Flint and Steel
Advanced Scout Skill
Flint and Steel techniques were the method of choice for starting fires in the age of Lewis and Clark. It requires a hard carbon steel, a harder piece of rock and ember tinder such as char cloth. Learning this skill helps you truly understand how fire works and how to respect and grow and ember into a flame.
How does Flint and Steel Work?
Metal and a rock is hit in just he right matter than a tiny sliver or iron is shaved off. Heat from friction and exposure to oxygen causes iron to ignite. This blob of molten iron is hot enough to create an ember in certain tinders such as char cloth. The ember grown in the tinder by blowing on it until it bursts into flames.
Steel Striker
The type of steel you use for your stiker really matters. You can get a spark from Stainless Steel, but it is insanely difficult with just a piece of flint. You want a hard, high carbon steel. A purpose made striker generally works best.
Steel Stiker Options
High carbon purpose made flint striker
High carbon knife
Use spine (back of knife) NOT the blade
Stainless Steel works poorly if at all
– too soft and too much chrome
Metal File
Back of Saw Blade
Some axes (Council Tool)
Many high carbon shop tools
Tools
Morakniv with Carbon Blade
Opinel with Carbone Blade
Silky Saws
Gerber Folding Saw
Council Tool Boy’s Axes
ESEE Knives
Files, utility blades and hacksaw blades
Flint
Flint is generally what you think of when using Flint and Steel fire techniques. But other rocks will work, with different results. What you need is a hard and sharp rock. A hardness of 6 or more is important. And for beginners, your stone should be ideally razor sharp.
Ideal rocks (Hardness 6.5)
Chalcedony (composed of precipitated silicon dioxide)
Flint
Chert – little more brittle than flint
Jasper
Quartzite – wears quickly and produces half as many sparks as flint
It’s found everywhere – look in a riverbed near you
Acceptable rocks
Granites (6 range) – wears quickly
Obsidian (volcanic glass 5-6 range) – wears quickly
Petrified wood (7-8)
Agate
Don't know what each of these rocks looks like? No worries. Just go to river and select random rocks. Smash them with larger rocks to create sharp edges. Try stone on your steel. If it creates sparks, it's a keeper.
Ember Tinders
The sparks created with Flint and Steel Techniques aren't very hot. You need prefect ember tinder to catch a spark and turn it into an ember.
Ember Tinder
Char Cloth
Chared Punkwood (spongy wood)
Chared pithy wood
Cared Cattail
Chaga (tinder fungus)
Some Natural Tinders work
Dry Stinging Nettle fibers
Dry waterleaf
Great Burdock
Tinder Bundle
After you establish an ember in your tinder, use it to ignite a tinder bundle. Tinder bundles can be made from all sorts of available materials.
Jute fibers (unwound jute twine)
Sisal fibers (unwound sisal rope)
Dry grass
Dry moss
Cedar fibers
Cottonwood inner bark
Juniper Bark
Very fine feathers from wood shavings
Technique
Flint and Steel requires a lot of practice. Some people pick it up quickly, but most will need a lot of practice. The key is hitting your steel against your rock in a way that the steel moves as fast as possible and just barely hits the rock.
Force equals 1/2 mass times velocity time velocity. This means that speed is exponentially more important then how hard you hit your stone. Don't try to hit your rock Hard. Hit is Fast!
Classic Steel striker on Flint Technique
Char Tinder placed on top of fling
From start to end, this motion for striker creates a gentle arch
High Carbon Steel Knife on Flint Technique
Back of knife needs to be High Carbon Steel
Most knives are made from Stainless steel, which won't work (unless you have super skills and luck)
This is generally NOT a good technique to work on. Most knives just won't work and some will flip open when used.
Stone on Knife Technique
This technique showers tinder with sparks
Anchored Knife Technique
Anchor knife in wood to steady knife. This is safer that trying to hold and exposed knife blade in your hand.
This Technique is reserved for more mature Scouts and Adults with excellent knife skills. It must be done under the supervision of one of our Survival instructors.
Saw Slide Technique
If a saw (or knife) blade is long enough, you can slide your stone across it to create sparks.
Ember Fires
Carefully place your ember in your tinder bundle and blow some life into that fire!