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Thread: Best tinder for ferrocerium

  1. #1
    Senior Member bulrush's Avatar
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    Default Best tinder for ferrocerium

    I just got my first ferrocerium rod (stop snickering back there). My son (who is in Boy Scouts) told me the best tinder is dry paper towel. After trying several tinders, he's right. My first ever strike on the rod I used paper towel, and it started right up, no problem. Paper towel is a cheap, fast solution to tinder, if you can keep it dry.

    I also tried dryer lint, char cloth, magnesium. The magnesium shavings wouldn't light after 8 sparks, perhaps they needed to be in powder form.

    I also found that a 1.5x2.5 inch square of char cloth did not start the fire because it burned too fast. But I'm not an expert yet with the ferro rod. Larger squares would be helpful.

    Just a note for ya.


  2. #2
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Have your fire ready to start. I make a small teepee of very small twigs leaving one side partially open. These twigs are about the size of a pencil lead. I add slightly smaller twigs to the outside of the teepee. If dry, the small twigs will catch easily. I layer on progressively larger wood until I have sticks about the size of my index finger. I have a lot of small twigs laying beside the fire ready to feed and progressively larger wood laying beside the fire also ready to add if the fire takes off.

    The dryer lint will catch the spark and start burning. You just need to place it inside the open teepee and drop a spark on it. Then you can feed the smaller twigs into the fire until it catches well.

    If you are using char cloth, you'll need to put it into a nest of tinder such as Birch Bark or Cedar shavings. Get about a double handful, make a hole in the center like a bird's nest and place your char cloth in the hole. Spark onto the char cloth and start blowing on it until the tinder catches fire. Place the burning tinder inside the teepee of wood. You may need to blow on the teepee to heat up the fire. It doesn't take a large piece of char cloth. A 1 X 1 inch piece will work just fine. All you want to do with the cloth is catch the spark and let the spark catch the tinder (bark or shaving) on fire.

    Hope that helps.
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    char cloth will catch a spark easier if you put the char on top of your flint then strike the flint with your steel striker when it catches a spark you put in your birds nest and blow it into a flame.
    If i don't get some whiskey soon i'm going to die!!!!!! didn't put eough dirt down saw it right off...

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    I can see your point, Skunkiller. I've never had a problem dropping a spark onto charcloth but placing it on the flint would definitely improve your odds of hitting the charcloth. Good tip!
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    Bulrush - if you want a tinder with increased burn time that will light easily with a spark use cotton balls that have some petroleum jelly worked into them. Don't go crazy with the jelly. You can store them in film canisters, pill bottles, or as I like to do put 2 in a little square of tin foil and then fold up the foil. When you go to light it, separate the cotton ball a little to expose a "dry" spot. It will catch a spark and burn for a few minutes, allowing more time to get the rest of the fire going. As Rick said, have all of your materials ready before striking that spark. If you use it in foil, you can make a little mini candle. With 2 cotton balls wrapped in the foil, and just feeding a little "wick" out at a time, I've gotten about 8-9 minutes of burn time.
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  6. #6

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    I get things ready to get a fire going. I pick tinder from the area I am in. Everything from the paper thin bark to fluff off the cattails and what ever I can find!

    This week I ordered and got 2 of these.

    http://www.explorationproducts.com/4in_Flint.html

    If you want a flint you can get a hold of and that does not feel like it will break! This is the one I recommend! The little ones say they are good for as much as 3000 lights. I bet this one could do 30,000 if you use their math.

    Don
    No one knows more about a task then the person that does it, Practice makes perfect!

  7. #7
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    If that's what you like then it's a good deal. You can buy rods that size for less money. Almost half price actually and it comes with a striker. And I doubt I'll live long enough to strike any size rod 30,000 times. I can always hope but I doubt it.
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    Loner Gray Wolf's Avatar
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    Not all ferrocerium rods are equal. They have different grades. The few places I've seen the 4" x 1/2" are selling them for around $30, without the hole and lanyard and advertise they're the highest quality Swedish Firesteels and they are good for tens of thousands of fires. These sites have been around a long time. This site explorationproducts (actually epcamps) is brand new 2008. Their other items (on the same page) are priced much higher than most of the regular sites that are always mentioned around here.

    Just be careful...

    Rick where have you seen that size Swedish firesteel for under $10 or even $20? Inquiring minds would like to know.
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  9. #9
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Well, I'd tell you but that would be plugging my site wouldn't it?
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    missing in action trax's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    Well, I'd tell you but that would be plugging my site wouldn't it?
    ohhhhh, clever.....
    some fella confronted me the other day and asked "What's your problem?" So I told him, "I don't have a problem I am a problem"

  11. #11
    Loner Gray Wolf's Avatar
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    But are they 1/2 inch thick? Lite Your Fire's Swedish Firesteels Army version isn't a 1/2 inch thick.
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  12. #12
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Had to measure one. Nope. 1/4 inch. So I guess you'll only get 15,000 strikes off it.
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  13. #13
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    It's a combination of magnesium and aluminum. 3000 degrees c.
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  14. #14
    Loner Gray Wolf's Avatar
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    Here's a 4" x 1/2 inch firesteel.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    As I said, if that's what you want it's a good deal. Personally, I don't see the advantage. I can buy two for about the same price as the one. But that's just me.
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  16. #16
    Loner Gray Wolf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    As I said, if that's what you want it's a good deal. Personally, I don't see the advantage. I can buy two for about the same price as the one. But that's just me.
    That was dilligaf2u2. I was just concerned that for them (explorationproducts actually epcamps) to be selling that size, with a drilled hole and lanyard for almost half the price as reliable, established sites sell them for (just the rod, plain $30), if the ferrocerium rod was a good Swedish Firesteel.

    Just looking out for one of the pack...
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  17. #17
    Tracker Beo's Avatar
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    I have found the cattail fluff works great, dried moss, and you can even carry a pinch of black powder (or just gun powder & by pinch I do mean a pinch) in small ziplock bag and sprinkle it on just about anything and presto ya got a fire. Now getting your sparks is a whole nother problem
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  18. #18
    Loner Gray Wolf's Avatar
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    Thanks Beo (cough- cough) what is a pinch to one, may be a different amount to another!
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    Tracker Beo's Avatar
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    I mean sprinkle on a dime sized bit of the powder, that looks more like a whole case load.
    There is no greater solitude than that of the Tracker in the forest, unless perhaps it's that of the wolf in the wilderness.

  20. #20
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Great. Now you tell him.
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