Flint and Steel

Flint and Steel Fire Starting

Introduction & History

Flint and steel is an ancient method of fire ignition. This method of fire starting incorporates a rock or mineral with very high sharpness, such as flint, chert, chalcedony, agate, or jasper, combined with iron pyrite (fool’s gold) or marcasite. The edge of one of the high sharpness minerals is struck with the pyrite, causing small fragments of iron to be removed from the body of the pyrite. When this happens, the oxygen in the air rapidly oxidizes, giving off energy, which can be seen in the form of small glowing orange particles.

This method of percussion requires a great deal of accuracy and skill. With precision, the glowing particles can be aimed at a tinder source or charred plant material. If the particles make sufficient contact with the target material, the material will accumulate heat and can become the beginning of a small fire.

The earliest known usage of the flint and steel method is difficult to determine. Otzi the iceman, an uncovered mummy from the copper age 3400 - 3100 BC, was found with iron pyrites and flint along with tinder fungus in his personal belongings. Vikings, as well as Europeans from the middle ages have a history of using flint and steel as the preferred method of fire starting.

As blacksmithing technology became more prominent, iron pyrites and marcasite were replaced by high carbon steel (iron alloys containing high levels of carbon for strength).

Today, when practicing this technique, we use fire strikers forged from high carbon steel with sharp, high hardness rocks that contain a great deal of silicates (glass).

We must pair these tools with charred plant material to catch the sparks. This is because the temperature of the sparks is not high enough to ignite raw material, such as grasses and barks. Examples of excellent charred plant material are cotton or punk wood. See char cloth. (insert links)

How?

Begin by holding a sharp rock edge in your off hand. The sharpest section should face sideways. Hold the steel striker in your dominant hand. The striker is then raised and brought down to the sharp edge of the rock in one smooth gliding motion. The sharp edge must make contact with the striker and glide along the length of it’s edge for as long as possible. Sparks will emit above the rock.

Video in action

To aim the sparks at tinder or charred plant material, the plant material can be placed on top of the sharp edge on the rick, pinched with the finger.

Another technique is to hold the materials upside down to aim the sparks at material on the ground. A fire can then be built above the smoldering material.

Hazards & Staging

The main hazards are small, sharp pieces of rock breaking during percussion, as well as missing the contact surfaces and accidentally striking the hands. For both of these reasons, protective eyewear and gloves are essential.

Once a user becomes proficient at Flint and steel fire starting, the hazards involved are reduced dramatically.

Additionally, tarps or mats can be placed below the users so any small shards of rock can be collected and thrown away after the activity.

Flint and steel activities should be done in places where fire starting is allowed.

Working with Students

When teaching this skill to students, proper safety gear for all participants in the area must be a mandatory requirement. Staff personnel must outline the hazards very clearly.

Staff may provide demonstrations of the techniques, and often, one on one instruction can be extremely helpful for success.

Students will need good staging. They must be placed about 8-10 feet apart from one another to protect from flying rock shards from poor form when they are still learning.

The technique is very engaging and captivating when students are shown a demonstration of it’s capability early on.

Learning Outcomes & Objectives

Survival Flint and steel can serve as an excellent fire building method in survival situations because it is more energetically efficient than friction fire. Finding old steel parts, including knives, springs, or other mechanical components, as well as high sharpness rocks can be very accessible.

Geology Students can learn about what types of geological processes create high hardness, high sharpness rocks suitable for flint and steel.

Fire building & Fire skills As with any other fire skill, materials selection, weather, temperature, and all other variables come into play. Flint and steel fire starting is no exception, and nearly ideal materials are necessary for experiencing success with this method of ignition.

Ecology Learning what types of wild environments provide the materials for flint and steel.

Activities

River Bed Materials Search Once students are familiar with the technique, it can be fun to go to a river bed. There, students can test different rocks on their strikers to see which ones throw sparks.

Fire Building Challenges Flint and steel can be incorporated into any fire building challenge. Examples include timed fire starting, fire starting in adverse conditions, ranger fires, among infinite other possibilities.

Pairing with Charred Material Activities Testing different charred plant materials and aiming sparks at them with flint and steel to see if they work.

Pairing with Charred & Raw Fungi Many types of polypore fungi have porous surfaces that will receive sparks from flint and steel. Groups can test these different polypore fungi with flint and steel sparks to form coals.

Coal Carrying Early nomadic peoples knew they might not have the resources or weather conditions to prepare their next fire. To combat this knowledge, they carried coals in the form of polypore mushrooms or large containers of charred plant materials that had been ignited. Students can do this too, by carrying a coal from one location to another and lighting a new fire with the coal carrier. This can be a very powerful activity, but it requires strong scouting, boundaries, and older students. This is best performed in the winter season. This activity is not permitted during times of high fire risk.