Fantastic video. I had been having issues with getting sparks using my carbide sharpener on softer rods. When I did not have the striker at a 90 degree angle it would just scrape the metal off without burning and would start causing a bumpy/wavy texture on the rod. If I keep the striker at a 90 degree angle i can get some wicked ribbon sparks that glow for a good 4-5 seconds after scrapping however it really takes material off the soft rods.
I've purchased a thousand dollars worth of ferro rods from Firesteel.com, definitely the best I've ever seen, and more importantly used. I own over 60 rods total, and over half from different manufacturers, Firesteel.com are definitely my favorite rods. 40 of them are at least 5'×1/2 rod, and 6'×1/2 rods. I purchased a monster 6'×1inch rod that weighs too much to carry while hiking. I live in West Virginia, the mountain state, and I build a couple fires every day year round to stay sharp, work on my skill set, and I'm obsessed with them. I have to say bigger is better, especially when you have marginal tinder. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me, I appreciate it sir.
I hate wasting my hard earning money on fancy stuff. I use exclusively Chinese made ferro rods because is a nice compromise between price and reliability. Check it out how I light a 1 year old dry and hard homemade napalm with a very worn out $0.49 Chinese ferro rod. (If you look closely you'll see half of the ferro rod is missing LOL!) It doesn't matter the ferro rod you use, is to know to to use it. Thanks for sharing your collections of ferro rods.
Ferrocerium, Misch metal, and ferro rod all mean the same thing, as far as I can tell. This kind of rod is also called by and sold under some incorrect names, like “fire steel” and “flint and steel.” Those latter names belong to a different fire-making technique.
Great video share, thank you. Just purchased an “Uberleben” FerroRod and going to try against some of my other ones. Lots of talk about how good they are..??......I’ve heard about the Light My Fire, there a good rod, haven’t tried yet. Thank you for sharing✌🏻✌🏻
I build dozens of fires every week, really enjoy it. Been using ferro rods for a decade now, I own 40 plus of every kind....... Firesteel.com is in my opinion the best I've used... I'm sold on either the 6 1/2 or 5 1/2 ones.... I own a monster 6 by 1in rod too..... Bigger is better for even marginal tinder I believe.... Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me about ferro rods, I appreciate it sir
I have a small rat tail metal file, and it needs a hard rod for making any sparks. Otherwise, all you get with a scraper and a soft rod is to FILE down the rod (side or tip). Rather have a lot of sparks with my metal file (that is also multipurpose) vs a scraper.
I dont know where you grew up. But a metal match is not a ferro rod at all. A metal match has lighter fluid in it and looks like a short magnesium block.
doesn't matter hard or soft learn to use what you have and tinder to start a fire fast so you stay warm I have several I can start a fire easy make a bunch of feather sticks put a piece of 100% cotton at the base of the curls on one strike the ferro rod at the cotton hold the stick up and add the other feather sticks and presto fire don't worry were it comes from learn how to use it
Thx much for the good info bro. In other words, Bear Gryrl fire rod is a piece of sh!t hahahaaa. Actually, anything from that piss drinking Bear Gryrl is junk. I just can't spend my hard earn $ on those junk.
BUT what about a Bic lighter give you more than three thousand fires.You can strike a Fero Rod three thousand times and you would be lucky to get a hundred fires.Bic lighters are a lot cheaper than the Ferro rods,what's your opinion my friend.
