Not only you are amazing at teaching blacksmith skills, but you also seems to be a very humble and pleasant guy. I have much respect to you and your works, you greatly inspired me with overall blacksmithing and if i started blacksmith recently is all because of you, and i eternally am thankfull for what you teach to all of us here
Holy crap. That's a nice bit of work there, but frankly, I put an old file in a vice, hit it with a hammer and broke it in 3 different pieces, and ground file edges off on a bench grinder, leaving me with 3 firesteels and maybe a total of 3 minutes work. They spark just fine.
Interesting that you make the face smooth. When I was in the Boy Scouts some used a file for flint-and-steel fire starting and I thought it had to be a rough surface. Now I know better!
G'day and nice one. I am thinking of making more and more my own takes on old ideas. I have made swords and armour but not looked into the basics of life back then. I am having ideas of a cloak/blanket pin that also has a decorative stricker. some knotwork and a celtic dragon maybe.
i dont know if it's a like minded thing, or it's a the sorts of people who are drawn to smithing, often share similar outlooks or interests, but i keep finding videos you have made about making things i want to make, and i can't believe what a resource you have made here, and you do it in a way that looks achievable, so again, thanks, really appreciate it.
I always have so much fun starting a fire with a striker I forged, char cloth I made from some old blue jeans, and some beautiful chert from my parents’ yard in my home state of Texas.
Pun intended..... Thank you for sparking my need to make fire..... Thank you for all your dedication to your channel and it's ever-growing audience of Blacksmiths and their admirers. Happy holidays
I loved this video. When the upset went to wrong side, I said... that's gonna be backwards. Then when you caught it had to laugh! Great video, great content, great channel. Thanks for all you share!
Happy Yuletide to you and your family! Great video yet again. The wife and I got a laugh out of the backwards upset issue. When you were doing it, I grumbled to the wife that you said you wanted the striking surface flat, but maybe I misunderstood. When you commented that someone should have warned you we both lost it. We love watching your videos. They get better every day!
I googled and tried to learn about what exactly is a firesteel and how it is used. This video answered all my questions and was really enjoyable to watch. Thank you for such an amazing video.
I have watched this video many times and thoroughly enjoyed everything about it John. I have just commissioned you to making me a R type striker, can't wait to getting it in hand and seeing how it strikes, I love supporting forges who are keeping these traditions alive.
Quartz and chert also works pretty well in place of flint. In Indiana, we have lovely chert. Any stone that is sharp or jagged enough and has a mohs scale of 7 or more will work. Quartz, flint, amethyst and chert have a few things in common, but in this case the mohs scale is 7. The act of striking the steel against the stone you grating a piece of the steel off of the striker to become super heated. The rock is harder than the steel. Think of it like a grinder grinding metal and throwing sparks.
Good Evening , John This Video was a Blessing in disguise , it has been way to long ago that I had made a Stricker ! This has more than a renewed understanding of what I had remembered ! PLUS A LOT MORE ! Thank you very much for adding to my knowledge ! Take Care and Be Safe !
I’m in North Dakota and my step dad grew up on a sugar beet farm in Minnesota just over the ND MN border and I must have a thousand beet chains haha. Guess I know my next project. A flint striker! I will probably laminate some high carbon steel onto a wrought iron body. Just discovered some wrought iron horse shoes so I’m doing lots of wrought iron and steel things
Thank you so much for making these videos. I have been trying to learn blacksmithing skills for a while now and this is realy good to follow. I can't thank you enough.
I’m jealous you have the ability to crank those out. Been looking at them for months on amazon but there isn’t a lot to choose from. I tried to make my own by busting off a chunk of a new Nicholson bastard file but as you’ve said before, the new Nicholson is not the old Nicholson. In fact, I’m convinced it’s some kind of stainless steel or heavily alloyed. Barely works as a file, and doesn’t work at all as a flint and steel striker. Going to have to scrounge up an old file somewhere.
I like strikers made from leaf spring or 5160ish. The sparks are nice and orange (1500F range) and they don't do that dandelion head sparkler thing which I find makes them harder to catch. Great video John, thanks
dandelion sparks are indicative of high carbon content as I understand it, W2 and O1 do this which is good, the best strikers I have spark like that, as in spray those lovely dandelion sparks. Old files (which are usually made from W2) have those dandelion sparks. My Andrew Kirkham and Olivemead's all do that as well. Being harder to catch is a bad thing, and is usually indicative of poor char material.
On the twenty-seventh day of Christmas the black bear made for me, a fire steel, a troll cross, a forge welded belt buckle, a basket twist Christmas ornament, a corkscrew, a blanket pin, a squirrel cooker, a key fob, a ball and cup toy, a decorative punch, meat scewers, a hot dog fork, jingle bels, a candy dish, a paper towel holder, a menorah, BBQ tongs, a stocking hunger, a Christmas tree ornament, a cabinet pull, a dinner bell, a steak flipper, a hose hanger, a bottle opener, a candle snuffer, a nice wreath hook and a beaitifull coat hook. Merry Christmas! Also to the Christmas gargoyle 😀!
The presentation is great and helpful. One thing that eludes me is something no one seems to address. That is the thickness of the the striker. Is thicker better or is that really a function of effort?
I don’t have much luck finding flint, but I have found quartz and agate work just as good. Once again another great video. I’m sad to be at the end of the count down. Thanks for all that you do Merry Christmas and a happy Nee Year
Merry Christmas John, thanks for another great video. These are a really nice, very simple project that is fantastic for teaching hammer control. I make a ton of these for reenactors and rendezvous folks. The simple style of the little one is historically accurate for almost any era from the Roman Empire all the way to the American Civil War.
Thank you John for your videos. I look forward to watching them everyday. I'm learning a lot. I make my steel strikers out of rake tines our coil spring. Coil spring seem to make good sparks and I have started a few fires with them. And I get the steel for free. Just wondering if I'm making an inferior striker by not using another steel? I try to make my striker fit an altoid tin. Great gifts for archaeologists.
Great and informative vid! So if you don’t have forging capability, will and old unadulterated file work just as well, or will it be “too” hard? Thanks!!!
I wasn't aware I even gave measurements for this one. Merry Christmas
Před 5 lety
@@@BlackBearForge You did not give the overall dimensions but you did say you would draw out a couple of inches.
Před 5 lety
@@SwampCritter In the US you use imperial so there is no confusion. The confusion is when they try to appease everyone.
Před 5 lety
@@SwampCritter How many Empires were built on imperial and how many on the metric system. The Roman Empire, the Spanish Empire, The British empire and now the American financial empire all built on imperial. Metric was created by scientists to count in tens.
I think I need a better fire steel. You really have a lot of nice blacksmithing tools. I tried to make a striker out of an old file ,smoothed the sides and it still will not throw a spark?? Do I need to re temper it?? Or is it just because it is old? Thank you!
Amazing video! I've never seen someone start a fire with one of these. In fact I believe this is the first time I've ever heard of a "char cloth". It's one of those cases of "assumed" knowledge. Most other videos gloss over the actual proceedure. Merry Christmas, John.
@@erniew5805 Thank you for that! I can honestly see myself like Frazier Crane when he and Lilith were in the woods in a cabin with him trying to light two logs bashing a couple of rocks together. Lol. 👍
Merry Christmas and thanks for solving my mystery striker , maybe . I am a old man that just got into primitive fire making starting with a ferrocerium rod and then on to flint and steel My favorite striker, out of 5 or 6 I have, looks like the one you make and I could not remember where I got it, at least a yr. ago or more. Your so right all striker are not made a like. I mostly use chert found in the creek beds. Now my favorite tinder is charred punk wood, but still carry charred denim. I am afraid I will lose it , if I carry it to the creek. Do you still have them for sale ? Vic
John, another OUTSTANDING video. I have a stupid question. (Sorry) when your talking about a steels "carbon content" does forging in a coal forge and quenching in oil (both carbon based materials) increase the carbon content of the steel itself?
Just a fun fact. It isn't the friction in the shaving process that ignites the steel particles. It's the fact that iron is pyrophoric. Which means that it will ignite at at around roomtemperature. But the sureface of af steel bar is so guickly coated in a oxidiced laver that it isn't noticeable. But the Tiny piece of steel has a Huge surface-volume proportion which means that it Will ignite from contact with oxygen. Just so you know ;) Nice instruction though
@@BlackBearForge And long ago, a man was called a "wer", but nowadays the word is man. I can list countless examples of things which are no longer called what they were called long ago, and countless examples of things which are now called what other things used to be called. Nowadays, fire steel is a nickname for a ferrocerium rod.
Not only you are amazing at teaching blacksmith skills, but you also seems to be a very humble and pleasant guy. I have much respect to you and your works, you greatly inspired me with overall blacksmithing and if i started blacksmith recently is all because of you, and i eternally am thankfull for what you teach to all of us here
You are very welcome
I couldn't say it any better!! I love this guys videos
This is the most informative video on forging a fire steel.
I love your sense of humor.
Exactly what I was looking for!
Holy crap. That's a nice bit of work there, but frankly, I put an old file in a vice, hit it with a hammer and broke it in 3 different pieces, and ground file edges off on a bench grinder, leaving me with 3 firesteels and maybe a total of 3 minutes work. They spark just fine.
Interesting that you make the face smooth. When I was in the Boy Scouts some used a file for flint-and-steel fire starting and I thought it had to be a rough surface. Now I know better!
Some sparks flew out the screen and caught me on fire to make some fire steels myself, excellent work!
G'day and nice one. I am thinking of making more and more my own takes on old ideas. I have made swords and armour but not looked into the basics of life back then.
I am having ideas of a cloak/blanket pin that also has a decorative stricker. some knotwork and a celtic dragon maybe.
Educational. Thank you!
i dont know if it's a like minded thing, or it's a the sorts of people who are drawn to smithing, often share similar outlooks or interests, but i keep finding videos you have made about making things i want to make, and i can't believe what a resource you have made here, and you do it in a way that looks achievable, so again, thanks, really appreciate it.
I always have so much fun starting a fire with a striker I forged, char cloth I made from some old blue jeans, and some beautiful chert from my parents’ yard in my home state of Texas.
Pun intended..... Thank you for sparking my need to make fire..... Thank you for all your dedication to your channel and it's ever-growing audience of Blacksmiths and their admirers. Happy holidays
Happy holidays
I loved this video. When the upset went to wrong side, I said... that's gonna be backwards. Then when you caught it had to laugh! Great video, great content, great channel. Thanks for all you share!
That was some valuble information you imparted on the hardening side of things. I love this stuff!
instablaster.
Merry Christmas.
Flint is the gemstone of Ohio.
Merry Christmas
Great demo (including the how to use it). Thanks!!!
Happy Yuletide to you and your family! Great video yet again. The wife and I got a laugh out of the backwards upset issue. When you were doing it, I grumbled to the wife that you said you wanted the striking surface flat, but maybe I misunderstood. When you commented that someone should have warned you we both lost it. We love watching your videos. They get better every day!
Thoroughly enjoyed watching.
Thank you.
Great tutorial! Your teaching style is perfect for me.
I googled and tried to learn about what exactly is a firesteel and how it is used. This video answered all my questions and was really enjoyable to watch. Thank you for such an amazing video.
Glad I could help!
I have watched this video many times and thoroughly enjoyed everything about it John.
I have just commissioned you to making me a R type striker, can't wait to getting it in hand and seeing how it strikes, I love supporting forges who are keeping these traditions alive.
my striker arrived and it works a treat, thank you John.
14:06 Heat Treating Logic.
The best striker by spark production I have used was a bar of 1095 the mass seems to help getting larger shavings.
13:37 Where there's a Will, there's a Guy named Bill ! LOL
Very informative and influential.
I will be attempting to forge one this week for our next camping trip.
Thanks from the u.k 👍
Merry Christmas John to you and your family from ours may you have a blessed holiday season!
Merry Christmas and thank you for the card and sticker.
@@BlackBearForge your very welcome John :-)
very good information about making the best steel for performance! Thanks John!!!
Glad it was helpful!
1.6k likes and only 4 dislikes..that’s impressive, well done man
Quartz and chert also works pretty well in place of flint. In Indiana, we have lovely chert. Any stone that is sharp or jagged enough and has a mohs scale of 7 or more will work. Quartz, flint, amethyst and chert have a few things in common, but in this case the mohs scale is 7. The act of striking the steel against the stone you grating a piece of the steel off of the striker to become super heated. The rock is harder than the steel. Think of it like a grinder grinding metal and throwing sparks.
Good Evening , John
This Video was a Blessing in disguise , it has been way to long ago that I had made a Stricker !
This has more than a renewed understanding of what I had remembered ! PLUS A LOT MORE ! Thank you very much for adding to my knowledge !
Take Care and Be Safe !
As a horse shoes I have a ton of old rasps. They work very good for me.
A fire steel was one of the first things i learned to make. That was way back in my boy scout days.
Merry christmas John I love your teaching style. You would make a great neighbor, friend and mentor. Thanks.
Merry Christmas
Great video and very useful tool I was already thinking of making one of these. Merry Christmas Mr. John.
Merry Christmas
thanks for showing us this fine tool cant wait to have ago . Ant UK
Merry Christmas to you and your family Mr. John, my you and your family have a prosperous New Year.
I’m in North Dakota and my step dad grew up on a sugar beet farm in Minnesota just over the ND MN border and I must have a thousand beet chains haha. Guess I know my next project. A flint striker! I will probably laminate some high carbon steel onto a wrought iron body. Just discovered some wrought iron horse shoes so I’m doing lots of wrought iron and steel things
Great video. Nice work. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome video! gonna fire up the forge soon and make a bunch of kits for the boy scout troop
Thank you so much for making these videos. I have been trying to learn blacksmithing skills for a while now and this is realy good to follow.
I can't thank you enough.
Looks great John! Merry Christmas!
I love this video! I have watched this at least 5 times! I think it’s the perfect size and shape! Thanks for sharing John!
Glad you’re enjoying it
Thanks John a great video, really enjoyed watching it.
That's another one for the list of things to make 😊
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas John! The countdown to Christmas videos were great. Thank you so much for making them.
Merry Christmas
I’m jealous you have the ability to crank those out. Been looking at them for months on amazon but there isn’t a lot to choose from. I tried to make my own by busting off a chunk of a new Nicholson bastard file but as you’ve said before, the new Nicholson is not the old Nicholson. In fact, I’m convinced it’s some kind of stainless steel or heavily alloyed. Barely works as a file, and doesn’t work at all as a flint and steel striker. Going to have to scrounge up an old file somewhere.
My guess is that there are lots of steels for sale on Etsy. I suspect both of these will end up for sale sooner or later.
So much info. I plan on making a few and it’ll guide me through creating them. Thanks for sharing!
I like strikers made from leaf spring or 5160ish. The sparks are nice and orange (1500F range) and they don't do that dandelion head sparkler thing which I find makes them harder to catch.
Great video John, thanks
dandelion sparks are indicative of high carbon content as I understand it, W2 and O1 do this which is good, the best strikers I have spark like that, as in spray those lovely dandelion sparks. Old files (which are usually made from W2) have those dandelion sparks. My Andrew Kirkham and Olivemead's all do that as well.
Being harder to catch is a bad thing, and is usually indicative of poor char material.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Years John. Love all the videos. Blessings!!
Merry Christmas
These are great. Very useful. I hope you had a great day.
Merry Christmas from the Netherlands! 🎅🎄
Merry Christmas
On the twenty-seventh day of Christmas the black bear made for me, a fire steel, a troll cross, a forge welded belt buckle, a basket twist Christmas ornament, a corkscrew, a blanket pin, a squirrel cooker, a key fob, a ball and cup toy, a decorative punch, meat scewers, a hot dog fork, jingle bels, a candy dish, a paper towel holder, a menorah, BBQ tongs, a stocking hunger, a Christmas tree ornament, a cabinet pull, a dinner bell, a steak flipper, a hose hanger, a bottle opener, a candle snuffer, a nice wreath hook and a beaitifull coat hook.
Merry Christmas! Also to the Christmas gargoyle 😀!
Merry Christmas John to you and your wife.
John thank you so much for do this video, I know I have asked you to do this a while back. It was informative and very helpful.
Thank you, Sir.
I've truly enjoy your videos. Great learning materials for myself and others.
God Bless
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Merry Christmas
Hi i would love to come to your shop it just looks amazing
Merry Christmas from Florida, really enjoyed this series.
Merry Christmas
The presentation is great and helpful. One thing that eludes me is something no one seems to address. That is the thickness of the the striker. Is thicker better or is that really a function of effort?
It seems like 3/16" - 1/4" is typical. Heavier helps get good contact with the flint and but to wide and it may not generate enough fiction
I don’t have much luck finding flint, but I have found quartz and agate work just as good. Once again another great video. I’m sad to be at the end of the count down. Thanks for all that you do Merry Christmas and a happy Nee Year
Merry Christmas
Thank you for this film. I have been wondering how this was done. Your knowledge was superb.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video
Nice job. Pretty much exactly how I do mine. At shows they normally sell like hot cakes.
Merry Christmas from Texas, and a Happy New Year. Great video as usual.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas from Nova Scotia John, and thanks for you Christmas videos, which have been entertaining.
Merry Christmas
I enjoyed the videos, thanks you. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas thanks for all the great video's
Merry Christmas
Have you ever tried going triangle, hexagon, round just for a change? Or pentagon, whatever, round? Just for the novelty.
No, but it sounds much harder. I think for triangle or hexagon it may be easier to start with a round
Merry Christmas John, thanks for another great video. These are a really nice, very simple project that is fantastic for teaching hammer control. I make a ton of these for reenactors and rendezvous folks. The simple style of the little one is historically accurate for almost any era from the Roman Empire all the way to the American Civil War.
Merry Christmas
John, thanks for another great video. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas thank you for the video.
Merry Christmas
If a flint will cut steel that hard is there any other applications we could use it for in the shop
Merry Christmas Sir. Thanks for sharing with us
I did warn you! ;)
Do you do anything to compensate for cold weather during the annealing process? Love your videos!
I tend to preheat the vermiculite with a large bar at red heat.
Thank you John for your videos. I look forward to watching them everyday. I'm learning a lot. I make my steel strikers out of rake tines our coil spring. Coil spring seem to make good sparks and I have started a few fires with them. And I get the steel for free. Just wondering if I'm making an inferior striker by not using another steel? I try to make my striker fit an altoid tin. Great gifts for archaeologists.
As long as you can start a fire its all good.
merry Christmas your shaving off metal with a rock
Merry Christmas
Try old burdock leaves
Great and informative vid! So if you don’t have forging capability, will and old unadulterated file work just as well, or will it be “too” hard? Thanks!!!
It should work, but you might need to grind the teeth off
@@BlackBearForge : Thanks!
Merry Christmas to you and your family. Yesterday was all metric today only in inches are you trying to confuse us?
I wasn't aware I even gave measurements for this one. Merry Christmas
@@@BlackBearForge You did not give the overall dimensions but you did say you would draw out a couple of inches.
@@SwampCritter In the US you use imperial so there is no confusion. The confusion is when they try to appease everyone.
@@SwampCritter How many Empires were built on imperial and how many on the metric system. The Roman Empire, the Spanish Empire, The British empire and now the American financial empire all built on imperial. Metric was created by scientists to count in tens.
I think I need a better fire steel. You really have a lot of nice blacksmithing tools. I tried to make a striker out of an old file ,smoothed the sides and it still will not throw a spark?? Do I need to re temper it?? Or is it just because it is old? Thank you!
Amazing video! I've never seen someone start a fire with one of these. In fact I believe this is the first time I've ever heard of a "char cloth". It's one of those cases of "assumed" knowledge. Most other videos gloss over the actual proceedure. Merry Christmas, John.
That is pretty much the same way I make it
@@erniew5805 Thank you for that! I can honestly see myself like Frazier Crane when he and Lilith were in the woods in a cabin with him trying to light two logs bashing a couple of rocks together. Lol. 👍
thank you Happy Holidays
exc3llent video
Happy holidays
Merry Christmas and thanks for solving my mystery striker , maybe .
I am a old man that just got into primitive fire making starting with a ferrocerium rod and then on to flint and steel
My favorite striker, out of 5 or 6 I have, looks like the one you make and I could not remember where I got it, at least a yr. ago or more. Your so right all striker are not made a like. I mostly use chert found in the creek beds. Now my favorite tinder is charred punk wood, but still carry charred denim. I am afraid I will lose it , if I carry it to the creek.
Do you still have them for sale ?
Vic
I do still make them, although not as often as I did once. Both of the ones shown here will be available. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Now, what would a retired firefighter know about starting a fire? 😉
love your vids. anyone ever tell you you sound alot like ron swanson (nick offerman)?
That and Bob Ross
@@BlackBearForge hahaha youre more fun to watch than bob ross
John, another OUTSTANDING video. I have a stupid question. (Sorry) when your talking about a steels "carbon content" does forging in a coal forge and quenching in oil (both carbon based materials) increase the carbon content of the steel itself?
Theoretically, but not enough to see the difference
@@BlackBearForge thank you
Will you adopt me? No child support needed......😁⚒on!!!!
If I get any coal tonight from Santa I’ll send it your way
Would allen wrenches make good flint strikers? bed rails?
You have to test the material to see. I'm not sure what they are typically made of
The steel with 2 tails is a English steel
Awesome video man… I am looking for my first flint and steel… Can I buy one from you?
They aren't something I'm currently making, sorry about that
Thank you for the response!
Well I am looking for a high-quality Flint and steel
that’s American made… Can you suggest One?
I took a quick look at your website and Etsy store, do you ever sell strikers?
I do put them on the Etsy shop from time to time.
Kardeş videon çok güzel fakat dilini bilemediğimiz için incelikleri öğrenmemiz çok zor.
@alecsteele used o1 steele 😶
These are called french steel
Just a fun fact. It isn't the friction in the shaving process that ignites the steel particles. It's the fact that iron is pyrophoric. Which means that it will ignite at at around roomtemperature. But the sureface of af steel bar is so guickly coated in a oxidiced laver that it isn't noticeable. But the Tiny piece of steel has a Huge surface-volume proportion which means that it Will ignite from contact with oxygen. Just so you know ;) Nice instruction though
I just watched a video and he used O1 for the striker, lol.
💕👍🙏
Fire steel is a nickname for a ferrocerium rod. Neither flint nor a steel striker, nor both together, are correctly called a fire steel.
Interesting that the old fur trade records list them as fire steels as do the records from the Museum of the Fur Trade.
@@BlackBearForge And long ago, a man was called a "wer", but nowadays the word is man. I can list countless examples of things which are no longer called what they were called long ago, and countless examples of things which are now called what other things used to be called. Nowadays, fire steel is a nickname for a ferrocerium rod.
It’s a nickname, nobody gives a damn about proper usage.
A file
tfw carlito goes out of focus