How hard does the steel need to be for 'flint and steel'?

Diomedes Industries

Diomedes Industries

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Mar 19, 2007
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I am using a square stock of carbon steel and plan on making it into a striker something along the lines of this:

flint-steel.jpg


After I bend it into shape it will be annealed - how hard must it be to create good sparks - or will I be fine with what I have after simply bending into shape?


Any advice helps.

TF
 
You Have to harden it, TF..... The harder it is the easier it will be to spark.

BUT........

If there isn't a small amount of toughness to it, it won't last long as a percussion instrument. The one you show is particularily thin and if left untemperd will be VERY brittle. I have seen too many break, IMO. I did some experimenting and found that you can temper to the low 50HRC range and still get sparks. It is difficult at that point, and speed is your ally. Realistically speaking, you won't lose any sparking ability if you temper to straw colour. The high 50's to 60HRC are ideal in my opinion. Avoid overheating and grain growth... even when tempered, oversized grain sucks.

Rick
 
Can I ask where the spark came from?
Are those bits of steel or stone? Do You know if it can be used different (and which) kind of stone?
 
The spark comes from the chipping of very fine pieces of steel from the striker that ignite immediately in the air, also known as pyrophoricity. Any very hard, non porous rock with a sharp edge or even petrified wood can be used to create sparkes from the striker.
 
The spark comes from a small piece of steel being rapidly shaved off the striker. It can be done with anything harder than the steel with a sharp edge. Flint, chert, obsidian, jade, quartz, diamond are a few natural materials but is doesn't end there. Porcelinain/ceramic, glass, carbide and even the same metal as the striker at a higher level Rockwell will cast sparks for traditional flint and steel.

Not to be confused with a Firesteel(ferrocerium rod) and scraper..... that is totally different.

Rick
 
Like Rick said, you can temper it down quite a bit, just be sure and get it full hard first. The more you temper the harder it is to spark. I usually quench them in rainwater, well water or filtered pond water... cracked a few though.
 
This post has actually answered a few questions for me as well, Thanks guys :)...We sure have had plenty of rain water to use lately....
 
Rick Marchand said:
The spark comes from a small piece of steel being rapidly shaved off the striker.

It can be done with anything harder than the steel with a sharp edge. Flint, chert, obsidian, jade, quartz, diamond are a few natural materials but is doesn't end there. Porcelinain/ceramic, glass, carbide and even the same metal as the striker at a higher level Rockwell will cast sparks for traditional flint and steel.

Rick
Click to expand...

Is there any particular rock type in Ontario that works really well?

I don't know much about rocks, but I thought the really good ones for that aren't here?
 
If you grow the grain it'll spark better,... gets a little brittle though.
 
I have seen the 'heat it up until it looses its ability to draw a magnet then quench it' - is that what I should be doing here?



TF
 
I have had smiths tell me that some grain growth improves the abilitie to throw good sparks. Don't know it for a fact but it makes sense when considering the mechanism of creating the sparks.
 
As Tai already mentioned, oversized grain will throw better sparks, but at what cost? Grain growth can cause huge problems. The steel could literally shatter like glass while using it. Better to do a solid heat treat and temper back a little.

Talfuchre... for steel strikers, you are good to heat with a torch to bright red (not orange) and quench in warmed canola oil or water depending on the steel type.
 
Here's the coolest looking one I have. I didn't make it, but forgot the guys name who did. It was given to me as a gift a long time ago. Anyway, it sparks great. You can see the straw temper.

DSCN2621.jpg
 
I use a length of square 3/8" W-1, give it a couple of bends, a little soak time in the forge, and quench in "Canola Oil"
(just kidding, Tai) quench in Parks 50. I don't temper at all; use it "as quenched". Works great.
 
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