I bought a flint and steel fire kit from Track of the wolf, and it came today, but I'll be danged if I can get sparks from the flint and steel. After 20 minutes I'd succeded in getting only two tiny sparks. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong? I've used harbor freight flint and steel and have great success with that. but with this stuff I can't seem to get sparks enough to start a fire. Appreciate any thoughts on this. srndr
I have won every single fire starting contest I have ever entered since I was a Cub Scout. I can start a fire with steel wool, a magnifying glass, wood bow, mag stick, sometimes even a stern look. But the strange way they use flint & steel at any muzzleloadeing gathering or event I look like a drunk sailor after a storm at sea. I have yet to be able to start a fire let alone win the race. I believe it is black magic and voodoo tricks that make it work and therefore I now stay away. If you still want to figure out how to make it spark, I go find someone who knows what they are doing and just watch them for a while, then ask them to teach me.
My flintlock will do it consistently. I use a Bic lighter. :o
I love you guys, honesty at at last.ha ha I think I'll try a hack saw blade today, maybe that'll work, otherwise I'll go back to the coleman and Harbor freight flint and steel that works so well, heck, maybe matches, I'm not proud.
I know this will sound crazy, but, if I were out in the woods with my flintlock rifle and was cold and needed to make a fire. I would prime the flash pan, close the frizzen , place the lock next to some Tinder and pull the trigger. enough sparks to start a fire and be getting warm before any of you ever got a spark from flint and steel fire kit. Try that with a useless caplock.
Sounds to me like you got a soft steel. It's not that tough to do, usually.
Mark
making fire with flint and steel is`nt hard at all , once you figure it out and get in some practice ! this is the best video I`ve seen on it ! it`a almost 24 minutes , but he knows what he`s talking about ! https://youtu.be/FYEnrbZWMaU
Quote from: pilgrim on March 05, 2016, 06:37:27 PM
I know this will sound crazy, but, if I were out in the woods with my flintlock rifle and was cold and needed to make a fire. I would prime the flash pan, close the frizzen , place the lock next to some Tinder and pull the trigger. enough sparks to start a fire and be getting warm before any of you ever got a spark from flint and steel fire kit. Try that with a useless caplock.
I've done it dozens of times. ;D
Quote from: beezlebob on March 05, 2016, 08:54:26 AM
I bought a flint and steel fire kit from Track of the wolf, and it came today, but I'll be danged if I can get sparks from the flint and steel. After 20 minutes I'd succeded in getting only two tiny sparks. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong? I've used harbor freight flint and steel and have great success with that. but with this stuff I can't seem to get sparks enough to start a fire. Appreciate any thoughts on this. srndr
You need GOOD char cloth to make it easy. But if your steel is too soft nothing will help.
A good steel can be made from a three sided file. Grind the teeth from one corner to be used as a striker surface. Then you have three sides to sharpen tools. Make char cloth in an empty shoe polish can or 4 ounce stain or paint can.
Make your tinder bundle right , spend the time on it, it'll be worth it in the long run. Also try some char cloth with it, if none available fine grass, moss or old birds nest, than fine grind up dried pitch into the mixture. My record at rendezvous with flint and steel was a little over 9 seconds with char cloth, I run about 30 seconds to a minute without. It just takes practice. If none of that works I recommend my stand by, a gallon of gas and a match will get'er going. ROFL
Road flares will work great. :mini-devil-28492:
I carry flint and steel in my truck and like to teach the basic fire starting skills at boy scout events... but I'll be honest - the one time I fell into a very cold, Pine river in Wisconsin, I was knew I shaking so baldly that I could not get flint to steel and did not even try. I got my benz-o-matic torch out of the truck and pressed the trigger... instant fire and hot enough to start a nice fire to get me warm....
beezlebob, I bought a flint and steel fire kit fro Ebay about 8 years ago, it looked nice had a hand made leather pouch a big chunk of Flint a char tin full of char cloth and a good supply of Tow and sap wood.etc even some tender fungus. As a scout I could get sparks from the Scout steel and flint set quite well.. pnic...But the Ebay striker would barley make a spark?? I handed it to a buddy that naps flint as a hobby and demonstration or Student day activity at rendezvous and Powwows etc... He put the flint to it and Sparks flew everyplace??? I said it was not the flint or the Steel it was Me! hdslp My buddy showed me a little better way to grip the Rock and had me angle the steel just a bit and after a bit of practice I had the "Bad flint and steel" throwing sparks like a champ! Practice makes a big difference! Keep sparking You will do fine beezlebob thmbsup
Well, guess I'll go back and try some more to do it right. Has really been frustrating with nothing to show for it. Char cloth and punk wood, all sorts of stuff, but, you gotta get a dang spark to do it. No sparks, no fire. That's where I am at right now. Will try some more I guess.
Quote from: beezlebob on April 02, 2016, 12:31:08 AM
Well, guess I'll go back and try some more to do it right. Has really been frustrating with nothing to show for it. Char cloth and punk wood, all sorts of stuff, but, you gotta get a dang spark to do it. No sparks, no fire. That's where I am at right now. Will try some more I guess.
See if you got an old railroad spike laying around and try it. They are real hard metal. Point it at your tinder and strike. It is heavier and won't change the strike angle as easily. Also be in low light so you can see sparks. Might do the trick for you.
Quote from: beezlebob on April 02, 2016, 12:31:08 AM
Well, guess I'll go back and try some more to do it right. Has really been frustrating with nothing to show for it. Char cloth and punk wood, all sorts of stuff, but, you gotta get a dang spark to do it. No sparks, no fire. That's where I am at right now. Will try some more I guess.
haave you watched the video I posted a link to ? guy explains a lot , well worth watching ! https://youtu.be/FYEnrbZWMaU
So I watched that video and was impressed. I have always had a hard time getting enough spark from the traditional flint & steel, so I always went to my backup of magnesium rod and knife. After watching the vid I went out and gave it another try and was pleasantly surprised at the spark I was getting. Now to make up some more char cloth and see if I can finally start a fire with it. Hey Beezlebob, watch the video, if it can help me, it can help you.
my steel is made from an old file that had the teeth ground off one edge ! throws a heck of a shower of sparks ! about a three inch section of an old mill bastard , had no way to heat the metal at the time , so came up with a different idea , it is notched on each end and fasted in a heavy D shaped piece of leather , so I can hold it . not traditional , but works ! lol
Quote from: Lucky Buckeye on April 02, 2016, 02:31:01 PM
Quote from: beezlebob on April 02, 2016, 12:31:08 AM
Well, guess I'll go back and try some more to do it right. Has really been frustrating with nothing to show for it. Char cloth and punk wood, all sorts of stuff, but, you gotta get a dang spark to do it. No sparks, no fire. That's where I am at right now. Will try some more I guess.
See if you got an old railroad spike laying around and try it. They are real hard metal. Point it at your tinder and strike. It is heavier and won't change the strike angle as easily. Also be in low light so you can see sparks. Might do the trick for you.
The older spikes from switching yards and corners work best. Look for HC in the printed code on top if still viable./
Doug
I see so many new guys(no offence) try to stike a spark by scraping the steel with the flint like you would scrape a firestick with a knife, Its more of a glancing blow,Ive done it strikeing the flint with the sgeel and viceyvercy
Quote from: markinmi on July 06, 2016, 10:15:58 PM
I see so many new guys(no offence) try to stike a spark by scraping the steel with the flint like you would scrape a firestick with a knife, Its more of a glancing blow,Ive done it strikeing the flint with the sgeel and viceyvercy
Also, remember that you are slicing off bits of steel with the sharp edge of the flint and it takes a rather sharp blow to do it!
If you are unsure of the angle look at a flintlock. Your best sparks come from the bottom half of the frizzen where the angle is sharpest, just before it flips back out of the way.
Call Turkey Track, I guarantee they will spark and they are fairly priced.
Good folks! Send yours back to track.
Nit Wit