06 October 2011

Improvised Striker Steel for Primitive Fire Building.

When I am afield, I don't remember the last time I didn't have a short 6" bastard file. I primarily use it to resharpen my broadheads, but I've used it on a roughed up knife, on axes and so on.

The rock I used isn't flint I know that for a fact. I don't really know what the make up of it is but it works like a dream.

Some pictures and a video below. The stuff I used to make the new char cloth are breast pocket flaps from an old warn out cotton canvas field shirt.

Firecraft Kit



File, stone, wasp's nest, some char cloth and other goodies in there. Finding pieces of wasps nest is always a bit of good luck. Makes a great material to blow a coal into to get a flame.



Close up of the squared end on the file and the stone I'll be using.



Set up and getting ready to spark it.



Video of sparking and blowing the coal to flame in the wasp nest tender.



Charring in action.



Finished char, turned out real good.

2 comments:

  1. Pretty nice story and pics,man. I have a few flintstrikers made from pieces of old small files as well. I have just removed the teeths after getting em redhot, then i have ground down the teeths,and drilled a lanyard hole and stamped my sign on them. Then just heat em up golden red hot,quenched em in to ice &salt water,and they work like a dream.


    By the way....nice to see others who use also the Tracker knife,no matter everyone else says but i like mine lot.

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  2. Thanks for the wasp's nest tip. Didn't know that.

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