Guys gals kids and dogs lol the reason it’s important to learn to throw better sparks is because as you progress and become more skilled you should be more efficient with different tinder types. My kid was 3 and was making fire with cotton balls. This video is about teaching you to get better and beyond just using store bought fire starters. Shavings in damp weather, duct tape balls and a damp birds nest. Igniting Those types of things with a ferro rod in adverse weather is what we are trying to learn.
4:03 *_BEST_* tip i know - shown here but not discussed/pointed out: keep the knife steady and _PULL_ the rod! Prevents you from accidentially brushing through the lay and keeps everything stable. Safety aspect: you don't ever start _(get used to)_ flailing a sharp blade around.
Ive been teaching my best friends sons this skill set. As usual, this is infinitely useful. They bang out blazes from wet wood and keep it going. All thanks to you.
To everyone in RU-vid land: I purchased the coalcracker 6inch ferro rod, and carry it with a piece of broken file( high carbon steel ) I have never failed to make a fire with these tools. Listen to the teacher, he knows what he's talking about. 👍
Not meaning to be contentious but I find it amusing how the “bushcraft” culture has its quirks….like this fascination with ferro rods. Ferro rods are ok but on a cold, wet, windy day I will take a bic lighter or even matches over a ferro rod every time. I wonder how many “bushcrafters” have started fires in bad weather when it actually mattered if you get a fire started. I been in the outdoors mostly for work and some for play for 55 years. Back in the day I just carried matches in a sealed case but then along came the lighter. I’ll take a flame over a spark any day.
Gramps made sure all his grandkids knew how to use a ferro rod. Such good memories of my cousins, sisters and me camping and making a bunch of little fires along the nooksack river. Still have a very worn down magnesium/ferro starter he got me when I was 10.
I'd really like to see Coalcracker do an intro similar to "Tod's Workshop". Just a few seconds of bushcraft action with live audio. That and the Coalcracker logo would be great.
You guys go to the head of the class. For some reason, this you tuber prefers to teach an inferior technique. With the pull the rod, anchor the striker method, it should only take one to two pulls to start a fire.
Thank you for this! I've been trying for years and couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I'm an old lady with weak fingers but at least you gave me a direction. I'll keep practicing ❤
You are one of the best instructors I have seen. Narrative, demonstration, technique, review. Great job. After watching this and practicing anyone should be able to start a fire quickly with a minimum of effort.
Thank you for this video! I know this might sound ridiculous to most people but after watching this, i went outside and tried the ferro rod again (ive never been able to do it right before) and it worked! I was soo happy i FINALLY could use the damn thing and am glad i didnt get rid of it lol thank you for breaking it down crayola style for me 😊
Best channel in the tube - watched this and went to the website to get the 6” rod (and some other stuff 🤦♂️) - as a fellow PA resident (Northumberland County) I love what you got going on brother - hoping to free up some time in the near future for a weekend course 👊
Used a lot of ferro rods and watched even more videos on technique while trying to learn something new. As an instructor in another specialty, I can recognize the invaluable technique you're showing here. Outstanding vid, the best I've seen yet for ferro rods.
I'm a complete newbie to the knife and ferro rod stuff--just bought mine last week. I watched this video multiple times before going out and trying it myself. Thanks to your excellent instructions (not just the how, but the why, and how *not* to do it), I was pleasantly surprised to start throwing halfway decent spark globs almost immediately! They're not as good as yours, but it's an exciting start! Thanks so much for all the time and effort you put into these videos, Dan. Looking forward to learning more and adding even more fun to my outdoor adventures!
Great information. I see so many people, in fact nearly everyone, doing more than one really good strike. People just seem to have a mind-set that it's going to take 5 or more "loosey-goosies" as you put it to get something lit. One thing few realize is what such repetitive strikes and the build-up of heat that goes along with it, does to the edge of their striker or knife. Then they get discourage because things become exponentially worse with each subsequent fire-start session, with the reason usually being that the edge of their striker has become dull or rounded because they've completely screwed with the heat-treatment of the metal - a look under magnification would show this. The same goes for flint and steel, it takes only one good, well thought-out strike to get an ember - something I've shown over and over, seeing so many "smash" flint-to-steel over, and over, and over . . . but that's another subject of discussion.
Speaking as someone who failed on his first step, your tips are very helpful. I'll try again (not in the dining room this time) in the woods on the weekend.
Dan, as always great video. Wish I saw this a bunch of years ago. I learned the pressure, pressure, pressure thing the hard knox way...trial and lots of error. Keep up the good work, always enjoy your vids.
Bought a small hand ax and a full tang knife today after watching so many of these videos. I'm usually a backpacker, so it is interesting to see the differences.
TY for the video just got a ferro rod and thought I would try it out right away knew I was doing something wrong I will def be doing your pressure exercise till I get it right!!
Thank you for the great advice, brother. I'm a total rookie at Bushcraft and have been binge watching your videos over the past week. We recently bought 10 acres in upstate New York, and want to do some serious camping there next year. It's not always what you say in a video that matters, either, but sometimes just what you do without commenting on it. For instance, I have one of those puny little strikers for my Ferro rod. I hold the rod in my left hand, and the striker in my right, pushing it away from me and towards the fire. Sometimes I hit the fire lay with my hand or the striker. I know, pathetic mistake. I can get a fire lit, but it usually takes me a few tries. Now I know to hold that hand steady and pull the rod towards me instead. As you say, that's one more thing for my tool kit. It's little things like that that can make a world of difference. I think I'm also going to swap out that striker for a reproduction Viking-style knife I have that's high carbon steel. There's no bevels to speak of on the spine, so I think it will do nicely. I'll try it out at home a few times before I take my stepson camping. 😀 In the meantime, stay in the woods!
I make people use it when I have fires. Have a bit of materials, tools to process, this is how you do it.. make the fire! Generally a few burnt half logs so a few people can make mini fires at the same time. Great skill to have! Great vid bud!
Excellent! I just learned & perfected my ferro rod method this winter. The detail I struggled with the most was finding the right blade in my collection that would throw sparks right. It ended up being my leatherman saw blade & only 1 cold steel trail master in 01 carbon steel with a sharp spine. 🔥👍👍🗡
Bro, I watched your video and then put a Paracord wrap handle on it and went outside with some dryer lint and... KA BOOM! Fire. You are such a good friend... Thanks bro!
Saw another RU-vidr place the knife, edge down, in front of the tinder and then drag the ferrorod over the back for better spark control. And you can put your indexfinger on top of the rod for better stability - especially if you are using a small rod. Works great for me.
Thanks so much dude! I was failing for 20 mins using the striker and was doing everything else wrong as I found out from this video and this video fixed everything!
I tried to read through the many comments but I didn't see this. If you posted this idea I apologize in advance. Yep...leverage. Take a 2" to 4" stick around you camp site. With your bundle ready, place the stick about 3" from your pile and the rod across the stick down, touching the surface you're on and pointing toward the outside ring of your lighter... 1" of so. That keeps the rod ridged. Then you have a sturdy rod placement with a very sturdy striker target. Works for me. Just sayin'. Love this channel.
Don’t forget to maintain that 90* edge. Love your videos! A freind of mine I have been teaching this stuff to says i remind him of you. Lol good on me!
I use a little 3" ferro rod. Never had a problem lighting a fire. I also keep a little $2 "key knife" locked around the rod's keychain. It's basically unusable as an actual knife, but it has a serrated blade which works great on the ferro, better than a piece of hacksaw, and I don't care how dull it might get.
Hey wonderfully done! Learning to survive/endure off grid and got my first rod..thank you for your time and expertise! Gonna try not to burn anything down 😆
Very hot tip indeed Dan!! I always have success with my F Rod But I do get into a habit of moving too fast I’m gonna try that drill working with the pressure thanks for the tips!
Ok, looking to up my fire starting skills from ESEE-5, wood, and lighter to the ferro rod in place of the lighter. I'm inspired to give it a go on our next camping trip.
