I've actually gotten my best strikes with the back of a bi-metal hacksaw blade, and the toothed side is just useful.
One thing to remember is that there are probably a number of different ferrocerium formulations. Saying "ferro rod" is probably like saying "steel"- that's nice, what's in it? I've had better performance with my Doans than with my Coglahn strikers.
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-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.