Striking Which For Fire?

[Marc Adamchek]

Tough to find a suitable category forthis question, I guess this will do........Strange little question: When making fire, do you strike your flint with your steel, or do you strike the steel with your flint?

I've always done the first way, but have noticed others doing the latter way.

Just simply curious is all. It's late and the old mind wanders...........

 

[George Kevil]

It depends which way you want your sparks to fly.Strike down with the striker the majority of the sparks fly up. Strike down with the flint and the majority of the sparks fly down. Place you char or what ever you are using to catch the spark accordingly.In general that is.
George

 

[Desert Rat]

What George said, it would be a good idea to practice both ways. When using natural materials it's easier to strike sparks down into the char. The more ways that you can start a fire the better chance you have to get one going when you really need it, with cold wet fingers in gale force winds etc.

 

[Robert Egler]

I agree with Desert Rat and George, either way will work fine with practice. Personally I usually hold the flint and put the char on top, and hit the flint with the steel, but whichever way you find easier. My daughter can’t get flint to spark to save her life that way for some reason. I’ve looked at her technique carefully, and I can’t see what she does wrong , but hitting the steel with the flint works fine for her, so she does it that way.

The key is practice. On most nights in the winter we have a fire in the fireplace at home, and I always start that with flint and steel, that way I get lots of practice!

 

[Black Hand]

It also depends on the type of firesteel. With a "C" steel, I strike the flint with the steel. With my "Colonial" striker (bar with a bent tail for a handle), I strike the steel with the flint.

 

[omarick1948]

I just put a small piece of Char Cloth into my flintlock pan,close the frizzen and pull the trigger. Works great! :thumbsup:

Rick

 

[Robert Egler]

I just put a small piece of Char Cloth into my flintlock pan,close the frizzen and pull the trigger. Works great! :thumbsup:

Rick

Well, yep, that'll do it! :thumbsup: (as long as the gun's not loaded.)

 

[George Kevil]

Or you can lie in your blankets till someone else starts the fire.
George

 

[Desert Rat]

Or you can lie in your blankets till someone else starts the fire.
George

:rotf: :rotf: Now George I happen to know that you are an early riser and will get that fire going good an early....if not I just have to snore a little louder :rotf: :rotf:

 

[ameling]

A lot also depends upon how good your steel striker is. You should be able to get good sparks with a light glancing/ticking blow. You should not have to "pound" your flint and steel together to get a few poor sparks. That light glancing/ticking hit should be all you need for good sparks. The harder it is to get sparks with your fire steel, the more it will affect your method of striking sparks - and where you want those sparks to go.

Over the years, I've seen (and used) way too many poorly heat-treated strikers. And heard many horror stories from other people - from all parts of the US and several European countries. Once you see and use a well-made striker, you will truly understand how bad some of the ones out there really are.

So start with a good striker, and then try both ways to see what works best for you - striking flint against steel, or steel against flint. After that it's all a matter of practice.

Just my humble thoughts to share. Take them as such.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands


p.s. Yes, my preferred fire starting method also is waiting for a buddy to start the fire. :thumbsup:

 

[Claude Mathis]

I just put a small piece of Char Cloth into my flintlock pan,close the frizzen and pull the trigger. Works great! :thumbsup:

Rick

Well, yep, that'll do it! :thumbsup: (as long as the gun's not loaded.)

I do it with the rifle loaded. That way, I can shoot dinner and start the fire all in one step. Saves time and powder. :wink:

 

[RC]

I just put a small piece of Char Cloth into my flintlock pan,close the frizzen and pull the trigger. Works great! :thumbsup:

Rick

Well, yep, that'll do it! :thumbsup: (as long as the gun's not loaded.)

I do it with the rifle loaded. That way, I can shoot dinner and start the fire all in one step. Saves time and powder. :wink:

ahhhh, that required sense of humor thingy! :thumbsup: :haha:

 

[54mountain]

I've done it both ways but usually use the striker against the flint, I don't have to get down on the ground that way.that said rember, The coffee is always on at someone elses camp. :grin:

 

[reddogge]

I do the flint against the striker and the sparks go down to the ground and charcloth.

 

[Bountyhunter]

I lay the char on top of the flint and strike it with the steel, the sparks fly out sideways and ignite the char almost every strike. Hold the char close to the edge with your thumb.

 

[Many Klatch]

Claude, I haven't personally verified this, but I have been told that a lot of old original cabins have at least one bullet hole in the upper left corner of the cabin as you face the fireplace. Apparently starting a fire with the smokepole was pretty common and of course you would clean out the pan and plug it with a feather, before you put the char in the pan, but every once and a while the plug didn't work and the gun went off.

Many Klatch

 

[Ridge]

I hit the flint with the steel.

 

[fluggies4]

I lay the char on top of the flint and strike it with the steel, the sparks fly out sideways and ignite the char almost every strike. Hold the char close to the edge with your thumb.

Yup...I do exactly the same. Had my two grandkids out in the woods today (I had to use snowshoes, they could walk on top of the snow) and I made a small fire this way. I don't think they have grasped the concept of fire-making without matches, or else it's so commonplace for them to see me do it this way that they don't even think about it. Anyway, one strike and the char caught.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

Tough to find a suitable category forthis question, I guess this will do........Strange little question: When making fire, do you strike your flint with your steel, or do you strike the steel with your flint?

I've always done the first way, but have noticed others doing the latter way.

Just simply curious is all. It's late and the old mind wanders...........

I used to strike the steel with the flint and the char resting below it. Two problems with that - wind can blow the char away, and if you miss, you will slice open your knuckles with the sharp flint.

I think it's both safer and easier to hold a piece of char on top of the flint and strike it with the steel. You don't have to pick anything up because it's already in your hand and no cut knuckles.

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:

 

[Claude Mathis]

I think it's both safer and easier to hold a piece of char on top of the flint and strike it with the steel.

Yep. :thumbsup: