[Stamps Rule]

I am dissapointed with flint striker "fire starters" **Updated with new test video**

I bought a couple of Coghlan flint striker "fire starters" tonight, but after me and a buddy messed around for a good half-hour with a pile or dried leaves and torn apart paper, we were a hole bunch of FAIL.

One of the little plastic handles came off, which was disappointing, but otherwise it worked as described, just not as well as I thought it would. The package says "good for 4000 strikes", which is great, because you'd need every single one of them to even come close to something resembling a fire.

So what are the alternatives to this type of system? What works best?

Granted, I only paid $12 for the pair and I know you get what you paid for, but if this is all I had and I was stuck out somewhere in -20, I'd be in a bad way right about now.

 

[aryaba]

I'd check out Ray Mears. His series of videos on bushcraft will help you in this and many other situations.

 

[aryaba]

 

[Stamps Rule]

YouTube - Ray Mears / How to Light a Fire

There is no way that the product I have is the same as what he is using. None.

He barely moves his knife across it and has a shower of sparks. I just tried mine again using his much slower technique and I got no sparks at all.

If I scrape mine quickly, I get a short burst of sparks, but nothing that travels any distance beyond the end of the magnesium (unlike in the video where he had sparks travel for feet).

So my next question is, are there different grades or qualities with these flints? There must be, because the kind I have doesn't even come close to producing the quality or number of sparks as his.

ETA - The product I'm using is Coghlans and made in China. I passed on the identical looking Swedish made product that the store carried as an alternative to this as it was twice the price ($15 instead of the $6 I paid). Coghlans does not list this exact product I'm using on their website, which tells me that it is discontinued.

I know the "made in China" part probably isn't working to my benefit, but is there (in general) quality problems with some of the Coghlans products?

 

[aryaba]

Did you try using the back of a strong knife like he did? And really scrape it?

 

[aryaba]

If you have the kind you strike with only, you need to use a different method. Hold the "flint" in your hand with the fluff you plan to light (drying lint is perfect) and strike it (while holding both). Keep striking until a spark catches, then fold the fluff onto the spark and blow. This should work pretty easily.

 

[wifiwaves]

There are a few areas where you don't want to practice false economy.

1. Knife

2. Fire making

3. Water purification

These are things that you absolutely must be able to depend on.

At least you found out the hard way when your life didn't depend on it.

 

[aryaba]

There are a few areas where you don't want to practice false economy.

1. Knife

2. Fire making

3. Water purification

These are things that you absolutely must be able to depend on.

At least you found out the hard way when your life didn't depend on it.

Bundled in with the knife; care and sharpening of the knife - very important.

 

[mowgli]

try dipping a small piece of steel wool in denatured alcohol and using that to strip the protective lacquer? varnish? off of the striker. Mine didn't spark worth a crap 'til I cleaned it...:

 

[manyholes]

or try just sparking the steel wool it is great tinder .. or make you some Char cloth..

 

[Countryman]

Stuff a prescription bottle with vaseline soaked cotton balls and use your firesteel to ignite those. Easy to ignite, lightweight, good burn time, no hazardous material, and you have vaseline for scrapes, blisters, lip balm, etc.

 

[SkullyWV]

I bought a couple of Coghlan flint striker "fire starters" tonight, but after me and a buddy messed around for a good half-hour with a pile or dried leaves and torn apart paper, we were a hole bunch of FAIL.

One of the little plastic handles came off, which was disappointing, but otherwise it worked as described, just not as well as I thought it would. The package says "good for 4000 strikes", which is great, because you'd need every single one of them to even come close to something resembling a fire.

So what are the alternatives to this type of system? What works best?

Granted, I only paid $12 for the pair and I know you get what you paid for, but if this is all I had and I was stuck out somewhere in -20, I'd be in a bad way right about now.

Bic lighters are the way to go. You can order them in bulk online.
That being said, backup is imperative. I like to carry a small bottle with dryer lint, a chapstick and a mag bar.

A little pinch of chapstick mashed into the dryer lint; add some magnesium and hit it with sparks. You can get an intense 30 to 60 seconds of fire even in a moderate wind.

 

[B-mobil]

Stamps

I bought several different types of fire making devices and had very mixed results. The one that I bought, liked and have bought several more for me, friends and family is made by "firesteel". I really like the one they sell that the aluminum tube becomes the handle, I found you get a lot more leveage against it, so you get more sparks.

I have found that thier product is of very high quality and it's "Made in America"

You might want to check out Firesteel.com, I personnal like them, but thats just my 2 cents.:thumb:

Good luck

 

[robkenpo]

I have no problem with mine and i paid 4 bucks for it. I also have magnesium strikers paid 8 bucks a piece for them, they work great.

 

[survive]

I just ordered some of these from Hong Kong and an very happy with the amount of sparks I get. I have never tried the Coghlan's brand ones, but have tried some that really don't strike that well - so you are right in that there are definitely different qualities.

Here's the link:
http://www.meritline.com/survival-fire-sparkle-blade-cutter-tool---p-42588.aspx

The flint rods from "survival gear" are the same quality, in my opinion (I've bought both)
http://www.survivaltopics.com/gear/
The striker piece from this website is a better quality than the one from Hong Kong, although it works too. Just my personal preference.

So I have put the striker from Hong Kong (Has better handle than the one from Survival Gear) with the Striker from Survival Gear (Has PVC grip on the striker piece and works better than the one from Hong Kong).

Now I am very happy with this combined piece for my gear and definitely trust it to help me in a real NEED situation.

 

[bug-out-betty]

lol! dried leaves???!!!! yeah its the firestarter not you!!!!! lol!!

 

[Stamps Rule]

Stamps

I bought several different types of fire making devices and had very mixed results. The one that I bought, liked and have bought several more for me, friends and family is made by "firesteel". I really like the one they sell that the aluminum tube becomes the handle, I found you get a lot more leveage against it, so you get more sparks.

I have found that thier product is of very high quality and it's "Made in America"

You might want to check out Firesteel.com, I personnal like them, but thats just my 2 cents.:thumb:

Good luck

Ok, thanks. That's the 2nd or 3rd time this Firesteel brand has come up in this thread. I'll look into them.

 

[mwnavyvet]

Dryer lint will definitely take a spark - super dry and quick to light. I keep several tubes of it around.

 

[bug-out-betty]

maybe spend 5 minutes learning what materials take a spark. leaves and paper are a major fail on your part.

if you shoot sparks into a puddle of diesel fuel is it the fault of the striker or the fuel that it doesnt ignite?

 

[zengunfighter]

There is no way that the product I have is the same as what he is using. None.

He barely moves his knife across it and has a shower of sparks. I just tried mine again using his much slower technique and I got no sparks at all.

If I scrape mine quickly, I get a short burst of sparks, but nothing that travels any distance beyond the end of the magnesium (unlike in the video where he had sparks travel for feet).

So my next question is, are there different grades or qualities with these flints? There must be, because the kind I have doesn't even come close to producing the quality or number of sparks as his.

ETA - The product I'm using is Coghlans and made in China. I passed on the identical looking Swedish made product that the store carried as an alternative to this as it was twice the price ($15 instead of the $6 I paid). Coghlans does not list this exact product I'm using on their website, which tells me that it is discontinued.

I know the "made in China" part probably isn't working to my benefit, but is there (in general) quality problems with some of the Coghlans products?

As you have found out, you get what you pay for. Ferro rods are not created equal. I really like the Light My Fire ones that are made in Sweden (the one you passed on...)