Suing The Turkeys At TOTW

This post is to ALL. I don't know how to reply to ALL.

I read this whole thread useless trash as it is, it sure is funny :haha:

One point, in quenching you only need the face of the striker that hot, so you could hold the steel with tongs and just quench the face and sides a bit for that glass hard effect we need, and leave the rest of the "C" not heated as much and certainly not quenched.

........
Either hand can hold either the flint or the striker. It depends on what you want to do.

If you want to stand up and are right handed, hold the flint and tinder with char in your left hand and strike down grazzing the flint with the steel in your right hand.

The char should be on top of the flint in this case, since scraping off the sparks with have them on top of the flint.

If you want to sit over a nest on the ground, or be kneeling then you can place the flint in your right hand, the steel in your left, and the nest on the ground with the char in it.

Then this way you hold the steel still over the nest and strike down with the flint grazing the steel.

Up heya' in New Hampsta the ground is wet so I tend to stand.

As it happens I have a beard, it gets so cold here in winta' even our women grow a beard.

As it also happens I don't like smoke in my eyes as it appears to strangers that I am in the act of crying, and I never cry, not ever, not even when i cut myself trying to start fire with a flint and steel. See? never!

But I still remember playing wind mill in Kindergarten, so I don't blow into a glowing nest, I wind mill it, and don't git me no smoke in my eyes.

Ah just now I see 'review other posts' next time I will be naming names! :blah:

Thanks for taking the time to confirm what's already been said. :rotf:

 

[slowpokebr549]

But I still remember playing wind mill in Kindergarten, so I don't blow into a glowing nest, I wind mill it, and don't git me no smoke in my eyes.

Pete Townsend is that you?

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I hold the flint in my right hand with the char setting on top of the flint, held in place with my thumb. I strike down with the iron srtiker against the flint edge, throwing the sparks upon the char.
I cut myself before striking the flint against the stationary iron striker, and that was the last time I did that !!

Man o' man flint can be sharp, like a razor. To qualify that, did you know that many of the tiny, micro blades used in eye surgery scalpels are made of a fine flake of flint and not steel ??

Ohio Rusty >

 

[TFoley]

Last week I was all cranked up because I ordered one of those brass fire starting kits from TOTW. I couldn't wait to spark up a blaze and start running ball right over my campfire like the pros.

So my wife gets this thing, takes a few swings with the striker and nearly cuts her fingers off. I rudely grab the toys away from her, cursing her roundly for an oaf, and give it a try myself - and open up three of my knuckles with a razor sharp piece of flint! GAH!!! :cursing: Jeez that HURTS!!!

Now the only finger I have left on my striker hand is my trigger finger. Should I risk it? I have to get a blaze going with this friggin thing or all the other black powder geeks will laugh at me! :barf:

Hmmm. Should I sue the turkeys at TOTW for false advertizing? Obviously this thing doesn't work and all the lore about primitive camp craft are lies. Or should I use my horrible injuries as an effort to cash in on a nuisance law suit??? Hopefully I can win a cash award big enough to finance a Bic lighter...
:shake:

That's why early man spent an inordinate amount of time inventing matches. :wink:

tac

 

[pichou]

Food for thought... this images was printed in 1800.

Of course, we would call these sulfur spunks, not matches in the modern sense.

 

[shooyer_250]

hold the flint and steel in left hand, zippo in right

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Should have taken lessons from a troop of cub scouts. Many years ago in WY we were giving a troop demonstrations in buckskinng and showed them how to use a flint and steel. They learned real fast, within ten minutes they had half the damn hillside on fire. :rotf: :rotf:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

AKA as Lucifers back then.

 

[blackhorse]

When I first saw this topic my thought was WTF, but as read the posts it was hilarious. What man then(100-200 years ago)and today has not made blunders, just ask my woman (I'm just a man, I am sorry LOL). Jeez, I've been cut by flint in my lock, trying to start a fire, reaching into my possibles bag. Not to mention scraped knuckles, bruised fingers,,, etc..

And then pounding red hot metal... Jeez Louise,,, I've been so dumb that I've gotten so PO'd at a mistake I made that I threw the piece across the yard then had to spend time putting out the grass fire.

 

[pichou]

"I'm a man. But I can change. If I have to. I guess."

:rotf:

 

[ameling]

I read this whole thread useless trash as it is, it sure is funny :haha:

One point, in quenching you only need the face of the striker that hot, so you could hold the steel with tongs and just quench the face and sides a bit for that glass hard effect we need, and leave the rest of the "C" not heated as much and certainly not quenched.
...
Ah just now I see 'review other posts' next time I will be naming names! :blah:

Interesting.

I've had my thoughts/ideas called many things in the past, but never ... useless trash. And then to get ... lectured ... about quenching a good flint striker.

Interesting.


As for which to strike against which, use the method that works for you. The very few original drawings depicting a flint striker in use do not indicate which is being struck against the other. Although, if you need to "throw" your sparks down into charred punky wood, then you would need to strike the flint down against the steel. Unless you somehow hold a chunk of charred punky wood on top of your flint. So it is mostly a matter of personal choice.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[TexiKan]

This reminds me of some of my fellow club members who have attempted to shave with straight razors. After the first few tries, they eventually learned the proper techniques to shave without drawing blood.

Likewise, the same folks will qualify their shooting, knowing their guns shoot dead on but because of the flinching, eye sight, improper holds, etc., they know the gun is not the problem.

TexiKan

 

[slowpokebr549]

Dont go giving out the Possum lodges secrets there, Pichou.

 

[J.D.]

"I'm a man. But I can change. If I have to. I guess."

:rotf:

I love that Red Green line. :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[pichou]

Hey, in Wisconsin, the Red Green Show is considered a documentary. :shocked2: :rotf:

And remember, if the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy. :grin: