Magnesium fire starter

[Doctari]

Early last week my oldest son & I got a few magnesium Fire starters from Harbor freight ($1.99 ea): block of mag with a steel rod glued into one edge. Ours came with a small piece of hacksaw blade as a striker.
Last night, just before dark, we went to practice with them. After a few tries, we each got a small fire going. The conditions were as near perfect as possible: no wind, dry conditions, ample fire wood & tinder handy.
We “cheated” & used a piece of TP as a “base” for the magnesium shavings. This actually worked very well as the magnesium seemed to stick to the TP.
The problem we had, & the reason for this post, is we had trouble getting more than a coarse dust from the magnesium block. We tried: shaving with a small knife = dust. Shaving with a large knife = dust. Scraping with the hacksaw striker = dust. We could not get shavings as I have seen in other uses. My large knife is a Gerber with a serrated section near the handle, the small one also has a serrated edge. Tonight I’ll try with a different non serrated knife, but does anyone have any tips? We tried: different angles with the knife, held the magnesium block off the rock & against the rock we were starting the fire on. All we could get is a course dust.
The dust started the fire OK, but took a lot of tries as the magnesium didn’t burn very long unless (by luck?) we hit a larger pile of magnesium.
And, as it was dead calm I felt that even a slight breeze would blow it away with ease. Even the striking of the sparks seemed to scatter the magnesium dust. The TP seemed to help hold it in place.

Will also try to cut off small pieces with the hacksaw blade.

[garlic08]

That's interesting. I tested mine once and was easily able to get large curly shavings with a medium sized pocket knife. Maybe it's a cheaper alloy of magnesium you got for $1.99 (I assume that's a typo in your post and you didn't really pay almost $200 for it!) and it isn't as soft. Several different mag alloys are used in construction and auto parts.

It's very smart of you to try it out. At least you're not out too much if you can't figure something out.

[briankeithsmith]

I bought one at a gun show back in January - love it. Throws incredible sparks.
And it is gonna take me a LONG time to shave that mag block down to nothing...

[Roche]

My experience was like Garlic's. Bought it, tested it, never used it again - most likely it's buried in a box of gear. One thing I do carry now is a trick birthday candle for windy days (idea compliments of Sgt Rock).

[Mountain Wildman]

That's interesting. I tested mine once and was easily able to get large curly shavings with a medium sized pocket knife. Maybe it's a cheaper alloy of magnesium you got for $1.99 (I assume that's a typo in your post and you didn't really pay almost $200 for it!) and it isn't as soft. Several different mag alloys are used in construction and auto parts.

It's very smart of you to try it out. At least you're not out too much if you can't figure something out.

I concur,
I have the Coghlan's Magnesium Fire Starter which I paid seven dollars for probably 15 years ago, It still costs the same, I tried it once and got the shavings as mentioned. You get what you pay for I guess, But as long as it does work, No big loss.

[Graywolf]

$200 for a fire starter..WoW!! Hope it came with gold..Havnt tried it yet but heard it is good..I saw a cheaper brand at the Army/Navy store the other day..I think it only cost 4 bucks..I'm not ready to shell out a lot of money for something that cost the same as my pack..

Just sayin,

Graywolf

[Doctari]

One dollar ninety nine cents was the cost. :p
The magnesium was rather hard. I have seen videos of guys shaving one like it was pine, mine is like hardened aluminum.

During testing I also tried my 3 (pezio electric, Bic) lighters. 2 failed to light, 1 that you could still see fuel in barely lit then went out.

Thanks guys!

[Connie]

I had a Coghlan's magnesium rectangular block with a flint rod inset, from REI, recently, that made shavings.

The magnesium rods that made only dust still work for me, but I have to have the dust collected on a dry leaf to be practical.

I have to have the shavings collected on a dry leaf to be practical.

I like the shavings better, because it is easier for me to see the shavings. It is also easier for me to control the shavings destination.

Also I use a carbon steel scraper blade replacement.

I can't bring myself to use the P-38 provided or the good edge on my fine knife blade for camping or for kayaking.

[Siestita]

A few years ago a bought a Coghlan's magnesium stick to help Boy Scouts start fires using several different methods. Accomplishing that was a requirement for "Wilderness Survival" merit badge. With time and patience, we succeeded in starting fires using the magnesium stick.

For me, the problem with the stick is that it is much heavier than alternatives, such as keeping multiple small match boxes and lighters dry in separate zip locks. So the magnesium stick does not go into my pack.

Being waterproof appears to be the flint shaft/magnesium stick's unique virtue. Perhaps taking that type of fire starter along makes sense for wilderness outings in cold wet settings, such as Canadian canoe treks.

In the meantime, I carry an old film 35 MM film canister filled with emergency fire starters/alcohol lighters--cotton balls permeated with petroleum jelly. At home I improve those sticky cotton balls further by rolling them in dusty magnesium pieces scraped from the Coughlan's fire starter.

[RYE_TYLER]

I've gotten the same results with th USGI Doan Mag block. Small shavings and if there's any wind they're gone. I've come prefer Light my fire firesteel and Petrol. jelly cottonballs. Much better results and they last 6 min. IMHO...

[Mr. Magoo]

If you want to use magnesium and the ferrocerium rod (little flint rod on top), try this... Use a coarse file and grind the block over a few squares of duct tape. When you have enough made, fold each in half and store in plastic bags until ready to use.

I myself, use a good ferro rod (firesteel) and always keep tinder with me in a bag in one of my pockets. In case, for whatever reason, you lose your belongings (pack), you'll always be able to make fire. Keep practicing with whatever you plan to use afield. With plenty of practice, you'll be able to get a good spark into dry tinder with one or two strikes.

Have fun.

[Mr. Magoo]

Forgot to add: For a ton of super easy tinder, collect dryer lint and keep it in a film canister or plastic bag. You won't even need the magnesium. A few strikes of the steel, and up goes the lint. I promise. :)

One thing to avoid: Try not to use a firesteel to light a stove. Keep a good old Bic just for that purpose. The sparks are very hot and leave burns on metal which will ultimately rust.

[zelph]

If you want to use magnesium and the ferrocerium rod (little flint rod on top), try this... Use a coarse file and grind the block over a few squares of duct tape. When you have enough made, fold each in half and store in plastic bags until ready to use.
Have fun.

I agree, use a course file, keep the course shavings in a small baggie. Magnesium loves water. It will get you a fire going in the wettest conditions. Dryer lint will not.

[Doctari]

So, get a large rasp & file the magnesium into a zip lock, problem solved! DOH!

I really hate it when I miss the painfully obvious stuff like this. :mad:

I think what I will do is file one to nothing, & still carry the other.

An idea that occurs to me: Carry the cotton balls with Vaseline, when needed, dip the Vaseline coated balls into the Magnesium shavings. This would accomplish 3 things; the cotton balls would have a better chance of lighting, the Vaseline would hold the Mag in place better and give the Mag a bit of extra fuel to help catch the bigger stuff on fire.

I am going to get a light my fire or similar rod "thingy". Also, last night I needed to seal the ends of some 550 cord & no longer had a lighter that worked, so I'm going to carry a regular (wheel / flint striker) Bic for tasks like that.

[Panzer1]

I think the mag fire starters are really cool and I am frequently tempted to buy one but I think that if your on the trail a small lighter is easier to use.

Panzer

[The Old Fhart]

For at least the last 15 years I've carried what was then called a "metal match". The military uses these (FS104 METAL SURVIVAL MATCH) and they are available for about $9, or maybe less if you shop around. Here is a short video (http://countycomm.com/FIRESTARTER.htm) of one in action.

[shelterbuilder]

Doctari, I'm curious -- were you trying to shave off the edge of the block, or the corner. I find that "whittling" on the corner of the block gives me better shavings.

Of course, it could be the type of alloy that gave you dust instead of shavings.

BTW, keep the block zip-locked so that it doesn't come in contact with your SWEAT - I had a block "rust" (turn to white powder) once because of this.

[Wise Old Owl]

My experience was like Garlic's. Bought it, tested it, never used it again - most likely it's buried in a box of gear. One thing I do carry now is a trick birthday candle for windy days (idea compliments of Sgt Rock).

Ditto and the sparks continue around the campfire for years....so its dust.... OK.

Did you ever think the Knife might be to blame?

[Rain Man]

Well, this thread inspired me to get out my magnesium fire starter block and give it the ol college try.

It SUCKED. I shaved and shaved with the biggest camping knife I've got, and sparked and sparked, and nothing. Nada.

Then I got out a rasp file per this thread and filed and filed. You can see the pile of "dust" in the photo below. Nada. You can see tiny black spots where the sparks charred the magnesium dust pile slightly. That was it.

Finally, I filed a while longer (far too long IMHO) and got the pile to flar up a bit (it never totally burned). However, it did fill my kitchen with black snowflakes, that settled over everything, which I had to clean off. I think it was soot flakes. Nasty stuff!

This Coghlan's fire starter block I got at REI (I thing that's right) is going back in some drawer or maybe even the trash.

Rain Man

.

[Doctari]

WOW! We didn't get a pile 1/10th* that size & after a few sparks It (the Magnesium) caught & stayed lit long enough to start the TP & slivers of wood to a nice small fire.

*Per my son: Mine wouldn't cover 1/2 a dime, had to take son's word for it that I even had any as in that light with my eyes, I couldn't see it.

UPDATE: I managed to get small slivers of Mag last night: after shaving the corner of the block with the hack saw blade, I noticed that left groves in the Mag, so I took my 2" knife & shaved one of the ridges down. I did not / was not trying to start a fire, just looking at the block of mag.
In answer to Shelterbuilder's query: yes, I was shaving the corner. Son got similar results shaving the narrow edge of the block.

I am still going to carry this as a fire starter. In the past 10 times I have gone to start my Alcohol stove, I have had a lighter fail every time, sometimes 3 of the 4 I carry fail (2 "Old wheel strikers" 2 Pizeo electric. fire started with old wheel striker). I can't see the striker on this thing failing to at least strike a few sparks, & as mentioned in my first post, it started my stove first strike. I should add that in addition to no wind, the outside temp was low 50s.


Well, this thread inspired me to get out my magnesium fire starter block and give it the ol college try.

It SUCKED. I shaved and shaved with the biggest camping knife I've got, and sparked and sparked, and nothing. Nada.

Then I got out a rasp file per this thread and filed and filed. You can see the pile of "dust" in the photo below. Nada. You can see tiny black spots where the sparks charred the magnesium dust pile slightly. That was it.

Finally, I filed a while longer (far too long IMHO) and got the pile to flar up a bit (it never totally burned). However, it did fill my kitchen with black snowflakes, that settled over everything, which I had to clean off. I think it was soot flakes. Nasty stuff!

This Coghlan's fire starter block I got at REI (I thing that's right) is going back in some drawer or maybe even the trash.

Rain Man

.

[Two Speed]

. . . This Coghlan's fire starter block I got at REI (I thing that's right) is going back in some drawer or maybe even the trash.

Rain Man

.Why not take it back to REI?

[Manwich]

I just bring my Angle Grinder on the trail for when I need to make magnesium shavings out of that block.

[Buzz_Lightfoot]

Early last week my oldest son & I got a few magnesium Fire starters from Harbor freight ($1.99 ea): block of mag with a steel rod glued into one edge. Ours came with a small piece of hacksaw blade as a striker.
Last night, just before dark, we went to practice with them. After a few tries, we each got a small fire going. The conditions were as near perfect as possible: no wind, dry conditions, ample fire wood & tinder handy.
We “cheated” & used a piece of TP as a “base” for the magnesium shavings. This actually worked very well as the magnesium seemed to stick to the TP.
The problem we had, & the reason for this post, is we had trouble getting more than a coarse dust from the magnesium block. We tried: shaving with a small knife = dust. Shaving with a large knife = dust. Scraping with the hacksaw striker = dust. We could not get shavings as I have seen in other uses. My large knife is a Gerber with a serrated section near the handle, the small one also has a serrated edge. Tonight I’ll try with a different non serrated knife, but does anyone have any tips? We tried: different angles with the knife, held the magnesium block off the rock & against the rock we were starting the fire on. All we could get is a course dust.
The dust started the fire OK, but took a lot of tries as the magnesium didn’t burn very long unless (by luck?) we hit a larger pile of magnesium.
And, as it was dead calm I felt that even a slight breeze would blow it away with ease. Even the striking of the sparks seemed to scatter the magnesium dust. The TP seemed to help hold it in place.

Will also try to cut off small pieces with the hacksaw blade.


I used to have one of those. Here is a secret. Forget even bothering making magnesium shavings. Just get some good tinder and use the sparking side to shoot a good spark into it.

As you found it is very hard to get any decent amount of shavings and even if you do, the chances that a spark from the sparking end will ignite it is slim.

For tinder I used just dried grass. I would grab a fist-sized bundle and "massage" it constantly as I hiked. In short order it becomes "grass fluff" that will EASILY catch a spark and burn. No magnesium required.

Maybe in extremely wet conditions the magnesium shavings may be called for but in normal conditions all you get from making shavings is a dull knife.

BL

[Doctari]

Based on RainMan's poor results, I decided to try again.
Small update first: I can strike sparks much better now, with about a 80% chance of striking obviously hot sparks. And, I was able to get slightly larger frank shavings, not dust.

Test conditions: in a concrete sink inside at work, Temp 75 with no wind.

Test #1: Repeat of original test; small "dusting" & about 3 slivers of mag shavings on 2 squares of TP. as before, about 5 rapid fire spark showers I had fire.

Test #2: TP alone, laying flat. No fire even after about 10 rapid fire spark showers.

Test #3: Magnesium shavings alone, similar amount to test 1; Identical results to Rainman. some Mag sort of glowed, but nothing else.

Test #4a: Dime sized pile of dust & shavings, Yea, black ash in the air, no fire.
Test #4b: tried to light mag with Butane lighter, NO FIRE, just more black ash than test 4a

Test #5a: Magnesium on Duct tape. The theory being the duct tape would hold it all together. Not so much. No fire, mostly because the mag was spread out & I (naturally) could not move it around. used about the same amt as in test 1.
Test 5b: Duct tape & TP; similar results to 5a.

Test #6: OOPS! Should have wadded up / crumpled the TP in test 2; It smoldered a bit after about 5 spark showers, & I felt I could have gotten a fire going, but my hand hurt due to the hacksaw blade so I gave up. I am going to call this a probable success.

Test #7: alcohol stove, very small splash of alcohol, struck one spark shower & had fire. Fire burned out in about 25 seconds as expected.

Results & my take on carrying the magnesium fire starter:

It is a LOT of work, just getting the shavings each time took a good 8 - 10 minutes of vigorous scraping & cutting with my knife. I was mostly rested last night, no hypothermia & Test #1 took me about 8 minutes to set up & execute. There was no urgency, I had ample lighting (a 2 tube Florescent light directly overhead), dry tinder & a dry work area with no wind & I still had to work for it. I had to scrape for about 15 minutes for test #4.

I'm doing a 5 day trip to RRG next week, so will give it a field test if conditions allow (fire ban in area last week) & report back. I do not hold out much hope for success though.

I do like being able to start fire without matches or a lighter, but the magnesium bloc is just (IMHO) a waste of weight & space in my pack as Buzz suggests. [My samples weigh 1.5 Oz including striker.] My plan is to just go with a light my fire type flint & steel & a similar amount of dryer lint or similar tinder to bring the total to 1.5 Oz. I have yet to practice with dryer lint, but feel confident.

[Nearly Normal]

I just use a match or a flick of the bick.

[Skidsteer]

I am still going to carry this as a fire starter. In the past 10 times I have gone to start my Alcohol stove, I have had a lighter fail every time, sometimes 3 of the 4 I carry fail (2 "Old wheel strikers" 2 Pizeo electric. fire started with old wheel striker).

Damn. Buy a Bic already. Why would you accept such sorry performance from an inanimate object?

[Doctari]

Damn. Buy a Bic already. Why would you accept such sorry performance from an inanimate object?

I Always buy Bic. Lately they have been letting me down with alarming frequency. So, as you say, I am not accepting such sorry performance from Bic anymore. Thanks for the advice, even though I'm pretty sure that's not what you meant. :p

[Skidsteer]

Wow, you have exceptionally bad luck or Bic quality control is going in the toilet if 3 out of 4 failed.

[OldStormcrow]

Here is something you may not have considered. After you have managed to whittle off a dime-sized pile of shavings, thus dulling your knife considerably, make sure that you are using a carbon steel knife.....not your serrated stainless Gerber, Spiderco, Swiss Army, etc. Stainless is almost impossible to get a good spark from. I concur with Buzz as to the tinder idea, but I like to get the inner fibrous bark from cedar trees and make a sort of bird's nest out of it to start a fire on nasty days. Of course, a mini-bic weighs a few grams and you can keep it in your cook kit, along with the stub of last night's candle.....together they will work to start a fire under conditions where even a whole jar of "Girl Scout water" will not.

[Nearly Normal]

Wow, you have exceptionally bad luck or Bic quality control is going in the toilet if 3 out of 4 failed.

Didn't keep it in his pocket and it got cold.

[tuswm]

I drilled a hole on either side and one more in the center.

Now I can put it on the ground and put the point of a old knife in it and just twist.

its lighter

I get big shavings

the shavings all stay in one spot

Im less likely to chop off a finger trying to shave chunks off

[moondoggie]

I've gotten the same results with th USGI Doan Mag block. Small shavings and if there's any wind they're gone. I've come prefer Light my fire firesteel and Petrol. jelly cottonballs. Much better results and they last 6 min. IMHO...
This setup works great! It's what I use (the cotton balls infused with petroleum jelly, in a ziplock). Just remember to wipe the petro off your fingers after spreading the cotton fibers b4 lighting ;,)

[Rain Man]

Well, finding myself with a few minutes and being in the mood, I got my magnesium fire starter block back out a few minutes ago. Based on another post, I got out my drill, and drilled a hole through the block, starting with a small bit and working my way up to a big bit, to gather up a good pile of shavings. See photo.

Also based on another post, I didn't use my stainless steel Gerber knife, but got out an old, plain steel, "bowie" style knife.

You can see the results this time. Lots of hot flame! Also, this time I was smart enough to go outside and all the black soot "snowflakes" blew away in the breeze.

I'm guessing the knife made the difference, though I don't know why. It didn't seem to produce any more volume of sparks than the stainless steel Gerber did.

Rain:sunMan

.

[Two Speed]

Based on my experience I'd have been tempted to throw the magnesium block on the fire, but what the hey, if all ya gotta have is a pistol drill to make the shavings maybe I'm being too harsh.

[Rain Man]

Based on my experience I'd have been tempted to throw the magnesium block on the fire, but what the hey, if all ya gotta have is a pistol drill to make the shavings maybe I'm being too harsh.

Hey, I'm with you, TS. Next time, I'm thinking about drilling another hole to get a big pile of shavings, putting the block on top of that, and lighting the shavings. Maybe I should set up a video camera for that? LOL

Rain:sunMan

.

[Two Speed]

I dunno. Just make sure you do it outdoors, unless you don't care what your insurance company thinks about you.

[Rain Man]

I dunno. Just make sure you do it outdoors, unless you don't care what your insurance company thinks about you.

COWARD!!! Now,-- I am a professional, so don't try this at home! Nor did I have a "Bubba" or a "Billy Bob" handy to hand my beer to. Well, I don't drink either, but anyway....
:D
I drilled three more holes in my magnesium block, to get a big pile of shavings and to give plenty of surface area on the block to catch fire. The photos below are for your viewing pleasure. They were taken a few minutes ago in my backyard (just to make TS happy, I assure you, honest). My wife had nothing, NOTHING, I say, to do with it.
:D
The first shows the block on the burning shavings. The second looks as if the shavings are about out and the block has not caught fire. Bummer?

The third shows some flames from the block. It's working! The fourth shows the four holes I drilled.

The fifth is a close-up, showing the white-hot innards and how the surface of the block looks as if covered in white warts. The sixth shows the still-burning remains, which I had chopped up with the knife. The flint rod was no where to be found.

The seventh shows the dusty remains. One magnesium block bites the dust. Worth every cent I paid for it. Took maybe 10 minutes or more from striking the flint to washing off the board with the hose.

I just know you guys can appreciate the sense of accomplishment I have, from completely destroying a solid chunk of metal with fire! :D And now it's no longer gathering dust and taking up space in one of my hiking gear drawers!

Rain Man

.

[Two Speed]

Some of the other folks may get upset, but that looks like an appropriate disposal method to me.

[Wise Old Owl]

Well, finding myself with a few minutes and being in the mood, I got my magnesium fire starter block back out a few minutes ago. Based on another post, I got out my drill, and drilled a hole through the block, starting with a small bit and working my way up to a big bit, to gather up a good pile of shavings. See photo.

Also based on another post, I didn't use my stainless steel Gerber knife, but got out an old, plain steel, "bowie" style knife.

You can see the results this time. Lots of hot flame! Also, this time I was smart enough to go outside and all the black soot "snowflakes" blew away in the breeze.

I'm guessing the knife made the difference, though I don't know why. It didn't seem to produce any more volume of sparks than the stainless steel Gerber did.

Rain:sunMan

.

I thought the same thing as I have almost never seen the dust, I use a steel knife and I got consistant shavings, CRKT & Shrade Rules!

Never thought to use the whole block!:cool:

[mbiraman]

I've got a mag blk but never use it. I try to keep things simple. A knife , firesteel, and tinder. The best thing i've used to date is Jute string/manila string separated into fine hair, a bit of birch bark for added juice . A spark or two from the FS and it always bursts into flame. Dryer lint has too many synthetic fibres in it these days and has mixed results. Vasi balls tend to soot too much. On a few occasions i've just used the birch bark. Scrap the bark with your knife to get a little pile of powder and set the steel right on it. A couple of sparks and away it goes. BB will burn even if its wet. A bic is easier but not very satisfying for me, but i do have one for backup. Haven't used it yet. To each his/her own tho.

[Slayer]

Used to have one of those. Waste of time and money IMHO, too much work to use them.

I think I got a little drunk and lit the entire bar up with a torch one night and melted it onto a cement block. There are better options out there.

-dan-

[oldfivetango]

I am a comfirmed pyromaniac.The absolute best thing I have ever used is the Blast Match.I think I may have gotten mine at Cabelas but a quick google should find you one.The blast match solves the "size of flake issue" as it peel off plenty of magnesium
and is 4 times hotter than a match.I popped mine off on just the ground in an open
field one time and had to act quickly to prevent having a major wildfire.

That said-I have the same little magblocks that others use only I use an old hacksaw
blade as the striker.Use the blade side to scrape with and the back side to make the
spark with.It is important to note that one of the very best things you can use is a piece of charcloth to catch any spark-even one made from a simple flint and steel.
The carbon on the charcloth will glow red hot amongst whatever tinder you care to use.I like to delaminate jute twine for tinder and keep it in a ziplock bag.

On evenings when I like to produce bowdrill fire for my family and friends I will "cheat"
a little bit as the evening air is damp and place a secret square of charcloth amongst
my jute twine tinder ball to drop the glowing ember into from the drill.....works like a
charm.(am also a firm believer in vaseline/magballs and WetFire for emergency wetweather use)However,everybody should learn to make and carry some charcloth.
Oldfivetango

[veteran]

I like to use these:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YYr3XA5tL._SS500_.jpg

http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1707/st_whatsinside_f.jpg

[Doctari]

Update on my experience so far:

FIRST: the Bic lighters were old, usually stored in my car with the temperature variations that entails, so that may have counted for them failing. I have 2 new ones & they light every time.

2nd: I give up on these fire starters. BUT I still want a sparking firestarter, I may get one of those Blast Match thingies, or something else.

3rd: started my stove with ease every time with the sparker on the Mag block, so as in #2, I like that.

MY mag block is delegated to the "it seemed a good idea at the time" box. So I'm out $2.00 :p

[oldfivetango]

About gas handheld lighters(is Bic the only brand?)
I have them and use them but am careful about using them to light the alcohol
stove etc.

Reason being is that they have the possibility to explode.Note there is a warning about how long you can leave one lit.

So dip a twig in your fuel and use it to transfer the fire to the stove so you dont run
the risk of blowing your favorite hand off in the woods a long way from nowhere.
That would just really ruin anybody's vacation.
I love the BlastMatch and other strikers(with charcloth) as a backup firestarter as
any lighter can fail or run out of fuel.
Oldfivetango

[JaxHiker]

My biggest problem with mag is that wind always kicks up and blows my nice little pile away. :-) I do like the Blastmatch. Strike "anywhere" matches really should change their names. They're not the matches of old. I really need to make some char cloth.

[JAK]

I like the waterproofness and ruggedness of the magnesium stick. I don't really like using it though, or carrying it, so I tend not to have it with me. It would be better if I made something useful out of it, so I would always have it with me if my lighter or matches failed. Like if it was also a whistle, or a tent stake, or part of my pack frame, but removeable of course, when needed to start a fire. I haven't tried using it with rocks if my knife were unavailable. That might be worth checking out also. Belt Buckle?

[zukiguy]

If you get one of the "original" Doan manufacturing blocks the metal is a bit softer and easier to scrape/shave off. I too use a piece of hacksaw blade as the scraper. The key "cheat" to have is a scrap of waxpaper or even foil to catch all the scrapings as they go flying. Then you just fold it up and have a nice little pile, ready to catch a spark.

While you can use your blade edge to scrap shavings and make sparks I'll opt for the spine instead. I've got some cheap mora sheath knives I take along and I really haven't seen any difference between the carbon steel and stainless ones for this purpose. Both scrape fine but I do tend to square off the spine so I have a nice scraping edge.

I thought once I might actually use this block more so I ground down the corners so it was more comfortable to fit in my pocket. It hasn't gone much farther than some demos for the scouts.

I keep one of the scout "hot sparks" in my cookset and sometimes one on my keychain for mornings when the lighter fails. They're easy to use and cheap. For a serious shower of sparks go for the gerber "strike force". That thing has a monstrous ferro rod and even a gentle scrape produces a huge spark. It's bulky though so again, I rarely take it anywhere but demos.

[leaftye]

The absolute best thing I have ever used is the Blast Match.I think I may have gotten mine at Cabelas but a quick google should find you one.The blast match solves the "size of flake issue" as it peel off plenty of magnesium
and is 4 times hotter than a match.I popped mine off on just the ground in an open
field one time and had to act quickly to prevent having a major wildfire.

It does make lots of sparks, but I didn't find it very suitable to starting my stoves. I ended up giving it away and sticking with a firesteel. I have a magnesium rod too, but I only used it once and don't know if it made much of a difference.

[JAK]

Mine is very hard also. I wonder if it has become heat treated or otherwise hardened in some way. This might happen if it was magnesium with something else in with it, even just a little, aluminum or whatever. If it is an alloy that can precipitation harden, I think it can harden on its own over time, and then soften, but depending on the alloy and temperature it might take years to harden before it starts softening. Now I am trying to remember how to anneal it, but I am not sure that is the right term in the case of precipitation hardening.

I think heating it up in the oven and then letting it cool slowly might be worth a shot, but check the melting point and whatever temperature it might ignite. If that doesn't work you might try it again air cooling it outside the oven, or oil quenching in a transmission fluid, or water quenching. I would be really careful about oil quenching magnesium though, especially from a high temperature. I am not sure that you can't, but I am just not sure that you can either.

[JAK]

Then again, it might harden over time because of magnesium oxide forming on the surface, and getting thicker, and perhaps diffusing into the metal very slowly over time. If so, annealing won't do squat, and perhaps make it worse. Filing or sawing or shaving some off the surface might be the better answer. It does seem to get a bit easier once you are in a ways.

[SunnyWalker]

JAK, shave the shavings into yoru Bush Buddy. Wouldn't that keep them from blowing away? I think these types of gadgets are great for the wood stoves we all talk about, i.e., Bush Buddy, Zip, etc.

[SassyWindsor]

Mag sticks are great, but heavier and bulkier than my firesteel. I use cotton balls and petrol jelly as a starter as well as a first aid item. Pack in medicine or film container. I also have waxed safety match's for backup.

[Gipsy]

In my emergency Bug Out Bag, I keep a couple of Bics. For back-up I keep a blast-match with 2 O.B. non-applicator tampons (for dry conditions) and petro/cotton balls (for wet conditions).

In my mini-tin emergency kit, among other items, I keep a mini-mag/ferro rod (mostly for the ferro) from bepreparedtosurvive.com and a single O.B. tampon.

I used to catch a lot of flack about it until I showed some buds how easy it was to use and how many tinders you can get from just one coochie plug (about 20).

FYI for the guys that don't know their tampons (LOL), the O.B. brand doesn't have the applicators. They are small "bullet" shaped, super-compressed cotton, that are individually plastic wrapped to keep em dry. A lot of the survivalists I know use them as their emergency tinders. Thats where I got the tip anyway.

[mweinstone]

wow. lotta people here dont know how to use a magnesium firestarter. you dont cut or shave before hand. thats a toxic material your trying to keep in a bag and dispence under adverse conditions. the thing im seeing and hearing is none of you know how to scrape a magnesium block. hold it firm against a rock or wood or even hard ground. place the knife edge on the long axis and scrape long up and down hard strokes letting the shaveings fall to the point of use. if your not getting a deep gougeing removal of material, your scraping way to light or your lifting your blade off the surface creating notches that stop the blade from getting long strokes. a pile of magnesium needs to be ste size of a penny and as thick. light scrapeing dont cut it. a sharp knife will be dull after a few fires. then you know your doing it right. lean into it guys!

[mweinstone]

it does take a suprisingly long time and alot of energy to make a pile. your hands will be hurty and your knife will hate you. but you carry them to have complete dominance over fire in wet woods.

[Ol Mole]

I Always buy Bic. Lately they have been letting me down with alarming frequency. So, as you say, I am not accepting such sorry performance from Bic anymore. Thanks for the advice, even though I'm pretty sure that's not what you meant. :p

Do you modify the BIC when you first get it? Taking the clip that fits under the stricker wheel off allows the BIC to light better and burn longer. A pair of tweezers and a twist is all it takes (less than a minute). WHen I buy a pack of BIC's, I just take the clip off all of them at once.

Happy trails.

[endubyu]

If you roll your cotton ball in the vaseline you won't need magnesium, the spark will ignite the petro. Works in rain.

[earlyriser26]

I have a fire steel and have never used it on the trail. A couple bics work fine and are easier. It does work great on dryer link or the cotton ball vasoline trick. I guess if you were in a true survival situation this type of thing would be bullet proof, but mostly they are for fun.

[endubyu]

cotton ball on a stick and ya have a match :)

[karo]

Alot of people do not know this, but almost all late model cars have a Mag-Beam as the structure for their dash in their cars and trucks. The lightweight magnesium gives a rigid frame to bolt on all of the cockpit items. So if you are stranded in your vehicle, try to get some shavings from that beam to help in fire starting.

[karo]

cotton ball on a stick and ya have a match :)
I am going to try some cotton balls with petroleum jelly or dryer lint from cotton towels and vaseline mixed with some of the magnesium shavings. You could keep a few of these in an old film canister.

[Gipsy]

C'mon Karo, you can buy some tampons. Just tell em its for starting campfires or for bullet holes! I always like to ask how big the chute opens when you pull the rip-cord. Or ask if it's a 3 or a 5 second fuse.

[Wise Old Owl]

Guys this is an old thread dug up anew.... I would not travel even under a survival situation with a mag bar - a bic or a wind proof quality - thats all you need - no fuzz balls, tampons, shavings - all old school. The whole cotton ball with lip balm or Vaseline is interesting - and slow burning... but Cro magnon man and lucy had a better tool. - IT was called Turpentine.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwwLJWYP1_Y&playnext=1&list=PL65FA697D7EC4E8E3

[10-K]

You guys work pretty hard..

A mini-bic and 2 or 3 esbit tabs will do it.

[Wise Old Owl]

10k it is like you are reading my mind - but 1/2 an esbit should work

[BitBucket]

take along a few cotton balls doused in petroleum jelly....one spark from your mag lighter and it will start a fire quickly....works every time....

[Toli]

Doctari, check these guys out... Called the "Nanostriker"...
http://www.exotac.com/

[10-K]

10k it is like you are reading my mind - but 1/2 an esbit should work

I figured in a survival situation you might need to make more than 1 fire. :)

[SassyWindsor]

Doctari, check these guys out... Called the "Nanostriker"...
http://www.exotac.com/


I've tried the nanoStriker and think it's the coolest, high-tech non-fuel firestarter available. Hope Santa brings me one, until then I'll keep using my Swedish Firesteel

http://www.exotac.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=181 (http://www.exotac.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=181)

[zelph]

Try this method:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PmDaQTDg28

Or this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDBBtUIVM5s


You can use milkweed fluff for tinder:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuwtCwZDLQw

Cotton Balls are easy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dos06c03p34

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdW8WBY_uhY

.

[LordoftheWings]

When I had issues with a magnesium starter I had been playing with, I found a piece of bark that had lots of sap (Florida Southern Pine-otherwise known as lightning rods) I shaved the mag. onto the sap about the size of a quarter. It worked just fine. I found that on all of my practice fires, I wasn't doing enough prep work to make it easy on myself. As far as the car parts. Today's cars do have more and more magnesium in them. Be careful though, magnesium is hydrophobic. You'll get a shower of pretty white sparks if you catch too much metal on fire and try to put water on it.
Only copious amounts of water will do. I'll be bringing the bics.

[zelph]

I've tried a lot of techniques and a recent find has me convinced that it's the one I should have in my emergency kits. I have my little ferro rod on my key chain all the time and some magnesium shavings in my wallet 24/7 so I'm ok there. I furnish my kids with safety items now and then and will give them some of the new kits that I came upon and have tested.

The Fire Starter Aviation Survival "SPARK-LITE" Kit

They were originally designed for the U.S. Military.

The tinder is water resistant and lights easily.

The spark producer works easy with one hand.

I did a video of the kit today:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/th_Spark-litesurvivalKit.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/?action=view&current=Spark-litesurvivalKit.mp4)

[flow]

Are you guys drawing the blade at a right angle to the block? This always worked well for me.