Great video. Made myself a couple of strikers from an old file last week. I ground off all the teeth. Took a fair while on a bench grinder. Be sure to keep a cold bucket of water near by to keep your work piece cool. Works brilliant with a small piece of char cloth, char jute, char anything.. My carry tin also doubles as the tin to make more char. It’s an invaluable bit of kit.
My favorite is now a saber saw blade because it requires minimum grinding to get the teeth and sharp corners off, and size it to fit in my wallet, but I have made good firesteels out of LAWN EDGER AND ROTARY MOWER BLADES. After grinding them to a handy size and shape, you may have to heat them red hot and water quench to get them to spark.
Thanks for the demos, Doug. I’ve bought many steels and I still go back to my ole standby...the modded file. Lol. Thanks for sharing brother! God bless🙏🇺🇸
never thought to try some of those tools, though it makes sense as they are high carbon steel and hardened so they should throw a decent spark. Files are great, and I do like to make strikers from files but I have to admit there is something about using a well crafted striker made by a master craftsman (or women) who knows what they are doing.
Thank you. I wanted to let people know that in case they were stranded somewhere, they might try lots of different things. Even some car, motorcycle, and machine part will work.
@@DougShoeBushcraft : Likewise, I’m sure! :-) I’ve already been off into your channel a little bit to look at other videos. I had my suspicions that I could probably use any old stone at all that was more than maybe 70 hardness as the “Flint”, and was fortunate enough to find your video speaking to that very idea. So before it gets too much later here, I think I’ll grab a couple of the nice, sharp pieces, and give them a shot. Perhaps will be well enough blessed to find some granite, and perhaps a bit of pyrite there as well. This is very exciting indeed! Thanks again!
It depends what kinds of rock are available in your area. In some places you can find chert, and other places of the world there is a lot of quartz. If you can't find either, then experiment with hard rocks that will break with a sharp edge. I have been able to use basalt in my area. I recommend you watch the "Flint & Steel" play list on the Doug Shoe Bushcraft channel. th-cam.com/video/f6PjySqpOTI/w-d-xo.html
Doug, thanks for the fire steel tips. I was thinking of What have I found metal detecting over the years that would work, a horseshoe came to mind. It seems it would be great/ minus the rust of course. Any thoughts
I think horseshoe steel is too soft. But you could try it. I don't think it's going to throw any sparks. But it doesn't hurt to experiment, and I think it's fun. You want a harder carbon steel like a file, chisel, or many tools.
I believe that Nicholson files are around 1.25% carbon and all the ones I have tried work great. But, honestly, I don't go by that. I hit the file with a sharp piece of quartz or chert and see how it throws sparks. Old, worn out and / or rusty or nasty looking files can be found at yards sales for almost nothing, or in the trash... If it throws sparks, it's good...
It's from the Dollar Tree in the craft section of the store. Smaller round tins are in a 4 pack for a dollar. Larger round tins are 2 for a dollar. I think that's a smaller one in this video.
All the rocks in this video were found locally on the ground. I talk about it in another video- "Sercrets to Find Flint" th-cam.com/video/OWRC51yTV7g/w-d-xo.htmlsi=idQ0y4eBN6VW-Utw
@@BasaysayTv You need a piece of high carbon steel. Then you need a rock with a very sharp edge. Also thee rock needs to be harder than the steel. If you hit the steel with the rock's sharp edge at an angle then you can shave off very small particles of steel These will ignite when exposed to the air. That is how you throw sparks. It is the steel burning, not the rock.
Thanks for commenting. It's been some time since I filmed the video. I try not to exaggerate, but maybe it came across that way. Speaking in front of a camera can be a challenge. I had basically a year of experience in this one. No script. That said- IMHO chisels and files can throw sparks as well as a made striker. I believe the ones in this video did. I did my best to film in dim light so that the viewers could see the sparks and judge for themselves. If someone was out in nowhere without a normal way to make fire, you can potentially throw sparks off many weird things. Some things like the motorcycle sprocket aren't ideal, but could work.
I'm not sure. I think I tried a brake rotor years ago when experimenting for this video. It didn't throw sparks if I'm remembering right. If you have a sharp piece of chert or quartz, then hit the brake rotor with it.
A good thing to know about the tools, you could include truck leaf springs, coil springs...good one.
Terrific video, Doug. Thank you!
Great video.
Made myself a couple of strikers from an old file last week. I ground off all the teeth. Took a fair while on a bench grinder. Be sure to keep a cold bucket of water near by to keep your work piece cool.
Works brilliant with a small piece of char cloth, char jute, char anything.. My carry tin also doubles as the tin to make more char. It’s an invaluable bit of kit.
Nice. It sounds like you're having lots of fun.
My favorite is now a saber saw blade because it requires minimum grinding to get the teeth and sharp corners off, and size it to fit in my wallet, but I have made good firesteels out of LAWN EDGER AND ROTARY MOWER BLADES. After grinding them to a handy size and shape, you may have to heat them red hot and water quench to get them to spark.
Thanks for the demos, Doug. I’ve bought many steels and I still go back to my ole standby...the modded file. Lol. Thanks for sharing brother! God bless🙏🇺🇸
LOL! The modded file gets jealous that you cheat on it?
Doug Shoe Bushcraft haha yeah 😂
never thought to try some of those tools, though it makes sense as they are high carbon steel and hardened so they should throw a decent spark.
Files are great, and I do like to make strikers from files but I have to admit there is something about using a well crafted striker made by a master craftsman (or women) who knows what they are doing.
Thank you. I wanted to let people know that in case they were stranded somewhere, they might try lots of different things. Even some car, motorcycle, and machine part will work.
Excellent demonstration. Thanks!
Thanks for watching
File is better than other
Thank you very much, sir. This is exactly the information I went looking for. So of course I subscribed. :-)
Thank you. That's great. It's nice to meet you here.
@@DougShoeBushcraft : Likewise, I’m sure! :-)
I’ve already been off into your channel a little bit to look at other videos. I had my suspicions that I could probably use any old stone at all that was more than maybe 70 hardness as the “Flint”, and was fortunate enough to find your video speaking to that very idea. So before it gets too much later here, I think I’ll grab a couple of the nice, sharp pieces, and give them a shot. Perhaps will be well enough blessed to find some granite, and perhaps a bit of pyrite there as well. This is very exciting indeed! Thanks again!
What types of stones could or should I use for striking?
It depends what kinds of rock are available in your area. In some places you can find chert, and other places of the world there is a lot of quartz. If you can't find either, then experiment with hard rocks that will break with a sharp edge. I have been able to use basalt in my area. I recommend you watch the "Flint & Steel" play list on the Doug Shoe Bushcraft channel. th-cam.com/video/f6PjySqpOTI/w-d-xo.html
Cool
very nice video :)
thank you!
Nice video. :)
thank you!
Doug, thanks for the fire steel tips. I was thinking of What have I found metal detecting over the years that would work, a horseshoe came to mind. It seems it would be great/ minus the rust of course. Any thoughts
I think horseshoe steel is too soft. But you could try it. I don't think it's going to throw any sparks. But it doesn't hurt to experiment, and I think it's fun. You want a harder carbon steel like a file, chisel, or many tools.
will 1.0% and 1.25% carbon files do for a striker?
I believe that Nicholson files are around 1.25% carbon and all the ones I have tried work great. But, honestly, I don't go by that. I hit the file with a sharp piece of quartz or chert and see how it throws sparks. Old, worn out and / or rusty or nasty looking files can be found at yards sales for almost nothing, or in the trash... If it throws sparks, it's good...
Doug, forgot to ask, where did the round metal tin/holder come from?
It's from the Dollar Tree in the craft section of the store. Smaller round tins are in a 4 pack for a dollar. Larger round tins are 2 for a dollar. I think that's a smaller one in this video.
That’s awesome, they make good char tins too. Forgot to ask one other item for fire steel, something very common almost everywhere, a railroad spike?
@@jerrytalley802 I think railroad spikes would be to soft as well.
See the national flag of Serbia
Where to find that kind of flint stone?
All the rocks in this video were found locally on the ground. I talk about it in another video- "Sercrets to Find Flint" th-cam.com/video/OWRC51yTV7g/w-d-xo.htmlsi=idQ0y4eBN6VW-Utw
@@DougShoeBushcraft does the rock produce sparks or on strikers?
@@BasaysayTv You need a piece of high carbon steel. Then you need a rock with a very sharp edge. Also thee rock needs to be harder than the steel. If you hit the steel with the rock's sharp edge at an angle then you can shave off very small particles of steel These will ignite when exposed to the air. That is how you throw sparks. It is the steel burning, not the rock.
Hey! I want a certified foot!
👍👍👍👍👍
Really none of the tools throw sparks like the made striker. You exaggerate most the tools you tried.
Thanks for commenting. It's been some time since I filmed the video. I try not to exaggerate, but maybe it came across that way. Speaking in front of a camera can be a challenge. I had basically a year of experience in this one. No script. That said- IMHO chisels and files can throw sparks as well as a made striker. I believe the ones in this video did. I did my best to film in dim light so that the viewers could see the sparks and judge for themselves. If someone was out in nowhere without a normal way to make fire, you can potentially throw sparks off many weird things. Some things like the motorcycle sprocket aren't ideal, but could work.
I think you were fair
Does brake rotors have a high enough carbon content to spark with flint?
I'm not sure. I think I tried a brake rotor years ago when experimenting for this video. It didn't throw sparks if I'm remembering right. If you have a sharp piece of chert or quartz, then hit the brake rotor with it.