It’s important to have a sharp blade to accomplish this. I had a new Mora(kniv) knife similar to one that I used to shave with that I mentioned in a previous article “Shaving with a Mora knife!!“. They come very sharp! An alternative tool for this task is a break-off blade utility knife. It is said that “a sharp knife is a safe knife” for cutting tasks and I have found this to be true. One technique that can be helpful is to “push” the wood into the knife blade that sometimes gives more control when cutting and can more easily stop the cut where needed.

I cut the wood slivers on the edges of the square wood shaft creating 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. I start cutting from the match head downward as the thinnest part of the resulting slivers will ignite more easily when exposed to the open flame that is produced when the match is struck. I would alternate sides and then cut slightly be!ow the previous cut on the adjacent edge each time so I could avoid creating any undue weak spots on the wood shaft. It helps to carefully pull the sliver outward at the end of the cut for better exposure to the flame.

I was glad to have had so many matches with which to practice this skill until I felt comfortable and satisfied with the results. It helps to support the match head with a finger for better control and to prevent breaking the match when pressure is applied by the blade when carving. I also press down on the match head for better support while I strike it which also ensures better contact.

This is a practical exercise in knife skills that can also be applied to “feather sticks” to be used as tinder when building a campfire.

Recently I wondered if the sticks could be used to cook with or at least used to boil water in an emergency. I had kept the package in a sealable plastic bag however I believe the years of summer heat and the humid climate have effected it as evidenced by the box that seemed slightly saturated with the parafin base and when I struck the tip on the back of the package it would not light.

I decided to boil some water in my stainless steel Sierra cup and filled it with water. I placed it on a BBQ bracket to use as a trivit which allowed the fire starter to be placed underneath. I lit the Strike-A-Fire with a lighter and watched the ensuing flame as it slowly spread along it’s length. It took about 5 minutes to bring the water to a simmer… too hot to drink right away. I withdrew the cup, then the bracket, then placed a can briefly over the fire starter. It was hard to completely extinguish as small embers kept smoldering. I placed the remains in a used Altoid tin and it finally went out.

That gave me the idea that a Strike-A-Fire stick could be cut in half lengthwise to store inside a tin. When needed the tin could be opened and used as a hearth upon which the stick could be lit. So, round 2 was successful with tinder to spare.

In the end, I have to acknowledge that the Strike-A-Fire fire starters were not intended to be used the way that I tested it but it’s nice to know that they can be used that way in an emergency situation. The striking portion does not last indefinitely but the stick portion works fine once lit. It does have a sooty flame so it puts carbon on the bottom of the cooking vessel but I took it down to the nearby creek and rubbed it in the sand which cleaned it nicely.

There are other clean burning fuels available that I prefer to cook with but by trying this proof-of-concept I am happy to have learned the Strike-A-Fire’s capabilities and I put them back into my car’s emergency kit for the future.