Hand Forged Flint and Steel Striker And Charred Cattail Fire

[wawhiker]

This is hot - literally - well done!

[MiWilderness]

@wawhiker LOL! thanks, I need to get back out and fire it up.

[bushcraftgonewild]

Hi MI, nice video your files may be to new. I get the old ones from yard sales and grind the edges down and they seem to work fine. The newer files just dont have enough carbon i think in them. I have made some knives from the files, thats a fun project once you get over the knots in your back. Green pete i think has a nice video on knife making from files.

[MiWilderness]

@bushcraftgonewild Thanks Steve,

I'm gonna keep messing with it and definitely want to try a file knife. I got some RR spikes and also a big hunk of RR track for an anvil now too. I just need to find time and space to work it. LOL about the back knots.

What I'd really like to make is a nice pair of tongs. I think that would be a cool project, make the tools used to make the tools. Plus, I need to get a nice cross peen hammer.

Roosevelt

[MiWilderness]

@Keister12 :)

[MiWilderness]

@MiWilderness :) back at ya. Thanks for watching, Roosevelt

[Diopterman]

That is a pretty slick forge! I may even be able to make something like that! Thanks for sharing!

[MiWilderness]

@Diopterman Thanks! and You're welcome. It seems that lots of folks make these using everything from old lawnmower/ pushmower bodies to brake drums. You just need something to hold the coals and a way to get air underneath the fire. The refracory cement just helps to hold the heat in and probably helps protect the metal of the forge a bit.

[Snowalker13]

Now thats pretty nifty bro! Show how the forge is made on the next vid!

[MiWilderness]

@Snowalker13 Thanks! I'll have to get some shots of the forge before I fire it up next time.

[readyinthehills]

Hell Yeah, what ever works. It don't have to be brand new or fancy.

[MiWilderness]

@readyinthehills That's right! Thanks!

[ArmyStinger150]

Great vid man! Cool firesteel.

[MiWilderness]

@ArmyStinger150 Thanks!

[vengencefrom1979]

these kind of skills will be needed when the oil runs out.

[ViolentKisses87]

@vengencefrom1979 Either that or spinning classes will be mandatory for all Americans for one hour a day to produce electricity lol.

That is kinda said in jest but the truth is it would kill two birds with one stone so to speak :3

[MiWilderness]

@ViolentKisses87 That's a novel idea.

[MiWilderness]

@vengencefrom1979 Yep! or when we decide to stop using it, whichever comes first. :)

[1097411]

Nice video. Thats a nice forge. Thanks and Take Care.

[MiWilderness]

@1097411 Thanks and you're welcome.

[Prepare2Survive]

Very nice striker and forge.

I don't care for the new youtube channel style either because all my playlists are hard to find. That's why I switched back to the old style. I hope they keep that as an option forever.

[MiWilderness]

@Prepare2Survive Thanks! I think you can edit your channel to show all playlists. Mine only showed featured playlists after the change, but I edited it to show them all. At least it's supposed to show them all now if someone goes to my page along with my new videos. I don't like that they did away with friends. What if I'm friends with someone, but they don't make videos? I don't get it.

[BornRandy62]

that could be the deal with my files. they are super hard. in fact I just leaned one end up against a piece of lumber and stomped on it to break it into manageable pieces. glad that the cat tails worked out for you.  I generally just leave the ember in the box and slam the lid down on it after I get the flare up. when I use the cat tail char up I make some more. I have more than one box full ready to use.

[MiWilderness]

@BornRandy62 The cattail char works great and it fills the box so tight no space is wasted. With charcloth it usually shrinks up quite a bit. I'm going to see about softening a file, forging it to shape and re-hardenening and quenching it. I'm going to give it different heat treats ansd see how that changes the steel.

[tuffnutt34]

nice little striker

[MiWilderness]

@tuffnutt34 Thanks! Nothing fancy, just functional.

[Quasar502]

WTG. Got some really nice sparks there. Got me thinking about a forge now. Oh boy.

[MiWilderness]

@Quasar502 It can be addictive. I'm feeling the draw already.