Those are the adventures of Mr. Fimbulmyrk, in bushcraft and blacksmithing, mountainbiking and hiking, reenactment, writing, singing, dancing, stargazing and having a piece of cake and a coffee. Pray have a seat and look around you, but be warned - the forest´s twilight is ferocious at times.
A firesteel is somewhat of a misnomer. To the kids I explain it a by stating that the material isn't of course steel, but Auer metal, an ingredient in mini fireworks like a sparkler decoration. Technically, it is called Ferrocerium and it is a compound from Iron and the rare-earth mineral cerium, hardened with magnesium and other ingredients. It was discovered by the Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach in 1903, possibly in residues from Thorium mining. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrocerium).
A ferrocerium rod is a rather convenient and reliable way to start a fire. Well, a BIC or matches are even more convenient, but sometimes not as resilient in a wet environment. And let us not forget the aspect that they are fun! 😉
The wet blanket of course is that they are a highly industrialized approach to a rather simple problem. Sustainability works in another shed, so to say. They can last you for a long time, though, which is sort of a compensation for a bad ecological balance.
I got myself some small diametre ones, just 6,3 mm. Those make for a lighter and more compact carry. For the things I do that is more than enough, and they are dead cheap. But you can get yourself a bigger one alright.
Making them requires a knife, a saw and a power drill. Actually you can also use a Swiss Army knife to mount them.
Saw off a little block of your favourite wood. I used bog oak, birchwood burr, and stag antler.
Drill a 6mm hole into the handle. With the tip of your knife, remove the burr from the hole. Do not glue the Ferrocerium rod into the handle or use pine resin. That way, you can use up the half that rests inside the handle, too. Two I recessed to the half of the rod into the handle to make for a more compact carry, the other two I left a bit longer for easier use. Gently tap the rod with a wooden mallet or rubber hammer.
On the stag antler Ferrocerium rod I added a lanyard hole for carrying in a traditional bushcraft sheath loop. And just like that- hey presto: Ferrocerium rod. 😉
After shelter, it is one of the most essential human comforts. Warmth is crucial for survival, but there is more to it. Maybe the fact that we love to mindlessly scroll on Tok or elsewhere could be traced back to a primeval yearning- to stare into a fire, without a thought or a worry at all, warm and safe. I cannot know. That those platforms rot one's brain and hack your mind is a neurological and psychological commonplace, and it is also a commonplace that this is intentional.
A fire, however, is proven to have a rather wholesome effect on the human mind.
Now do not get me wrong. In my EDC, there are matches, a lighter, a ferro rod and a tinderbox. And flint and steel, although I am getting better at it, would be pretty much my last resort in a emergency situation.
But just as a fire is more than just a survival necessity, starting a fire always had sort of a ritual character for me. And of course, you should know how to have the capability to start a fire at the tip of your fingers, with as many different methods and techniques as possible. But that is not all there is. Starting a fire with flint and steel has a certain beauty to it that is hard to fathom.
To me, it is a form of reconnecting. That is a pretty big word, but I do not apologize.
For flint and steel success, you need to know where to find means to catch a spark. You need to know how to (sustainably) harvest tinder conk and process Amadou and/or make charcloth. You need to not only know where the mushroom grows, you need to know the local ecosystem, you need to know how to process the material. In order to do that, you need to know why it works. If you know why that might work, you are also capable of learning about the medicinal properties of the mushroom. You will also realize that the mechanical properties of the Amadou lend themselves for the material to be used for a leather substitute. And first and foremostly, you learn how to respect and value your resources, for they are rare and precious.
Then you light a fire with it. It is not exactly easy, and there certainly was a learning curve involved for me, and still is. I want to be honest to you: I am not always sure whether or not I will succeed. I do succeed most of the time, and I still do practice a lot. It is good fun, even though there is still a certain element of doubt involved.
Getting a fire going that way feels empowering.
Please keep in mind that I am a certified fire brigade assistant and that I have permission by the local authorities. Because a rather essential part of firecraft that few people show you in those cool 15 second Videos on the interwebs, is how to watch a fire, control it, and put it out, and when not to start a fire at all. How to be able not to set the whole forest on fire.
And here is the culprit. I guess some of you got a bit infuriated because of what I said, but it actually wasn't meant as an offence. Quite the opposite.
Most people cannot know. Because we are not just disconnected, we are being actively separated from nature. Our primeval yearnings are abused in order to profit. And do not get me wrong, I am not a stranger to mindless scrolling myself.
Lighting a fire with flint and steel, with a fire drill or other friction fire techniques, is not exactly efficient. If you are in a survival situation, and you got other means of lighting a fire, use them. But it is great to have a Plan B, C and D. And the most important thing is that it is a really valueable means of reconnection- and empowerment.
Because there is a war going on, not only on culture, but on humanistic values, and the human species per se. A war for profit. Don't fall for the fearmongering, though. Just switch off your phone from time to time and maybe get a campfire going, brew yourself a cuppa trailcoffee or tea and breathe a bit deeper. Take care of your fire, of course, but I trust you do anyway.
Never forget: To date we still do have a choice to choose a more wholesome activity over mindless brain rotting.
