Chert for fire starting

[Idaho]

I am very new to bushcraft. I ordered a steel and flint fire starter kit which had steel, jute, char cloth and a piece of questionable flint. It was not very expensive and I don't feel like complaining to vendor. I can't make a spark and the "flint" portion of the stone is almost non-existent. I have looked at tons of video and the folks make it look easy but they also have a nice piece of flint to work with. (I have a ferro rod and striker and can light up the basement with it). I want to learn with the primitive method. I looked on line at various flint sources but there are different types of rock evidently and am not sure what to order. Can someone give me some guidance? Can I find chert in Baltimore area, say the Gunpowder around Hereford? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[slsc98]

Great thread topic!

All I can offer (not surprisingly, “primitive” appears to have taken a back seat to practical): https://www.flint-and-steel.com/fire-starter/

With regard to practical, I remember a professor at Hopkins who would start each semester talking about the importance of the fire-making devices he never failed to have on his key chain. - and the irony of the fact that the TSA never once prevented him from boarding a plane with them. Not domestic flights and not international … (not sure what TSA would do with an actual piece of flint, rock?)

 

[welder516]

I used dryer lint and Vaseline in small pill bottles when i camped in Oklahoma for a week. I know not too environmentally friendly but it works.
But i do love fire starter methods and have other ways to light things when needed.

I have drilled antlers and glued in flint, the look of it is cool.

 

[Inigoes]

To find chert down here, look at the large stones under road bridges or riprap along the beach.

You might be able to flake off a chunk.

 

[mvee]

I ordered a flint and steel on eBay. My son showed interest in it because it is featured in the game Minecraft.

We have never tried to build a fire with it, but it sure sparks a lot.

 

[ken792]

If you have a good steel, you can draw sparks with some crappy rocks. I’ve used random pieces of quartz before.

 

[Mr H]

When I was a kid, I used to find stones in the Silver Spring area that threw a load of sparks.

We called them "flint", but I'm really not sure. It was forever ago, but I recall them looking pretty quartzey.

 

[Idaho]

I am very new to bushcraft. I ordered a steel and flint fire starter kit which had steel, jute, char cloth and a piece of questionable flint. It was not very expensive and I don't feel like complaining to vendor. I can't make a spark and the "flint" portion of the stone is almost non-existent. I have looked at tons of video and the folks make it look easy but they also have a nice piece of flint to work with. (I have a ferro rod and striker and can light up the basement with it). I want to learn with the primitive method. I looked on line at various flint sources but there are different types of rock evidently and am not sure what to order. Can someone give me some guidance? Can I find chert in Baltimore area, say the Gunpowder around Hereford? Thanks in advance for any help.

If anyone is interested, I have solved the problem of stone for fire starting. Although I couldn't find chert, I did find lots of quartz which really sparks well. Found at Cromwell Park in Baltimore County just walking the trails. Pretty cool to strike the stone and set the char cloth smoldering!

 

[Flametamer]

I've taught primitive fire starting for 40+ years to adults (SERE) and scouts. If a 12 year boy can do it once he understands what is going on, everyone here can certainly do it as well. The particulars:

The sparks you get are tiny pieces of steel that the sharp edge of the stone cuts off of the steel when struck. Separating that tiny bit of steel from the larger piece is accompanied by enough energy (heat) to get that tiny few atoms of steel to heat to glowing. Just like a grinding wheel. Biggest part of the trick is to hold the steel and the sharp edge of the stone at the correct angle so that the edge of the stone can cut off a bit of steel. (The angle required to get a spark will vary with the geometry of the stone edge and the type of steel, just the way a 30 degree knife edge cuts differently than a 15 degree edge.) Of course, one has to get the char cloth or tinder fungus in the correct place to catch the sparks.... Once you get this part figured out, you can either strike the steel with the stone, or strike the stone with the steel, depending on the particulars of your equipment and the condition of the sharp cutting edges. Common Appalachian quartz does indeed do the job, but the edges break off rather more easily than flint, but often leave behind another sharp edge.

Part of my collection includes a fire 'steel' likely carried by a Roman soldier in Britain. Found the steel at a Roman site on Hadrian's wall many many years ago (with full legal approvals). I am not exactly sure what type of metal it is since they didn't know about steel at that time in history, and it is certainly softer than modern steel, which makes getting a spark with North American stones a bit challenging. I have found some European flint that does work better with this soft metal. Some day will get the 'steel' analyzed to see what it actually is.....

 

[Archeryrob]

How are you handling your bushcraft? What you can gather or up for what you can buy? English flint is the best, Chert is from Northern Texas and a lot in Oklahoma areas. You might get some sparks from some local rocks but they will be weak.

A drill stick and a fire board will be the best you can gather around here probably. I have not done it myself much to find the best local sources, but they say softer wood is better than harder woods mostly, but exceptions to the rules are in there. Cedar and Tulip Poplar would be my first trials. No pine or any pitchy type woods. Bow drill with a stone top anvil will make your life a whole lot easier also. Running a hand drill fast enough takes endurance and training.

 

[Flametamer]

How are you handling your bushcraft? What you can gather or up for what you can buy? English flint is the best, Chert is from Northern Texas and a lot in Oklahoma areas. You might get some sparks from some local rocks but they will be weak.

A drill stick and a fire board will be the best you can gather around here probably. I have not done it myself much to find the best local sources, but they say softer wood is better than harder woods mostly, but exceptions to the rules are in there. Cedar and Tulip Poplar would be my first trials. No pine or any pitchy type woods. Bow drill with a stone top anvil will make your life a whole lot easier also. Running a hand drill fast enough takes endurance and training.

Basswood, Eastern White Cedar, Staghorn Sumac, Balsam Fir, Aspens, Poplars, Spruces, and most Willows are the wood species native to the mid-atlantic region that are good for bow drill. All must be very dry, or you'll spend a lot of time boiling off the moisture. Think dead branches still on the tree.... Cutting the proper notch in the footboard is critical to success. With a proper spindle and footboard, proper tinder, and a dry patch of ground to work on, a suitable coal can be had in as little as a minute with practice. AS for hand-drills, locally, still standing year-old dry Horseweed, Teasel, Cattail, or Mullein stalks (with a pith interior) can be used, although none of these hand drill stalks are either simple or straightforward to do. A Seep Willow footboard is the best choice for hand drills (Sotol on Seep Willow is the easiest, although neither is native to this region).

 

[K31]

When I was a kid, I used to find stones in the Silver Spring area that threw a load of sparks.

We called them "flint", but I'm really not sure. It was forever ago, but I recall them looking pretty quartzey.

The "Silver" in Silver Sping comes from schist. Maybe you found a pile of schist.

 

[trailman]

I do 18c living history, French and Indian war. I have a hole pocketfull of flints that are no good anymore from my Brown Bess. English and French flints. I hand them out all the time for fire starters. FIWIW in my modern kit I have a ferro rod for fun and a Bic for when I really need it fast. Consider it primitive skills vs survival.

 

[Allium]

If you are thinking bushcraft I highly recommend the Boy Scout field manual. not sure how useful they are currently ie post 2000 but find a copy from 1970s or 80s and it does have some good stuff.