firesteel?

[labellavita]

are these really as good as they say? Trying to fill out more of my preps and came across firesteels (had never heard of them before).

I'm thinking of getting a couple, and I guess the replacement rods?

THanks!

[Navajo]

Not sure what product you are talking about?

Post a link to a seller.

[labellavita]

sorry Navajo, here is where I ran across firesteels:

http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/swedish-firesteel/

there are a bunch on ebay

THanks!

[Navajo]

They work great!

Better yet is these Blastmatch items. I have been using now for a couple month.

http://www.sawtac.com/component/page,shop.browse/category_id,9/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,30/

Buy from this guy, local guy that is trying to get his busines going. He had a heart attack and is doing this from his house. Some of our local shooters help him pack and mail things out.

I buy stuff from him instead of the big name vendors. He has good prices.

[AK_Greybear]

These are wonderful little devices.

I build and sell survival kits for use in cold country.

These are the foundation of all my kits.

Much can be said about their use.

The short version is: have tender - dryer lint works best, carry it in a 35mm film can.

Cotton balls with a little petroleum jelly will help in wet conditions.

I currently have about 250 of them for kits.

The blast matches work well but for me they are too expensive.

- Greybear

-- Got Tender?

[labellavita]

thank you so much for the link Navajo, the little 'video' really helps with the visual ;-)

I was kind of wondering exactly how would one use this...

[labellavita]

These are wonderful little devices.

I build and sell survival kits for use in cold country.

These are the foundation of all my kits.

Much can be said about their use.

The short version is: have tender - dryer lint works best, carry it in a 35mm film can.

Cotton balls with a little petroleum jelly will help in wet conditions.

I currently have about 250 of them for kits.

The blast matches work well but for me they are too expensive.

- Greybear

-- Got Tender? my DH rolled his eyes at me (well, actually he was much cooler about it than that, it was an internal eye roll ;-) ) when I mentioned saving dryer lint, and that's what I've been doing. I love the camera film can idea! Wish I could give you and Navajo two big thumbs up! Don't know how to do that on this forum.

Big thanks to both of you!

[RiJoRi]

Make sure the dryer lint is cotton! I've heard polyester doesn't catch too well.

The other thing is to use the petroleum jelly -- rub it into the cotton until the cotton is nice and gloopy. One (1) PJ'd cotton ball will burn for 5 minutes! (I have timed it!) Also, when you have your tinder going, you can step on the ball to extinguish it.

Freak out your friends -- 0000 steel wool will also ignite! Use the fire stick, or to REALLY impress them, use a 9-volt battery -- stick it into the wool and FWOOMP! Fire!

This and many more facts can be found at Survival.com. The DVDs are great, and the forums are good, too. (I have no connection with them other than as a satisfied customer.)

--Rich

[Saul Mine]

Swedish steel is called ferrocerium in the USA and any camping store will have it.

Rub the vaseline into the cotton ball, then scrap out as much as you can. Stack the result is a small container. A 35 mm film can will hold about 2 dozen of them. To use, fluff the cotton out to the original size and put the spark to it.

In practice, a Bic lighter is your primary fire starter and a spark maker is second best. Anything else is just something else. No other lighter brand can match the Bic for durability and reliability. Diesel lighters are ok but expensive. Steel wool burns, but it also rusts, and batteries go dead. Don't bet your life on gewgaws.

[dreadstalker]

They are a definite must have.
I carry one on me and have one in each of the BOBs

I am also partial to the fire piston.

[AK_Greybear]

... Diesel lighters are ok but expensive. ...

Yeah, but you gotta use the prewarmer. They smoke, knock loud, and now with the price of diesel gone above gas, they're more expensive to run....






Sorry....

Couldn't resist.

[Caplock50]

Soooo...got a picture to post?

[labellavita]

Soooo...got a picture to post?
Hi Caplock, would you like a picture of the firesteel? Blastmatch? Both?

[Wisp-O-Smoke]

I use Flint&Steel with a little charcloth. Works great. Charcloth, for those who don't know, is charred 100% cotton cloth. I make mine by using a small paint can with lid. You punch a small hole in the lid of the can so the chemical gases can escape. It will sound like a jet engine. Build your self a fire and get a bed of coals going then place the can in the coals. Make sure you turn it over a few times so the cloth will cook evenly. When it is just puffing a little smoke, it should be done cooking. Place a tooth pick sized stick in the hole in the lid and wait for the can to cool. Then open the can, it should be black and charred, if some of it is brown, it might need to cook longer. I know this ain't high tech but it is a good survival choice and having as many ways to build a fire is a good idea.

Wisp:smile:

[Caplock50]

labellavita, a picture of them all would be very nice. Remember the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words"?

[maduro cigar]

The firesteels work very well. I have a few of them. The cotton ball with vasoline pertroleum jelly burns for quite a while, allowing a fire to take hold, but don't over-saturate the cotton ball. You might want to make up some cotton balls with different amounts of petroleum jelly on each, to determine which you like the best. Alcohol swabs (in the foil pack) also work well, but will not burn as long as the treated cotton balls will.
Any place that has Boy Scouts of America supplies, has a smaller firesteel with striker that is small enough to put on a key chain, and they cost a little less then the swedesh firesteels.

Also note, the firesteel material is very corrosive, and should be treated with something that will prolong the surface from constant contact with air. Anything oily or greasy lightly coated will work. I use clear fingernail polish, and find it works quite well.

[maduro cigar]

Another site that has a lot of neat survival items: www.onestopknifeshop.com

[momof23goats]

now ya tell me about this stuff, i just got 200 lighters from sams club.

[Caplock50]

Mom, save them. And when they run out of fuel, take them apart and save the flints out of them. Once you've got enough flints that they measure about an inch and a half to two inches long, placed end to end, get a block of lighter pine. This block of 'rich lighter', should be about 1 1/2 X 1 1/2 X 3 inches. In one side carve a shallow groove end to end. Super glue all your flints, jammed end to end, in the groove. Now, what do you got? Combined with a knife or another stiff, metal object, you have a fire starter. Just whittle a few shavings from the block of wood; scratch the back of your knife down the line of flints and...fire!

[Navajo]

Now that is brilliant Cap!

[dreadstalker]

Mom, save them. And when they run out of fuel, take them apart and save the flints out of them. Once you've got enough flints that they measure about an inch and a half to two inches long, placed end to end, get a block of lighter pine. This block of 'rich lighter', should be about 1 1/2 X 1 1/2 X 3 inches. In one side carve a shallow groove end to end. Super glue all your flints, jammed end to end, in the groove. Now, what do you got? Combined with a knife or another stiff, metal object, you have a fire starter. Just whittle a few shavings from the block of wood; scratch the back of your knife down the line of flints and...fire!
Thanks cap!
Thats a hell of an idea!

I'll have to try that one myself. A person can't have too many firestarters.

[Caplock50]

I got the idea from seeing one some 15 years ago in a 'camping' store. Thought to myself, "$5.00 for that?! Heck, I can make my own!"

[Caplock50]

A better idea for making my firestarter would be to go by a welding supply store and get the flints for cutting torch lighters. The flints are fatter and a bit more sturdy.

[momof23goats]

thanks Cappy, that is a wonderful Idea. thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wisp-O-Smoke]

Another thing you might carry in your fire kit is tire rubber. It will burn even wet.

Wisp:smile:

[dreadstalker]

Another thing you might carry in your fire kit is tire rubber. It will burn even wet.

Wisp:smile:

1 inch patches of bycycle inner tube works well. doesn't take a spark real well though.

[labellavita]

labellavita, a picture of them all would be very nice. Remember the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words"?HI Cappy, here are some links:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqp-pgDDhNY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=346cbmhyGd4&feature=related


comparison video on firesteels, blastmatch, etc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbdcH5taRZ8&feature=related

click on the picture of the blastmatch, you should see the pic animated

[Caplock50]

Thanks, labellavita, but I don't get youtube...ssllooww dial-up...and a nearly dead computer. That 'blast match' reminds me of a plastic toy 'ray gun' you could buy at wal-mart real cheap. You could buy one of them; cut a little window in the plastic and have a trigger to pull to make lots of sparks.

[labellavita]

oh Cappy... all it really is, is a couple of pictures, in sequence, shown really close together, so its not a real film, just a fast moving comic strip, so to speak. He pushes down on the rod and it explodes with this great spark several inches in diameter (not a tiny spark, its quite big)