Reddit reviews Relefree Fire Starter Fire Rod Striker Ferrocerium Rod Survival Emergency Flint Firesteel Ferro Rod Magnesium Rod with Quick Well Sparks for Outdoor Camping, Hiking. Super Thick Rod Perfect for DIY
We found 6 Reddit comments about Relefree Fire Starter Fire Rod Striker Ferrocerium Rod Survival Emergency Flint Firesteel Ferro Rod Magnesium Rod with Quick Well Sparks for Outdoor Camping, Hiking. Super Thick Rod Perfect for DIY. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
➤Relefree fire starter rod can be enjoy DIY, embedded in a plastic handle and worn with a curette or you can easily drill a hole in it.➤In order to improve the efficiency of ignition, the surface protective layer and oxide laye should be scraped before using.➤Relefree fire starter rod is made of magnesium won’t burn when contact fire, also can be used in rain and snow.➤Relefree fire starter rod can strike up to 20000 times! produce 3000 degrees celsius sparks(5500 degrees Fahrenheit)!➤The reliability of the Relefre fire starter rod has made it the favorite of outdoor experts, hunters, fishing enthusiasts, and campers.
1/2" X 5" Ferrocerium Rod
>On some comments there people complain not getting any sparks so I guess there's really some kind of quality issue with some.
Generally, it's not that there are quality issues. It's that people are unaware ferrorods can have different hardnesses. The harder the rod is, the more difficult it will be to get sparks off of the rod. You will need to scrape faster and press harder, but the rod will last much longer as a result. You probably have noticed it is incredibly easy to scrape dents and wells into that Light My Fire rod, and that's because the rod is about as soft as they come. But the result is that you can flick sparks off of it with ease.
If you have confidence with your ferrorod technique, or are ready for a better challenge, it is absolutely time to graduate to one of the harder rods. You get more mileage out of them, and you can actually use them in more different ways than the softer rods. I bought two of these last year, and I have been a very happy customer. They will undoubtedly last me for many, many years.
Thanks!
I went with this one:
Relefree 1/2" X 5" 12.7mmx12.7cm Ferrocerium Rod Flint Fire Starter Lighter Magnesium Tool Kits Camping Hiking Survival Outdoor Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UHD41T6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_9WJOwb10GP4JQ
Thanks to whoever recommended it here on /r/Bushcraft. :)
Yep that's the one I use. Huge and inexpensive - think they are still 8 dollars. I use a bit of gorilla duct tape around the end for some grip.
There is also another one that has a hole for a lanyard for a couple bucks more - but if you have a vice and a drill you can put a hole in this one easy enough to run some paracord through.
This is the firesteel
I do these for myself. The good news, they are cheap and easy to make, I'm going to link to the various rods I have used so far here, the 4.5mmx75mm, the 8mmx80mm and finally the big one, 12.7mmx127mm. All of these rods have performed well for me, I personally prefer the larger diameter, although the 8mm might push it a bit. I have some 6.5mmx75mm rods on order, expecting to see them in the new year.
The next part is a bit of antler. For these, I picked up a bag of antler tips off of Etsy, I think the bag of 50 tips was less than $20 shipped. So right around $2 to make the 8mm size.
I did these a little different, and tapped them both the antler and the fero rod. I recommend that if you have a tap and die of the right size. I used JB Weld on these, and am happy with the results, any good 2 part epoxy should give you a good bond.
One of the things I like about this hobby is being able to make good equipment, if you decide to try, don't hesitate to ask questions, I'll answer the best I can.
One alternative that could help you get around the brittleness problem would be to forge/file a hard edge onto part of the brooch (not sharpened like a knife), and incorporate something like this, maybe attached with leather or something. That way you could still use the brooch to start a fire, but won't risk it breaking.