#92325 - 04/25/07 01:55 AM
Re: firesteel or magnesium?
[Re: kevingg]
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Cranky Geek
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/08/05
Posts: 4642
Loc: Vermont
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It's the same flint either way.
A lot of people don't like mag blocks- I like them, but I always have a file on me to.
_________________________
-IronRaven
When a man dare not speak without malice for fear of giving insult, that is when truth starts to die. Truth is the truest freedom.
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#92339 - 04/25/07 04:00 AM
Re: firesteel or magnesium?
[Re: kevingg]
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Enthusiast
Registered: 12/18/06
Posts: 367
Loc: American Redoubt
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BIC
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Cliff Harrison PonderosaSports.com Horseshoe Bend, ID American Redoubt N43.9668 W116.1888
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#92340 - 04/25/07 04:09 AM
Re: firesteel or magnesium?
[Re: ironraven]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
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A magnesium bar still requires tinder. Given that such a critical item and skill takes up so little space, I am amazed people go brain dead for the next step. We have jelly impregnated cotton balls, SPARKLITE tinder tabs, birthday candles, potassium permanganate, charcloth and magnesium. None of these are exactly sufficient to roast that pig from LORD OF THE FLIES. People should carry, at minimum, a few sticks of Fatwood. I say Fatwood, not that overpriced sawdust called Mayawood. I have yet to fail lighting a tinder tab with a Sparklite. I have also yet to fail ingniting a fatwood stick off the tab. FIRE + TINDER + KINDLING + MAINFUEL= warmth and survival. Think about which step most people are weakest at.
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#92356 - 04/25/07 09:52 AM
Re: firesteel or magnesium?
[Re: Chris Kavanaugh]
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Member
Registered: 09/28/05
Posts: 133
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The guide to mag blocks from Dougs Gear section is copied below. Yes I know it's sad how we all keep asking questions when we should simply look at the 'FAQ's. I wrote a quiz for one newsgroup, based on the FAQ's and one chap was amazed how much was in the FAQ's; and he'd written then! Simon
The magnesium block by Doan (1 x 3 x 3/8 in.) with an integral 3/16 in. flint rod glued on top (also manufactured for other companies and for the military) is still popular, at least in part because it is widely available at the consumer level. Unfortunately, the magnesium is not necessarily as effective a tinder as you may be led to believe. While the flame from the magnesium shavings is extremely hot, this flame is also relatively short lived. Additionally, the magnesium scraping/shavings can be difficult to use as tinder in some circumstances because they are so light they tend to blow away with the slightest breeze. Moreover, scraping together a small pile can be difficult at times. So, the bottom line is that they work, but the magnesium tinder has some limitations that must be understood and dealt with.
Other fire starters incorporating flint and magnesium are made by Mag/Flint Firestarters, World Survival Institute and others.
The World Survival Institute (WSI) fire starters include slim rods of flint and magnesium glued end to end on top of a length of hardwood and come in a variety of sizes, all relatively small. A leather thong a hardened steep scraper/striker (a piece of a hacksaw blade). The wood can also serve as tinder. This is a more versatile design, but the wood must be kept dry to be of much use as tinder. While the flints are smaller, they will still give you thousands of strikes. There is a lot less magnesium than the block style offers, but it will do for plenty of fires, certainly enough for any typical survival situation.
Mag/Flint and others sell flint and magnesium fire starters with large rods of magnesium and a small flint attached with a handle affixed to the end, usually made of antler or wood. These are often seen at fairs and primitive survival gatherings. With the exception of the fancy handle, they are no different than the block style, with all the same advantages and disadvantages. The handle can make it easier to work with, but the difference isn't all that great. The handle tends to raise the price and size quite a bit.
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#92399 - 04/25/07 04:11 PM
Re: firesteel or magnesium?
[Re: NightHiker]
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Enthusiast
Registered: 12/01/04
Posts: 329
Loc: Michigan
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I carry just the flint - a BSA Hot Spark, on my knife with a small aluminum pill fob filled with a couple cotton/petroleum balls. That's in addition to the ubiquitous Zippo.
_________________________
"2+2=4 is not life, but the beginning of death." Dostoyevsky
Bona Na Croin
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#92486 - 04/26/07 01:06 AM
Re: firesteel or magnesium?
[Re: kevingg]
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Old Hand
Registered: 09/12/01
Posts: 960
Loc: Saskatchewan, Canada
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A firesteel is about a 1000x easier to use and is a lot faster as you don't need to shave/file magnesium bits. Also those little bits have a nasty way of blowing away in the breeze. Of all the methods to start a fire, the magnesium bar is WAY down on the my list - sits right above the "rub two sticks together" method for ease of use. Windproof Lighter Bic Lighter Stormproof matches Strike anywhere matches Firesteel Kitchen matches Book matches Spark-lite Battery/steel wool . . Magnesium bar "Rub two sticks together" I've never tried a blast match, primitive bow drill or plow method so I can't rank those. Your mileage may vary.
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