Ferro Rods, How long do they last? (Part1)

[@phall92139]

You are crazy but very, very, informative! I NEVER expected anyone to do a video review on this but you have certainly shown that ferro rod will definately take a lickin' and keep on ticken'! Kudos for a great job.

[@buckeyeimaging]

what a thankless job... well, I'll thank you for taking the time and enduring the heat for this test... part 2?

[@Patriot36]

Actually, the support on this series has been amazing! You guys have been a huge encouragement! Thanks man!

[@The666knives]

Finally a firesteel video worth watching! The test we all thought about doing at some point, but never got around doing! Keep up the good work mate!

[@AlphaKilo6]

Dang bro, I've wondered how many strikes they would really take. Thanks for your sacrifice, no one can say you are not committed!

[@Patriot36]

Thanks for the encouragement AlphaKilo! Part 2 up later tonight or in the morning!

[@GlorifiedGremlin]

What a legend. Putting in the work nobody else wants to lol this deserves way more views

[@joytrigg2023]

Hilarious! I love it. I am subscribing. And you answered the question I had.

[@LELDocSavage]

This test required awesome patience on your part. Always wondered how long these would really last. Either way, these are a good buy for emergency fire making.

[@Wingman115]

Interesting topic. Thanks for posting.

[@ZombieSC]

Thanks Patriot36, good testing so far - looking forward to more. I gotta admit, I had a good chuckle at you striking that ferro rod for so long. Total beast! ;)

[@Patriot36]

You got it man!!! It's a pretty hilarious exercise when you really stop to think about it. It takes just the right kind of goof ball to even attempt this...lol. :) Part 2 up by morning so pass it along!

[@fioxfiox]

Congratulations for perseverance, it was not easy, but very informative thanks

[@mrbreez33]

Watch a few other reviews on "Ferro Rods" and kept waiting for that question, to be addressed if not answered. Didn't happen, So thanks for addressing, this important question.

[@ihikearoundcom]

Someone has to check the manufactures claim....thanks for taking on the task!

[@englishforsrilanka2535]

Subbed from Sri Lanka! I admire your persistent spirit!

[@douglasthompson2740]

Since each makers rod may or may not be made of similar alloys the wear pattern will change drastically. Those that use a larger percentage of magnesium will wear quicker but give more sparks, ditto those that use less iron. The main alloys as I understand it are cerium, iron, magnesium and a few varieties of rare earth metals like zirconium. So a wide variety of hardness and spark showers results. Since the manufacturers do not tell you the alloy make up in almost all cases it is impossible to predict with any accuracy how long they will last. You also have the question of how long in your particular use they withstand corrosion. Then there is the issue of losing them when they fall out of the handle..... Good topic. Take care. Doug

[@Cr0cket20]

Bic vs Fire steel...I take both. Love using my vaseline soaked cottonballs. But I'm with you. Need to be sure and test the skills to ensure you keep that skill set up and test the limits. I too have given up and moved on to the cottonball.

[@Patriot36]

Yep!! I'm right there with you on that doctrine, brother! In fact, that's why this video was born. For all non-emergency situations, which is about 99.5% of the time for me, I like to use the firesteel. For emergencies, I use the lighter because it's faster! A 2nd Bic or matches becomes my backup and the firesteel becomes my 2nd back-up. Besides your most recent couple of videos where things were too wet and so you used the cottonball, you've got another vid floating around somewhere where you said, "forget it" and got our your cottonball. When you're cold and want hot food, it doesn't take much persuading to switch gears. :)

[@drzmanproject]

glad the house didn't catch fire, lol. Some great showers of sparks.

[@Patriot36]

Not yet anyway! lol Part 2 up by morning!

[@victornekrasov1510]

That's a lot of work man. I subbed just for the effort you put into this.

[@Patriot36]

Thanks Victor! Great to have you on board man. I hope you enjoy the other content and thanks for commenting.

[@embaradosmithingandwoodcraft]

the prime reason for differences is possibly the differences in the formula used by different manufacturers some are hard and some are soft

[@Star_Bores]

Love your videos and style! Does it really matter how many strikes you can get? Just carry two if you are concerned 2000 - 4000 is not enough...

[@fakecubed]

Yeah, personally, if I'm ever in a situation where I'm finishing off a ferro rod, I'd like to think I've been out in the woods so long I've gotten quite good at other fire methods to survive that long anyway (I'm already good with a bow drill, but I imagine I'd be way better). I wouldn't go out on a trip with a ferro rod I thought was close to running out, and I'm almost certain any ferro rod I did take out with me would last me long enough to get through a season and back to civilization.

[@r.k862]

@@fakecubed is there such thing as unlimited ferro rod or whatever? or what is the longest lasting fire starter like ferro rod i can buy?

[@fakecubed]

Rafal Korkise there is no such thing as an unlimited ferro rod. You scrape off a bit of the material each time you get a spark. That’s what the spark is: burning metal. The only thing I can think of that will truly last forever would be something like a fresnel lens that can concentrate solar energy to a point to heat up wood until it ignites. The problem of course is that it only works when the sun is up. I keep a credit card-sized fresnel lens in my wallet. My suggestion is to prioritize learning skills over buying tools. Skills last forever and you always have them with you. Learning how to bow drill is something you can do in the woods any time you need. You can improvise things like the bowstring and use a sharp rock to carve the drill and notch, if you really have to, although a good knife and some paracord will save you time. I’ve started a fire with even less than that, just a drill without a bow (using two hands to apply pressure and rotation), but a bow is easier and quicker.

[@Adam-uz9sc]

@@r.k862 yes I don't know where you can buy them but I seen a guy on Instagram selling custom made ones that are 3x as big as your standard ferro rod which even if you use everyday will probably last a lifetime I think they were 50k strikes

[@fredsausage2688]

Old fred's got a long lasting fire rod, good thing cause the mrs. has been trying to wear it out for the last 40 years.

[@ds10363]

I like that spear in the background. Is that a cold steel brand?

[@Patriot36]

Yeah Dude! It's a CS Boar spear that's been modified just for me! :)

[@zhaneranger]

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

[@WTF_BBQ]

+zhaneranger One.... twoooo ..... Thareeeee .....

[@rlauck]

I was thinking the very same thing when I watched this!

[@keving2115]

The World may never know...

[@CampfireTalk]

endurance baby! I think this is one of the workouts those american ninja warrior guys do : ) Fun test, part 2 here we come!

[@Patriot36]

I didn't know what that show was until yesterday, actually. I saw some girl make it all the way through the coarse and it was pretty amazing!

[@naturecallsoutdoors]

You are my hero! Keep going! Cliffhanger!

[@Patriot36]

Will do Nature Calls! Two parts to go and the next will be up by morning. Please pass it along!

[@-RockOn-]

Hats off bro. At 200 you could had just said more fires than you would need in your life.

[@Aaron-ud6wk]

I haven’t even watch the video yet, but right off the bat I can tell you that ferro rods last for a long time. Depends on the brand, I assume. I bought my first one at 13 years old from a Cabela’s store for 14.99$. It was the “light my fire” Swiss black handled ferro rod. I’m 24 now and I’ve only eaten through about half of it. Obviously if you use it every day their will be a shorter life span. Well prepared tinder should, at minimum take only two strikes. Divide that by the estimated amount of strikes your ferro rod will produce and you’ll get your estimated amount of fires being produced. Using green and wet wood will prolong your fire for days, so a fire every 3 days seems reasonable. Not to mention if you incorporate bow-drill or hand drill fires in between. A good ferro rod, if maintained and used wisely, will easily last you 12 years.

[@waveman0]

your scrapper will make or break this test, those scrappers that the ferro rods come with are usually functionally useless, using an HSS lathe bit and I could rip a rod, even a 1/2" or 1" diameter rod down in short order. I have used a 10"x1/2" rod for 3-4 years of heavy use using an HSS scraper and it held up well.

[@starpuss]

*You get what you pay for!* I got myself two of the light my fire 2.0 coconut and love them . (they also fit my knife case nice) I started off with them cheap ones but wanted one that could last a little longer (I hope) And mine also did not hold in the cheap handle too well (had lost one when hunting seeing it did not stay in... )

[@Patriot36]

Yeah, the cheapies are fine but I suggest re-gluing the handle from the start. I've had the handle come of a Light my Fire Scout as well. Thanks for watching man!

[@random_eskimo_in_the_rockies]

As you started talking, I was reminded of: How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?

[@Patriot36]

Haha! Yes, that would have been easier!

[@preparedsurvivalist2245]

Perhaps this would've been a better "winter project"?

[@embaradosmithingandwoodcraft]

ya coglands is notorious for the head coming off CHEAP GLUE and cheap on how much was applied

[@sammywest2583]

I find it oddly therapudic to play with ferro rods to learn and see how hard it is to ignite certain materials. I supprisingly got a tobacco pipe lit from it, but i wouldn't reccomend smoking it due to the metal shards being in there lol

[@crosshair64]

I go through a 6' 1/2 rod every 6 months. Build a lot of fires every day.

[@brianminkc]

lmao... 16,000 is a lot of strikes eh dude? Thanks for the laugh.. I needed that. A real man would have done a shot of whiskey after every hundred.

[@Patriot36]

??? yeah, ok. I'm guessing, 'strikes' is slang for something that I'm missing?

[@Patriot36]

.... and "real men" are drunks. Got it!

[@rocknfan100]

Can you do, how many licks it takes to get to the tootsie-roll center of a tootsie pop, for your next experiment ?

[@eqlzr2]

My Coghlan's rod recently broke the handle off just like yours, and it was soon after I started using it. This is unacceptable in a survival item. Also, recently I've found that a few of my ferro rods stopped sparking at all, even though they had been used very lightly and were almost new. One of the rods was from Soloscientific and another was the Coghlan's rod. It was as though there was only a thin coating of ferro sparking material on the very outside of the rod. Criminal for a survival item.

[@sosteve9113]

nice test,going to see part 2

[@timbourgeois4496]

thanks man ,your info is always good usefull info,,

[@Thyhorrorchannel]

4,000 = Lite My Fire 12,000 = everything else . There is more magnesium in some F-Rods than others . softer over harder , burning steal sparks over sparkler . One note , you do not need to shave the whole stick on a softer mix of steals . meaning the sooner you learn that the longer the steal will last .

[@cvspvr]

you could've weighed the ferro rod before and after a certain number of strikes, and then extrapolated from there

[@DeanO]

very interesting test.

[@wawhiker]

I know you're way ahead of me - tell me how it ends - LOL! I've gotta see this to the end with you. Great test! You are actually doing this - WOW!

[@Star_Bores]

Weigh the rod. do 1000 strikes. Weigh the rod again. Now you know how much material it takes to get 1000 strikes. And also the maximum number of strikes, based on the material weight, in the rod.

[@greedygringoprospecting6941]

go on amazon buy one of the 1/2 x5 iches inch ones for like $9

[@alexanderlively2729]

Is that a grohman knife

[@islanddog211]

Duck tape!! I always take the handles off because they fall off!

[@Patriot36]

That's fine in an emergency but not sufficient for this kind of work. Even Gorilla tape doesn't last long in my environment because it stretches and pulls like electrical tape would in most conventional environments.

[@johncarnahan8644]

+Patriot36 You should check out survivor fire starters.

[@higgsfieldinthefield9916]

Hi, I notice you seem to be putting a lot of pressure on the striker, I have found that if you use a lighter stroke it actually works better than pressing hard, as long as you have a good angle., Just my own experience , great post by the way, all the best my friend, [I subbed]

[@LittleUrbanPrepper]

Only softer one's work with lighter stroke

[@cool_hand_luke97]

you know us bush men always carry J B WELD in the old pocket..i dont think old duct tape could fix that..carry on i am having fun wacthing be safe

[@Patriot36]

Haha! That's right! With regards to the Gorilla tape, I was referring to creating a handle out of the tape itself by wrapping around one end until sufficient diameter is met. Part 2 up by morning buddy! :)

[@cool_hand_luke97]

sorry i did not wacth full vid did not know about gorilla tape. no disrespect to you.be safe

[@zion6680]

You should have done 100 every day for 10 days xD

[@timbourgeois4496]

thanks ,,good question,,

[@Patriot36]

Sure man! 2 parts to go and the next one will be up by morning.

[@cool_hand_luke97]

since your up to a challenge when your through with the fire rod.could you find out how many licks are in a lolly pop .the old owl never said..im kidding your freind.be safe man

[@MrPatagonicus]

Wow man, I kept watching this video, and I kept thinking you needed a chair or a stool to sit on! How tiring!

[@Patriot36]

It would have been nice a couple of times but I had to move around to work the camera. Plus it didn't feel quite as monotonous if I stayed on the move...lol

[@I..cast..fireball]

my rod is 1/2 inch by 5 inches. how long?

[@Patriot36]

+A Tapir Named Jeff Jeff, I'd be lying if I pretended to know. Suffice it to say that it would last a very long time, perhaps years with every day use. If you want a WAG..... 12,000+

[@I..cast..fireball]

+Patriot36 guess i didn't need to buy 4 of them. I should give some to friends then.

[@Patriot36]

+A Tapir Named Jeff Perhaps! Or just hold on to them and use them to barter... if the time ever comes.

[@simezra]

you better change arms if you dont want one bigger then the other lol. dont push it too hard also it seems very painfull

[@76Patilac]

Like working for Consumer Reports

[@embaradosmithingandwoodcraft]

WELL STATED ON # of STRIKES so on

[@psshatyTV]

you had to build some sort of machine to do it in your place man, something qith a drill for examle

[@yoshied1]

YES!!!!

[@Patriot36]

Part 2 up by morning. Please pass it along!

[@yoshied1]

Thanky you!!

[@alanwilliams5836]

I don't understand the purpose of using long strokes on any ferro rod. Do these ferro rod companies attest to this method as a measurement for number of strikes they claim? A purposely placed, well supported, short stroke at the end of the rod will produce enough spark to get tinder started. I think that a quality striker is of more importance than the rod used. I'd rather not make my rod "skinny" by continuously long stroking it, but instead, save the integrity of the rod's full strength by eventually "shortening it" from end to handle cap, using short purposely placed strikes as often as possible. Yes, the Coghlan's rods are cheap, but good, in my usage; pull the rod from the handle when you buy it, gorilla glue it back into place. Get rid of the cheap striker, and either use your sharp edge on the back of a decent knife, or buy some good strikers like Firesteel.com's very inexpensive super strikers, or buy a corona sharpening tool, and just keep changing these to your multitude of Coghlan's ferro rods in your packs... which we bought several of, because they were cheap. No problemo on my end.

[@Patriot36]

Sure Alan, but I'm certain you can understand the application with regards to testing. There had to be some kind of repeatable standard for this test and simply picking an arbitrary 5mm, 10mm, or 15mm strike wouldn't be easily repeatable or fit within the time constraints of getting a video made on the topic. In short, you'll get at least 4000 strikes/fires with this particular rod. Whether you'll double or triple that number will depend on your style / technique / need. With regards to everything else, I'm pretty sure we see eye to eye. Cheers.

[@jorgeluisgarcia1006]

Although I can see you were training your forearms, long or short strokes would´ve been easier if you lean the rod on the floor...agree? Great effort and good information, thanks my friend!!

[@grizzlycountry1030]

Some are ferro rods while others are mischmetal. Mischmetal does not last as long.

[@I..cast..fireball]

stuff is not good to breath man.

[@Patriot36]

+A Tapir Named Jeff ....and fortunately I don't have to do it for a living.