You may have heard of flint and steel, or simply flint fire starters, as well as the potential benefits they offer to bushcrafters or survivalists, but the truth is what’s often referred to as “flint” is anything but.
Here’s what you need to know.
No, It’s Not Flint and Steel
Those black rods that are sold to preppers, bushcrafters and other outdoorsmen and which are often referred to as flint fire starters, are not flint at all.
They are made of a material known as a mischmetal which is properly known as ferrocerium. It is a combination of metals such as cerium, lanthanum, iron, and traces of other elements like neodymium or magnesium.
But that’s not important. What’s important is that ferro fire starters are pyrophoric, which means that they are highly reactive with oxygen (in air). When a small enough piece with a high enough surface area is subjected to air, it will automatically ignite.
It is the ferrocerium material itself that oxidizes in air, releasing energy (producing a spark). With flint and steel, the steel is pyrophoric; the flint is just used to shave off a small splinter of steel that ignites in air.
Also, ferrocerium produces sparks that are relatively long lived and which can burn at over 1000℉. Flint and steel produce feeble, short-lived sparks that are much weaker.
As a result, you can use ferrocerium fire starters to strike a fire from many different types of tinder including plant fibers, shaved wood, paper, lint, and other materials. It is much more difficult to strike a fire with true flint and steel.
That being the case, ferro fire starters also have significant advantages over other types of fire starters, as well as over lighters and matches, so let’s take a closer look.
Why They’re Better Than (or Just Good Compliments to) Lighters or Matches
Lighters and matches are lifesavers in the field, and any bug out bag should contain them. Honestly, any EDC dump should contain a lighter too.
But, even so, there are some significant advantages of ferro fire starters over them.
For one, with a match, you’re limited to one strike. Lighters have a limited number of strikes and fuel as well.
Another thing is that matches and lighters are not (or are not truly) windproof. Some lighters are better than others but none are really that windproof.
Ferrocerium fire starters solve all of these problems. For one, they are compact and easy to carry, are waterproof, and will never need to be refilled with fuel.
Leave that alone, ferrocerium fire starters will last through thousands of strikes. You can start literally hundreds if not thousands of fires with a ferro fire rod, making these among the most versatile and long-lasting fire starters on the market.
On top of that, ferrocerium fire rods are truly windproof. If anything, wind blowing on the sparks will actually make them burn hotter, even if only for a short second.
Add on top of that the fact that ferro fire steels are more effective and easier to use than true flint and steel, and you have one of the most essential survival accessories out there.
So, with a ferro fire starter, you have a long-lasting, easy-to-use fire starter that is windproof, waterproof, compact, and reliable.
Where to Get Fire Starters for Your Kit
Want to add a few ferro fire rods to your bug out bag, kit, or just to your knife sheath? Visit The Knife Connection. They sell not only fire steels, but also knife sheaths that have loops for storing them, so you can store one with your knife (which will also be used to strike a fire from it).
