I ordered three firesteels plus strikers from survivalsheath.com. I bought the Keyring, the Scout, and the Army. They arrived much more quickly than I anticipated. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Upon testing, I got a nice shower of sparks from the Keyring and the Army <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> but not with the Scout. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> The first two have the older versions of the strikers, just plain sheet metal "fingers" that flex a bit.

The Scout came with the new striker. This version has contours to fit the striker and is rigid. No bend to it at all. I have a difficult time getting it to spark. I even read the directions!

When I switched strikers, the old version worked just fine on the Scout. I had the same problems using the newer striker on the Army as I had using it on the Scout.

Any hints, tips, or suggestions would be appreciated. <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

-- Craig

Use the two older versions and replace the new one with a short piece of hacksaw blade. Or, you could contact the company and see if they'll replace the new one with an older one. Let us know how it turns out.

Troy

I wouldn't use hacksaw balde; though producing as many sparks as it does (fine for cotton wool), it does not direct them and concentrate them like a straight 90degree edge, which enables you to light much more difficult materials like Maya resin wood, clematis fibres and grasses. As well, it wares down the flint more quickly. Maybe the striker is just too complicated for such a simple device, you could try getting a 90degree edge on the new version striker or find a durable piece of metal which you can put one on.
Hope that helps
Ian

I have always used a knife. furthermore i use the sharp side of the blade rather than the back side and i get more sparks that way than with any other method. if your knife steel is hard (and it should certainly be) then there is no reason why this should damage the knife

A plain old file + a sharp chip of flint rock work just fine......No need to wreck a knife

i agree that anything sharp works well and files also work well although the technique is a little different... however, if you knife get "wrecked" on a ferrocerium bar then you got one cheap, soft metal knife there

Actually I shouldn't say "cheap" but rather just "soft" since I have a $9 Frost Mora that I use (the sharp edge on the blade) to scrape ferrocerium rods all the time and it hasn't been damaged in the slightest as a result of such use. Of course those blades are about 58RC on the lamination and 60RC on the blade edge once ground through the lamination so they are anything but soft.

Craig,
The strickers are stamped out of sheet metal.One side usually works better than the other.If the one side doesn't work,just flip it over and try the other
BOATMAN
John

Maybe I won't have access to a knife. I'm thinking on-board, attached strikers. I would use a knife if I have one with me, but suppose I don't, for some terrifying reason (such as air travel).

Thank you. I'll try it.