Perhaps you have seen various survival reality shows and watched as participants have struggled to get sparks from their ferro rod. There are many ways to accomplish this as illustrated below. Click on the photo to play the animated GIF.

Blade strikes forward from above the rod   This approach shoots sparks onto your tinder bundle but potentially you could hit the tinder with the striker and dismantle it, thus preventing or extinguishing ignition. (Click HERE if plugin doesn’t work)	GIF
Rod pulled backward from below the rod   The benefit of this approach is that the striker is static and held in place and does not threaten to break the tinder pile while holding the generated sparks right on the tinder for ignition. (Click HERE if plugin doesn’t work	GIF
Rod pulled backward from above the rod   Similar to pulling the rod from below, it keeps the spark on target to the tinder bundle. Care should be taken to hold firmly onto the rod so as not to injure your hand while it presses down on the top of the rod during the strike. (Click HERE if plugin doesn’t work	GIF
If you have a short ferro rod, such as a broken piece or perhaps one of those used as a toggle on a paracord wrist band you can create a good spark by propping it on a small rock or piece of wood with tinder surrounding it. This provides extra height for casting sparks as well as a stable base upon which to strike the rod. This support technique is also helpful when using conventional flint and steel (see “Flint Support for Striking“) (Click HERE if plugin doesn’t work	GIF

I recommend that you try each of the methods mentioned to see which one works best for you.

Strikers create a spark when struck on the edge of a sharp stone due to the micro bit of shredded metal that is sheared off. The friction makes it “red hot”. Each of the metals when sheared have differing temperatures and duration of their sparks. Steel is 2500°F, titanium is 3263°F, and ferrocerium is 5430°F (hence, it’s popularity as a fire starting device).

High carbon steel strikers are the classic instrument of “flint & Steel” fire making. The method requires charcloth (carbonized cloth or other material) as a form of tinder to be used to catch it’s spark. There are a few natural materials such as chaga fungus and horse hoof fungus that will catch a spark as well. Sparks on other materials such as cattail fluff or other natural tinder have been reported to catch a spark but I have not been able to ignite them using the conventional steel strikers.

Recently I watched a video demonstrating the use of a titanium striker. Because the spark temperature of titanium is higher than that of steel it is able to ignite natural fibers known as “flash tinder” without the use of charcloth. I decided to purchase a titanium striker to experience this for myself and now it’s a new ball game! I was able to strike sparks directly into cattail fluff and created flames.

The titanium striker maintains the look and feel of the classic carbon steel striker but produces a hotter spark with a longer duration for a wider range of tinders with which to create fire. I have begun to experiment with different flash tinder and was able to create fire from cattail fluff, cotton fiber, jute fiber, and dandelion seed puffs. In the end I will have developed skill in using all three types of strikers and will be able to apply the best tool for each situation.

Whether the steel strikes the flint or the flint strikes the steel, the sparks that are created are actually micro particles of the carbon rich steel that are “red hot” when shredded off by the percussion of striking.

In today’s modern world there are materials that are very hard that can be used instead of traditional flint. These are usually found in the form of ceramics. A common source is broken sinks or toilets that are often referred to as “john stone” or “thunder stone”. Another source is broken Corning® Dinnerware or Bakeware. These materials can be acquired in an urban environment and are occasionally used by flint knappers to hone their skills.

This alternative source was the case for me as I was assembling a DIY flint & steel kit for a friend recently. As I searched my basement for all of the kit’s components, I couldn’t find a suitable stone. I passed by my flint knapping area and noticed some Corning® pieces where I had been working on an arrowhead. I picked up a piece to test it for sparks and “presto!” it worked great! It dawned on me that I no longer had to rely on rocks for a flint to make a functional kit.

Esthetically a rock is more traditional to flint & steel firecraft but now I know that alternative materials can be used to make a fire when needed.

Making charcloth takes time and sometimes can be difficult to achieve the optimal conditions and cook-times for the best results. Like any process, consistency gives you the ability to produce predictable results which leads to perfection. I suppose that folks throughout history that used this fire method on a daily basis had the process down pat, but for those of us in the modern world who are “citified” are inconsistent in this process. However, modern technology can be our friend.

While visiting a local “flea” market I came across an electric single burner hotplate; a counter-top appliance that is typically used to percolate coffee or cook a one-pot meal. It had a rheostat to control the temperature and it dawned on me that I could use this to cook cotton fabric into charcloth. So, for two dollars, I walked away with what I hoped to be a solution to charcloth perfection, and as a bonus, no fire or coals were needed.

In a previous article “Making Charcloth” I showed how I form little cotton patch “burrito” rolls laid side-by-side inside of an Altoids tin. This is the set-up that I placed on the burner element set on “high”. At about two minutes brown smoke began to emerge. After an additional five minutes the smoke began to diminish and I pulled the tin off of the burner to cool. When I opened the tin I could see that I needed to adjust the timing slightly but still had usable charcloth. I will continue to experiment with the dynamic of temperature and time to find the right combination for optimum results.

Now I have the capability to make charcloth without the need for fire or coals and with the predictability of quality. So keep on the lookout for a single electric burner next time that you visit a flea market or yard sale so that you can produce and keep a ready supply of charcloth on hand for your next flint and steel fire.

Obsidian, a glassy rock, is a favored material but only found on the West Coast. A number of other states have flint. Here, in North Carolina, there is no flint. The local material in this region is quartz that is tough to knap and can be found in various shades of white. However a similar material to flint is found on the Southern boarder of the state that is called rhyolite and is usually greenish-gray in color. When this material is found locally you know that it was “imported” and is referred to as “trade stone” because Indians would trade goods to obtain this nicer material to fashion into arrowheads.

Local arrowhead hunters recommend that one of the best places to look for arrowheads is in a freshly plowed field after a heavy rain. The artifacts in the photo were not found in a field but rather in the mulch beds around an apartment complex that I tend. Fortunately for me the general public does not recognize these as artifacts and have been left as “rocks”. Having done some flint knapping I can recognize the signs of man-made shapes created by hammer stones, billets, and pressure flaking.

The two quartz pieces are rough compared to the finished points using trade-stone. Arrowheads can have different shapes based on tribes and differing eras. Some artifacts that are roughly shaped mid process are known as pre-faces. The rhyolite shown here is a piece off of a stone as it was reduced to the final shape. This is known as a spall from the spalling process. It’s not an arrowhead but a byproduct of the process to make one.

My guess is that the grounds where the mulch was processed happened to be located over old Indian campgrounds and were picked up when they loaded their trucks for delivery. It’s a delight to discover these bits of history in the course of tending the landscaped grounds. What can you find in your gardens?

Ferrocerium is an alloy that is softer than the carbon steel used in the traditional flint & steel fire method. What most people don’t know is that you do not need to use a metal striker to create sparks from a ferro rod. Flint rocks and similar types of glassy stones are hard enough to shred micro shards off of the softer ferrocerium metal that create the spark. The trick is to create a sharp edge for striking (or scraping). This can be accomplished by breaking one stone with another.

Click To See It In Action

When you get a chance, try some of these materials out for yourself. I would love to receive comments on other materials that you may have used as a striker to successfully start a fire with a ferro rod.

Despite the advantage that ferro rods provide, not everyone is successful or gets immediate results. Some obstacles to ignition are dampness or fineness of materials. When in the field it is wise to collect assorted tinder found along your path to help insure your “fire success” at the end of the day.

I have had the opportunity to provide demonstrations of bushcraft to various groups over the years. On one occasion during a class outing at a youth camp I had a request to demonstrate how to build a campfire using available materials. It had been raining and I only a little time to find suitable materials. It was a fail. For the next class I was determined to succeed in building a successful campfire so I brought some cattail fluff along with some flaky textured river birch bark. The birch bark provided the fine tinder to catch the flames that were produced by the ignited cattail fluff. Birch bark has the additional advantage that the oils in the bark, once lighted, will burn despite a wet and damp environment and will last long enough to get kindling on it’s way to a successful fire.

I selected a curly piece of bark that was flaky and placed a pinch of cattail fluff inside the curl. This helped to contain the cattail in place as any wind would try to break it apart. When I use a ferro rod, I hold the striker (in this case the square-edged back of my knife) next to the tinder and place the ferro rod underneath it. I pull the ferro rod up against the striker and out, thus keeping the sparks in place without disturbing the tinder. Striking down the ferro rod with a striker could potentially travel forward and strike your tinder setup as well and scatter it apart.

An alternative to river birch bark for tinder is dry leaves, whether deciduous or pine. Be sure to place some material above the cattail because it will have a very short duration flame that must be caught. Have small dry sticks handy to build upon the flames. For more pointers on building campfires, see me article “How I Build A Campfire“.

We’ve all heard about the prowess of a “one match fire”. Now you know the elements and method of a “one strike fire”. Take time to experiment with different materials so that you can achieve this goal for yourself, then teach it to others.

At a recent event an attendee stopped by my display and began to share some interesting information about his life experiences. The topic turned to black powder and he asked me an interesting question: “Do you know why we always see flintlock rifles mounted above the fireplace mantle in old movies?”. I could only guess that there was convenient wall space there. He replied “…because they used their flintlocks to start the fire in their fireplaces.”

He explained that a feather quill was placed in the hole connecting the flash pan to the barrel thus blocking the ignition path from the pan to the loaded barrel. Black powder was then placed in the fire pan and the rifle held next to the tinder and discharged to light it. I knew that this was something that I had to try myself. I was able to contact a friend who owned a flintlock and he agreed to help me achieve my goal.

We established that the rifle was not loaded and gathered the needed materials. The hammer holds the flint that strikes the steel plate (or frizzen) that creates sparks over the pan which holds the black powder and ignites it. I prepared a bird’s nest of tinder using crushed oak tassles or catkins with cattail fluff placed in the center. I held this bundle next to the flash pan so that when I pulled the trigger to release the hammer, the resulting ignition lit the tinder causing multiple embers that I then blew into a flame.

My friend suggested that a piece of charcloth could capture a spark as well so we placed a piece of charcloth in the pan instead of black powder and were successful in capturing a spark. Not only did I accomplish two new fire methods for my life-list but I felt a connection to our historic past and could better imagine what our forefathers did in their daily lives, improvising with the tools and resources that they had available.

Most folks who demonstrate flint & steel fire making like to use jute fiber to make a flame from the glowing charcloth. It is quick and dramatic. A ball of fine natural fibers works quite well for this purpose. However, in this case, a candle is lit by igniting the vapor of super-heated wax which in turn lights the wick. In some circles of Civil War reenactors it has been a badge of pride to accomplish this skill.

In an article “Making Charcloth” I describe how to make charcloth by using small pieces of rolled up cotton fabric. I have found the finished charcloth rolls to be the key element to igniting a candle. Many flint & steel kits include candles as they are used to sustain a flame while starting a campfire and it is especially useful when using damp materials for tinder. I use a small birthday cake candle in my kit and for this candle lighting method.

The procedure I follow is to catch a spark at one end of the charcloth roll, then place the seam of the charcloth roll against the candle (to avoid unraveling) with the spark end next to the candle wick. Tilt them slightly so that the charcloth is under the wick, enabling the heat to rise up to the candle. Blow gently from the charcloth side toward the candle. As the wax melts smoke will appear and with a gentle sustained breath the vapor will eventually ignite the candle wick. Good quality charcloth will make a positive difference.

Once learned, this method has a practical application besides exhibiting your flint and steel prowess, it offers an alternative ignition source in the event that you do not have fiber available.

My interest in removing bottle bottoms is that it provides material that I use to develop my flint knapping skills. Admittedly, a 40 oz. bottle is preferred because it provides the most glass to work with but requires a rod of some sort to strike it out from within the bottle. But a regular 12 oz. size bottle still has usable material for practice and is much more plentiful to acquire.

There are other uses for the remaining bottle. For instance, when inverted, the bottle becomes a funnel and can be strategic for adding fluids to your automobile in an emergency situation. Another use is as a stationary or mobile candle holder complete with integrated chimney and handle.

How do you remove the bottom? Begin by filling the empty bottle with water until it is 2 inches from the top. With one hand, use your thumb and fore finger to surround the lip of the bottle while holding the neck, and with the other hand strike the opening with the butt of your palm. It’s best to do this over a soft area like a lawn to prevent breakage of the released glass and to absorb the spilled water. Be sure to pick up any remaining glass shards that fell to the ground during the process. It’s important to note that thin glass bottles might crack upwards while releasing the bottom. I have had no problems from this but you should take any safety precautions that you deem necessary.

With a little practice you should experience success. I’m still working toward larger bottle sizes with hope of overcoming the 40 oz. barrier of resistance.Click HERE to view a short video demonstration.