Fire steel Strikers.

Now that Wolk Creek is closed, who is making great sparking fire steel strikers?

I got a good one from Townsend. It’s my back up one, my other is almost fifty

Carteret Kid said:

Now that Wolk Creek is closed, who is making great sparking fire steel strikers?

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UN-answerable question.
The "art" of getting a proper temper to a hand held steel striker is just that, an art.
Might as well ask,
Who makes a great car?
Who makes a great tent?
Who makes a good rifle for target and hunting?
What's the,, (?)

Carteret Kid said:

Now that Wolk Creek is closed, who is making great sparking fire steel strikers?

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There is a gentleman named David Pennington that can be found on the ALR forum who makes excellent strikers as well as other small forged items...

I have a few of his strikers including this whale, have given a couple as gifts, also have at least 2 of his turnscrews.

Has anyone have a striker for Beaver Bushcraft In UK?

I have ordered several strikers from Don Abbott of Seymour, Tennessee. He is a master blacksmith with a deep interest in history. I probably have 10 or 12 of his steels now. I find images of historical steels, calculate some dimensions and send him the information, and he turns out a steel that looks exactly like the original and sparks like the dickens. He sends a flint with every steel, too.

There is also a fellow named Alan something, who runs TurkeyFoot Trading. They have a nice website. Alan is a blacksmith and makes the steels that he sells. He makes these in various historical patterns. I have a couple of his steels, and they are very good. He normally has these in stock, so you don't have to wait for him to make one for you.

Carteret Kid said:

Has anyone have a striker for Beaver Bushcraft In UK?

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I contacted Beaver Bushcraft several years ago, and he did not want to ship any cutting tools or anything related to fire-making to the United States. At that time, I believe the company name was Shark Designs, and it was later changed to Beaver Bushcraft. The old company stocked fire steels made by a British blacksmith named Andrew Kirkham. I ended up getting two Kirkham steels and a canoe awl from Ray Mears, who is also in Britain but had no qualms about shipping those things and a hatchet to me. The Andrew Kirkham steels (a "Classic C" and a "Canadian Oval") are really beautifully forged. They are slightly thinner than most of the current American made steels, but they are excellent sparkers. So, I don't know if Mr. Kirkham is making the steels sold by Beaver Bushcraft, but if he is, you won't go wrong with one of his steels.

One final thought is that in my opinion, fancy steels may be somewhat over-represented these days. There were probably hundreds of thousands of the simple "bright oval" steels traded for pelts and skins for the duration of the fur trade that interests us. The oval steels are easy to hold, authentic, and give two striking surfaces to double the working life of the steel. One of these would be a good choice for almost anybody on the frontier.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

Notchy Bob said:

in my opinion, fancy steels may be somewhat over-represented these days.

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Yup. Agreed. I bought the whales because I liked them and they fit in here in New England.
Most of my steels are of the well documented, basic rectangle with a small tail folded over the back, design. No ovals,,, yet.
I do have a couple of the knuckle duster design steels so common today. One doesn't spark well, the other sparks fantastically (can't remember where I got it) but I like the rectangles better.

If you attend a rendezvous you could have one made, any larger event will have at least one blacksmith. I have large hands and most commercially made strikers are too small for my hands.
If you have one made on site you can test it right then and there.

Brokennock said:

Yup. Agreed. I bought the whales because I liked them and they fit in here in New England.
Most of my steels are of the well documented, basic rectangle with a small tail folded over the back, design. No ovals,,, yet.
I do have a couple of the knuckle duster design steels so common today. One doesn't spark well, the other sparks fantastically (can't remember where I got it) but I like the rectangles better.

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Thank you for your comments. It has always been my belief that when practitioners of living history are educating the public, it is important to represent things as they were in the time being portrayed. However, I don't see a thing wrong with getting personal gear that may be a little out of the ordinary to use on your own or when with your buddies. I think the whale striker is cool, and the New England connection makes it even more so. Considering where I live, maybe I should get Mr. Pennington to make a steel in the shape of an alligator. I might just pursue that...

I would also like to add that the old flint and steel, whether of common traditional or whimsical design, still has practical applications. Aside from the historical and fun aspects, they actually work very well once you learn how to use them. I have a firepit in the back yard and generally use one of my strike-a-lights when I build a fire in it, and I prefer the strike-a-light when camping. Oddly enough, even a little bit of wind will blow a match out, but with the flint and steel, the breeze just feeds oxygen to the ember and helps turn it into flame. James Cook, author of Fifty Years on the Old Frontier, said of the Mexican cowboys with whom he worked in the 1870's that "...each man carried a flint and steel, together with a piece of punk or prepared cotton tape with which to build fires or 'make a smoke'" (p. 15).

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

andy52 said:

If you attend a rendezvous you could have one made, any larger event will have at least one blacksmith. I have large hands and most commercially made strikers are too small for my hands.
If you have one made on site you can test it right then and there.

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Many times I have seen 'blacksmiths' at ronny who don't deserve the title. Often, they are only able to heat square stock and twist it into some kind of accessory. No real smithing or skill involved. I doubt most of them are not capable of making a good sparking fire steel. OTOH, there are some highly skilled smiths, but they seem to be in a very tiny minority.

Rifleman1776 said:

Many times I have seen 'blacksmiths' at ronny who don't deserve the title. Often, they are only able to heat square stock and twist it into some kind of accessory. No real smithing or skill involved. I doubt most of them are not capable of making a good sparking fire steel. OTOH, there are some highly skilled smiths, but they seem to be in a very tiny minority.

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Not to be critical, but I have observed pretty much the same thing at those events I have attended. As with anything else, there are levels of skill. Some blacksmiths are better than others, and some have mastered the craft. This gets us back to post #1 and the OP's question: "Who is making great sparking fire steel strikers?" He wants names.

@Brokennock suggested David Pennington. I can recommend (based on first-hand experience with their steels) Don Abbott, Darryl Aune, Andrew Kirkham (who is in Britain), Randy Wolfe of Bethel Forge, and Alan Schroll of TurkeyFoot Trading Company. All of these have produced great sparking steels for me. Some give their work a nicer finish than others, but if you want sparks as well as authenticity, you won't go wrong with any of them.

I will also say that I have acquired a couple of the little Scandinavian steels produced by Wilmas, of Sweden, as well as a Russell "bright oval" steel from the Museum of the Fur Trade. These are both beautifully made but they don't spark worth a hoot. They make nice souvenirs, I guess, but the ones I acquired have little practical value.

I think your best bet for an authentic and good-sparking steel is get one handmade by a master blacksmith. The mass produced ones just don't measure up.

Notchy Bob

Turkeyfoot Traders make excellent steels as my friend Notchy has mentioned. I have a couple as backups. Sometimes you get lucky as I did. My primary striker is a no name. I was camping near Kettle Point First Nation (Anishnaabe) on Lake Huron and while driving through the rez I happened upon their little trading post/souvenir shop. I stopped in and was surprised to see a small basket filled with fire steels. The young lady working the cash couldn’t tell me anything about them. The plastic bag they came in said MADE IN GERMANY. For 12 bucks (9$ USD) I took a chance. Best striker I’ve ever owned. Throws sparks like a Chambers lock.

The English style strikers are sold out however I have a good supply of three finger strikers.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...-charcloth-kit-optional-burning-glass.113747/

A good striker doesn't require a good blacksmith or magic. It requires a suitable choice of steel and a proper heat treat. Some years ago I watched a table for a guy at Martin's Station who had a dozen strikers made by one of those mentioned by Notchy Bob, a well known name and knife maker, and while the owner was away, I sold one to a young girl just getting started living history. Customer came back within a few minutes complaining of no spark. I said, not a problem we will exchange it for you, lets find you a good one. Tried them all. Of the rest of that bunch, only one had a decent enough spark, and it was a no brag. I gave her money back and that bunch went back to the maker, and the vendor bought no more from him.