A Recent Change In Attitude

Discussion in 'Guns, Knives, Tools, Etc.' started by omegaman, Jan 7, 2018.

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  1. omegaman

    omegaman Expert Member
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    Recently some things happened in my life that made me look upon my gear in a new way. Maybe it was age.
    I have allways used modern moaterials for everything. I even have a T-shirt that says "I <3 Polymer". I was given an awesome packpack from 1939 a while back that I have started using. It's a Swedish M/39 in the grey original canvas with original leather straps. It sits great. Love to have my pack higher up on my back and I have noticed how I have lost lower back strength by having stuff hanging on my butt instead like modern packs. My kids gave me a flint and steel-kit and I have been playing around with it and I love it. Somehow the fire warms better when you made it like that :D. I'll still carry a lighter in my pocket though.

    My grandad on my fathers side went away recently and left me some stuff. A couple of old axes, his snowshoes and some trinkets. Here in Northern Sweden bushcraft is a new expression. It was just life. I you get lost on a walk in the woods here it might be your last mistake if you dont know what you are doing. And before people had cellphones this reality was even more harsh.

    Here it's not about making a fire for a cup of coffee in the winters.

    Now I'm all wood and leather. Even swapped for a wooden Kåsa (I think youtube spells it "kouksa" allthough it makes no sense whatsoever).
     
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  2. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    Good one. Is that a real flint & steel & tinderbox, or is it a ferocerium rod?
    Keith.
    bKtfugLIbJLQgls-Is3A6goUhzCvBt-R.jpeg bKtfugLIbJLQgls-Is3A6goUhzCvBt-R.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2018
  3. omegaman

    omegaman Expert Member
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  4. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    Excellent, a real fire steel! Your kids made a smart choice. If you are still learning with a flint & steel, I have some videos that will help you advance. Contact me if I can be of any assistance.
    Keith.
    More here on my video channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/histor...uery=no+charcloth+flint+&+steel+fire+lighting
     
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  5. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    Keith do you make your fire steels or buy them? I have had a hard time getting the ones that I make to work right. The ones I have bought work great so I know that my technique is right but the steels that I have made just don't give me the hot sparks that I need. I've used several kinds of good high carbon knife and file grade steels but I think that I'm messing up in my temper some how.
     
  6. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    I have only ever purchased one steel, the others were given to me by companies to review. But I have made steels in the past, I made a lot out of chainsaw files for a local Scout group, & I have one I made from a piece of broken metal file.
    Metal files are best, I have an original 18th century steel (image in my other post above) that was made from an old file. Rasp steel is no good.
    All metal files are not the same, some better than others. If you heat the metal to cherry red & quench in water that should work. Sometimes it is too hard, in which case heat to cherry red & wait a couple of seconds before quenching. Too soft, then do it again & make sure you quench as soon as possible. If you can feel a metal file filing the steel then it is too soft. When you strike it a glancing blow with the flint you will feel it grabbing at the steel, digging in when it is too soft.
    http://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com.au/search?q=flint+&+steel+fire+lighting
    Keith
    6b2116b9af32a0e8e5f40af5b1f88cbf.jpeg
    This one is just a piece of broken metal file. I found an original like this so made this one.
    6b2116b9af32a0e8e5f40af5b1f88cbf.jpeg This is a couple of the chainsaw files I made into fire steels for the scouts, quick & easy as there were a lot of them to make.
    Keith.
     
  7. omegaman

    omegaman Expert Member
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    Also I heard that you shouldn't temper the steel but leave it hard and somewhat brittle after the heat treat. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure I've heard it somewhere.
    Then againt I've shot sparks from the spine of a carbon steel knife during winter survival training and it worked, and those are tempered.
     
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  8. omegaman

    omegaman Expert Member
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  9. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    Like I said, not all carbon steels are equal. If a steel was too hard, then tempering would be an advantage, as in the case of the knife you used. On the other hand had it had less carbon content it may not have worked.
    Keith.
     
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  10. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    Your comment is much appreciated.
    Regards, Keith.
     
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