Flint and Steel Basics

[@beebob1279]

Thanks for the lesson. Perfect. Now I know why I've seen some flint and steel used different ways. Appreciated.

[@askewedchimp]

The things you show and the way you show them are signs that you are a natural teacher.

[@rogerstillwell7176]

I really like the way you add the safety tips such as the technique with the knife on this video. You really explain things well in your videos.

[@coalcracker]

Thanks man. Got a lot of good vids in the works. Thanks for watching

[@homehandywife]

One reason I am subscribed to these videos is the importance put on safety. Great job.

[@Carterironworks]

If you haven't tried it yet find a shelf fungus, slice it up and char it, one of the best natural chars I've found. Great videos

[@jaythephoenix]

This is the useful stuff. Condition dependent (something bad in the air? Far enough away?) of course, but knowing fire, agriculture, foraging, repairing/making tools/clothes etc would get you far further than a limited supply bunker.

[@johnfuller6338]

Finally some talking sense about flint an steel technique, thank you Dan.

[@timothyrothrock4173]

You are absolutely right about punk wood char catches easily. Not hard to find and make char with it. I have never used the cloth myself but it's good to know. I would also like to mention I get flint from Crazy Crow.

[@seangunnells9958]

Are crazy crows flints any good I usually get mine from townsends and they sometimes have a good edge but it a hit or miss

[@jeffreymchoul]

...lovin' the Old School Coalcracker videos...

[@firemedic10353]

Best dang vid on Flint n Steel Basics I have seen. Trying to learn this (Flint n Steel), this has helped me tremendously! Thank You for the great content. Love the channel! Stay Safe!

[@norseviking9359]

Very informative! Also very good that you inform about different techniques.

[@badgergearcompound738]

Little late on the review. Lol. Very informative. Wasp nest remnants (from pine/spruce, because of smell)flint and steel, and mother nature’s gasoline (birch bark). Yes under summer conditions, surprisingly, started quickly without birds nest. I live in northern Canada (close to Alaska). I will try on a frosty day. Great information, in a non-a$&hole way.

[@DanCooper404]

My wife bought me a flint and steel set for Christmas, and I was able to get a few little fires going with little trouble, even though I'd never tried it before.

[@killercommi3371]

Very informative video.. First class info. Thanks.

[@ourtechwriter]

Thanks Dan! Especially with using the knife. I’m working on that technique. Kudos!

[@robertocornacchia4816]

Great video, straight to the point instructions. Thanks man👍

[@jimmoore8768]

Great video from a very good teacher!

[@rtrosenkrantz]

Just recently subscribed, and I love both the instructionel (is that a word in english?) approach and the humoristic (hmm perhaps I should start looking up the words) you take in explaining things. Please keep it up. It’s very educationel👍

[@ldtexas1648]

Thank you! Just got my kit today from you.

[@imlookiting2184]

Thanks again. You're helping this beginner a lot! Subscribed.

[@cillaloves2fish688]

Cool... I recently bought a flint n steel but hvn't really played with it yet. This was a very helpful video!

[@scottishbushman3745]

Brilliant video Dan cheers for sharing

[@Olyphoto7]

Dan, you look so young! I had never seen this video before today. Great info. I also just realized that you look like Clancy Brown when he was young.

[@celtgunn9775]

Pretty cool about the quartz. We have tons of granite & quartz all throughout the Dakotas. Very easy to make do with that. Tell ya what, it's truly a nightmare to get a spark/birds nest going here on the prairies if you're not smart enough to prep your location and provide enough of a 'wind block'. I learned how to light bird nest fires here from a USAF survival instructor on Ellsworth AFB. It was really cool.

[@catalhuyuk7]

Excellent teacher!

[@over50nomads70]

Really good video Dan, thank you for sharing.💕👍🏻

[@davidleasure9138]

good job and instructions. Really explained the process clearly

[@waveman0]

as far as prepared man made chars go I prefer slow matches, treated in potassium nitrate, flat lamp wick so treated works so well for this, it is easy to store in your kits, lays well on your stone, takes a spark well and smolders evenly.

[@marcdewilde518]

My father used to say that if your not too stupid you can learn something every day. I just did. Thanks and ATB from Belgium.

[@jerrybrower231]

You are an awesome teacher very understandable

[@kowalski363]

Great video

[@rufusintenn648]

good to see you back

[@rickdrasch2804]

Love your videos Dan, from Rochester NY.

[@woodspirit98]

Hey neighbor. Bristol NY here.

[@d-not_telling]

Do you have a video on how to prepare the cloth?

[@michaelcarter8209]

Outstanding

[@savannamoonwisconsin1973]

Great tips!

[@victorquesada7530]

That's beautifully done. Thanks!

[@BUZZKILLJRJR]

Wait so quartz crystal or something would work?

[@paulcorbett2254]

I live in western Pennsylvania and was wondering if it is likely or even possible in this area to find legit flint. I’ve found quite a good bit of chert but never spotted any flint. If not where is a good area to find it? Or does a lot of the bulk of it have to be found elsewhere and shipped in? Thank you greatly

[@dananorth895]

Glacial material is scraped off mountains and boulders, rocks and gravel get deposited further south in valleys, washes, rivers and lowlands. Also train tracks and sometimes road bedding can come from many diferent places. Then there's road cuts and gravel pits. Your looking for ANY rock hard enough to shave atoms/molecules of carbon steel off. So chert, flint, quartz just try anything you suspect, its all part of the learning process. But be very careful with obsidian as it'll open you up real quick! Small atoms/clusters of carbon steel have More surface area to react with oxygen generating more heat. Because they've been seperated from main body of steel theres nowhere for that heat to dissapate. The process of rusting is the same as combustion but in slow motion. The heat is absorbed by the steel so its dissapated before it can be put to use.

[@dananorth895]

Top notch vid, thanks!

[@steveshaffer6350]

Does the hi carbon steel file purchased at the local hardware store need to be heated and quenched?

[@coalcracker]

No it should work

[@denniscrowley8517]

Very nice. Thank you.

[@rngriff1]

Good video! Thank you!

[@hybridbushcraft1476]

Nice video with good explanations.

[@robertcarrillo532]

Very educational. Thank you

[@westvirginiasurvival]

Great video Dan.

[@richardsolomon8076]

Nice n educational :-) stay in the woods bro

[@yogibru1]

What are your feelings about using a battery and steel wool?

[@earlelzy7243]

I was wondering about the stone to use. If I got a smooth stone that was broken to get a sharp edge could it be used and can I get any stone with sharp edges to strike with? I bought a kit with a large piece of quartz and would like to break it to make a second kit.

[@dananorth895]

Any stone hard and sharp enough to shave microscopic particles of the carbon steel off will work....with practice. Try anything you see/find, rocks are everywhere and often are deposited/left from far away. Glacial and river deposits, road cuts, gravel pits etc. Chert, flint and quartz are primary materials.

[@larrywise8109]

Dan, I tried to make sparks using the 90 degree spine of my knife. I ended up making little dents in the spine instead of sparks! What the heck! How do I go about correcting this hardness error? Thanks. LW

[@ingog4685]

Thank you 👍🏻

[@kaptainwarp]

Thank you!

[@dougb4960]

So I've been very interested in all your videos, I also just saw something called a Fire Piston? I thought that would be the absolute best way to make an ember to make a fire, much better than flint & steel and even better than the magnifying glass. Just wanting to know your thoughts.

[@johnhill1747]

Thank you sir.

[@thomasnugent7602]

Very good. Thank you very much

[@59chevt]

Great demo thanks

[@douglasmaccullagh1267]

I still use char cloth on the flint, then swing the steel. When I try holding the steel and swinging the flint, I am never sure if I will scrape sparks off the steel, or skin off my fingers.

[@Wolf09865]

Lol

[@TonyTooTuff]

You’re a wizard.

[@robertmiller4580]

I have a question I am not to good at flint and steel but I am better with a ferro rod and striker can char cloth or car material be used successfully with this method?

[@coalcracker]

Yes

[@rongregg7284]

Question, can you use a ferral rod on char material?

[@THall-vi8cp]

Sure. Ferro rods generate sparks which should ignite char material.

[@dananorth895]

Will even light non char material if fine and dry enough.

[@wolfshieldrx]

Good job!

[@savannamoonwisconsin1973]

Hey is that traffic noise in the background?

[@cliffschermer9625]

👍 thanks

[@jefflarson4982]

And folks don’t use the sharpened end of the knife for striking just the spine

[@shenanigansIRA]

Im planning on making a steel in my forge, did you make yours? Im going to assume it’s high carbon but honestly don’t know if mild has the same effect. Any input would be appreciated

[@daveallen1603]

No, mild steel won't work because you can't harden it through quenching. This is why people usually recycle old files. These are usually made from W-2 or 10XX carbon steel. Trying quenching it in water or brine (if it cracks in water) to get it the hardest you can get it. The harder the steel the better the rain of sparks, so don't normalize it or draw out the temper like a knife or tool after working. Leaving the file teeth on helps too. Have fun

[@dananorth895]

Or you can grind the file teeth off on at least one side or all. The teeth might chew through your stone quicker.

[@vans.8435]

Dan Wowak without a hat??? Good info..

[@Thicbladi]

I think I’ll try different resins once I get a better striker

[@amydickerson2145]

I can get a spark from a flint on flint strike. But not carbon on flint.

[@K0MBIAN]

A lot has happened in the last 6 years. 😊

[@steffenschuldenzucker1692]

Have you become... younger over time?

[@jasontindell6734]

God Bless everyone!!!! Jesus Loves you all very much!!!!

[@PlayaSinNombre]

I used to smash the back of my knife with a Boulder, but Colorado PD complained...

[@cassiegouzos6091]

You must’ve been in the military

[@jefflarson4982]

Char coal crackerbushcraft

[@DavinStewart]

So young that he still has that babyfat

[@bovdogsandthewoods]

Where's your hat?