[TheForge] fire steel materials

[Daniel Kretchmar]

My fire steels are made from 1/2 strips cut from an old industrial planer 
blade.  They are 1/4 inch thick and according to the steel yard where I 
bought the old blade, it is 1095.  I tried lots of other metals AR232, old 
files, old coil springs, drill rod, etc, and the planer blade consistantly 
makes the sparkiest steels

Dan


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Switzer" <switz at mindspring.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 7:21 PM
Subject: [TheForge] fire steel materials


>I have been making fire steels for years using a variety of salvaged 
>materials with varying quality of sparks. The best always seems to be those 
>made from old files.  I thought I had heard that files where W1.  So I 
>bought some new W1 that was already just the right size to save having to 
>cut down a file to size.  Sadly the spark from the W1 is mediocre at best, 
>plenty to start a fire with but not the fourth of July shower of sparks 
>from the files.  So the question is, what type of steel are files made 
>from?  Or what new grade of steel will produce a good hot shower of sparks?
>
> Thanks
>
>
> John Switzer
> Black Bear Forge
> 7019 Burnt Mill rd
> Beulah, CO 81023
> (719) 485-3109
> http://www.blackbearforge.com
>
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