The Swedish fire steel is the modern improvement on the flint and steel. They are manufactured from a complex pyrophoric alloy. The fire steel is a lightweight easy to carry method of generating a large number of hot white sparks. Fire steel last for a long time. The manufacturer rates them between 10000 and 15000 strikes. I feel this is a little optimistic but they do last. When purchased new the Ferro rod as it is also known comes coated in a lacquer, this needs to be removed to generate sparks. It is not necessary to remove the whole coating just a little from the area you are using at the time. The fire steel will work well even when wet although care should be taken to avoid getting them wet with seawater. Extra care must be taken when they are used predominantly in the coastal environment, as they are prone to corrode with the effects of damp salt laden air. This will drastically reduce the life span of your striker although in a corroded state they can still produce sparks. Any hard sharp surface can be used to scrape the surface of the fire steel to produce sparks. It is common to use the back of the knife blade. The back is used to protect the cutting edge. One common myth with fire steels is that you cannot use a stainless steel blade to generate sparks. This is incorrect as long as they spine of the blade has sharp square edges then it will create sparks. Some people report that laminated blades are too soft to generate sparks.
The correct method of using a fire steel is to hold the steel over a pile of tinder and press the back of the blade or scraper against it and pull the fire steel back to create sparks. It is common for the inexperienced to push with the hand holding the knife. This can result in the tinder bundle being punched away as the hand accelerates.
Another method of using the fire steel that is effective.
1. Hold the fire steel in your fingers in such a way that you can place your thumb on the striking surface.
2. Place some tinder between your thumb and the fire steel
3. Place your knife across the tinder and the fire steel and lift your thumb; so now your knife is holding the tinder against the fire steel.
4. With a little more pressure than usual, strike, taking the tinder with the knife - it's so much more efficient.
This also works with thicker heavier tinder than usual. For example; dry leaves. Simply put a small dry leaf under the knife and it will catch. This is surprisingly effective. The method differs from the earlier one, in that you move the knife over the rod, keeping the rod still. The tinder under the knife will burst into flame, so you'll have to be quick to move the burning tinder to your tinder ball or kindling. You don't have to shred the tinder, just use a solid piece.
It is as possible to create a smaller number of very large sparks by supporting the back of the knife blade with the thumb and using a wrist action to scrape the Ferro rod. Care must be taken to avoid using the whole arm and disturbing the tinder bundle.
Finally it is possible to carefully scrape the surface of the fire steel to create a pile of shavings and then spark onto them. This method is slower and doesn't seem to offer any great benefits.
