Firesteel
Firesteel is a piece of
high-carbon steel used for striking aspark , usually kept in atinderbox together withflint andtinder . From theIron Age onwards, the use of flint and steel was the most common method offire lighting prior to the invention of thefriction match .More recently the term 'firesteel' has become synonymous with so called 'artificial flints' which are metal rods of varying size composed of
ferrocerium , an alloy of iron andmischmetal (itself an alloy primarily ofcerium that will generate sparks when struck). Iron is added to improve the strength of the rods. Small shavings are torn off the rod with either a supplied metal scraper, a piece of hacksaw blade, or, commonly, the back of a knife ground at a suitable angle. These shavings then ignite at high temperatures, and they are much more effective than their historical equivalent.While it takes practice and properly prepared
tinder to create a sustained fire, the modern firesteel is considered by survival instructors and serious outdoorspeople to be one of the most reliable ways of making fire in severe conditions. The sparks produced by these products are extremely hot, 3000 °C (5500 °F), and easily light toilet paper or small pieces of wood or commercial tinder products.Modern firesteels are widely available in
outdoor shop s.Traditionally a flint and steel were used; however, the flint was not the important part. With a proper striker, you can get sparks using any hard, non-porous rock that has a sharp edge, even petrified wood. The spark comes from chipping small pieces of steel off the striker; finely divided metals ignite immediately in air, with steel burning at yellow-white heat.
Charpaper can be used as an intermediate step between the striking and the tinder.External links
* [http://www.goxplore.net/guides/Flint_and_Steel GoXplore Guides: Flint and Steel] , introduction to the use of a firesteel
* [http://bushcraft.se/film/index.html.en Making fire using a quartz stone and knife (episode 3)]
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