have a question. Magnesium/flint bars have been problematic for me.

The magnesium filings have to be kept in a nice small pile to allow the thing to work.

Most importantly, how do you generate the pile of filings in the first place? Making magnesium filings seems the best way to prevent having too sharp a knife! Is there any other way to do it?


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1) When it comes to magnesium/flint bars I find that only the DOAN brand, which is the original, is worth buying. Everything is an imitation thereof. I've used various others and they vary between the so-so and useless.
2) The original recommended method was to dig a pit and scrap shaving into it. That works but making a tinder bundle and scraping shavings into that is much more effective.
3) Use the spine of your knife not the edge.