⚠️ Warnings & Age Restrictions

This blog describes the use of cutting tools and fire creation and is therefore unsuitable for children.

All smoke is carcinogenic, so take care not to inhale it when handling, blowing and creating your fire.

 

⚠️ Disclaimer

The contents of this blog as well as instructions & visual aids are to be used as general information only, and any activities perused by the reader are done so at their own risk. When in doubt seek professional tutorage at a reputable outdoor or bushcraft school. 

Always seek permission and obey the laws within your specific county and/or country when pursuing these kinds of activities.

How to use a Ferrocerium Rod 🔥

How to use a Ferrocerium Rod 🔥

Posted by Samuel Harvington on

Ferrocerium rod, ferro rod, firesteel, metal match & fire flash, the names and sizes are endless, but they all function in virtually the same way. When small shavings of it are removed quickly enough, the metals exposure to oxygen ignites the shavings, converting the metal to the oxide i.e. the sparks are tiny pieces of burning metal. 

A little history...

Ferrocerium is a relatively recent invention (1903) by an Austrian chemist (Carl Aue Bon Welsback) It has quickly become a modern-day replacement for the more traditional flint & steel methods. The ferrocerium compound is a synthetic ‘pyrophoric’ alloy made up of several metal elements, two of the core metals being Iron (Ferro) and Cerium (a soft, rare earth metal) which gives it the useful properties and function we see.

Tinder Options

The sparks generated from a ferrocerium rod can be up to 3000* Celsius and even higher! This means they have the ability to instantly ignite a lot of the tinder options; Including all flash tinder, birchbark, most plant downs and fine dust tinder.

You also have the option to use your ferro rod to generate an ember, if you wish to create a fire using a tinder bundle, rather than jumping straight to an open flame. Coal fungus and charred materials are best used in this case.

The image above shows Kapok as the tinder source.

Preparation

To prepare your fire steel ready for use you will need to expose the compound underneath the protective black coating. To do this, simply take your striker and slowly scrape from the top of your ferro rod to the bottom, you should start to see the shiny ferrocerium becoming exposed underneath. You do not need to use much pressure to achieve this. It is best to do this outside and in an appropriate area, as the process will likely generate some sparks.

Striking Methods

There are two main techniques for generating sparks, with pros and cons to both. Before progressing, make sure you have located the ‘sharp’ scraping area on your striker, this is the part that has a slightly raised ‘lip’ that will make contact with the ferro rod, allowing the soft metal to be shaved off.

Method 1: This approach focuses on keeping your ferro rod grounded and in a fixed position. Scrape downwards with your striker towards the tinder source maintaining the striker at a 45* angle and stopping just before you hit the tinder. This method allows for a much higher degree of precision but is also far more likely to knock your tinder pile and/or extinguish any flames.

Method 2: The reverse of method 1, ‘locking’ the hand holding the striker into a fixed position (striker at 45* in contact with the rod) and pulling the hand holding the ferro rod itself backwards, whilst maintaining contact with the striker. This option is a little more tricky to be accurate with, but avoids crashing down into your tinder source.

Ignition!

This demonstration will focus on igniting processed fatwood shavings & dust as the tinder source, using Method 1 for striking.

Using a ferrocerium rod - step 1

1. With your fine tinder positioned, Place the end of your rod at the edge of your tinder.
2. Place your striker at a 45* angle at the top of your ferro rod.

3. Holding your ferro rod in place push your striker firmly downwards at a 45* angle whilst maintaining contact with the rod's surface.
4. Sparks should shower down onto the exposed tinder, generating a flame. This process may need to be repeated several times until the tinder source ignites. Once lit you can introduce larger tinder components and small kindling.

    Ferro Rod Maintenance & Care

    Because ferrocerium contains iron it can rust when exposed to water &/or moisture, so it is good practice to keep it in some type of container or pouch to avoid it degrading over time. 

    Get out there and start practicing! If you are new to using ferrocerium rods they can be a bit frustrating but perseverance is key, it will become instinctual and second nature in no time.

    Bushcraft Ferro rod Ferrocerium Fire Firesteel How-to Ignite Learning Skills

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