[TheForge] Fire Steel

[Dave Brown]

At 08:15 10/01/04, you wrote:
>Whats best for making steels for flint & steel kits?

Mike,

Use W-1 (aka drill rod).  Even the oiled and polished pieces if you can't 
get hot rolled.  O&P costs about $3, give or take, for 3' of 3/16" 
diameter.  That's sounds pricey, but it comes out to only $0.50 material 
cost for each striker.  At $8 to $10 retail, that's not a bad return.  W-1 
is about 90 to 100 pts carbon.  finish forging drop dull red striker in 
slack tub and continue forging the next one.  No tempering, no oily clean 
up, just dry it.


Dave Brown
Heritage Smithing
Green Bay, WI