Great job on showing different options & how each one performed. Even though this was a small snapshot of each one it's always good to get out and practice with what you have & go from there on tweaking our system. Thanks for another great video beast
Damn, Beast! Such a simple prep and I would have never thought about it in a million years! I'm goona have to get the drill out and have a go with my magnesium block. Thanks, brother!
Thanks for posting this Beast, this is exactly the type of response I was hoping for. I wanted to see what else is out there and see if there are tricks and methods that I don't know. I definitly learned something here. Sorry, for excluding the Blastmatch and strikeforce in my comparison. You are right, I have recently seen them priced under $20.00 but, I don't own one and knew it would squash out some good input on other things. Thanks again
Nice work showing the differences, and experiments with the pads. I have one of those very inexpensive mag blocks, they are not the easiest thing to work with. The best thing about them is that they keep the rod from breaking.
I have the mishmetal like yours. I found same results as you as far as holding rod close to tinder and trying to shave with striker was not working very well as far as control. I later decided on a different method of holding the striker at an optimum angle to the tinder and pulling the rod across the striker towards ones self that you can get enough pressure and snap to the strike to send the sparks into the tinder. This technique worked better for me. Very hot sparks.
Great comparison! I have also drilled into mag blocks but I did it because I have lost the ferro rod from a block before so I wanted to have a divot that I could use as a bow drill bearing block.
You can also use the wholes/indents you drilled out on the magnesium block to help you with a bow and drill method, using as a handle to hold the top of the stick.
I have over 50 different types of ferro rods, over a thousand dollars invested in my collection... I started using them for almost 10yrs now, and I don't waste my time or money on the ones your reviewing here, obsolete in my opinion.... The larger the rods the better results, even with marginal tinder... My two favorites are 5in by 1/2in thick, and the 6in by 1/2 rods. I purchased a monster ferro rod a few months ago that is 1in thick and 6inches long, cost $75.00, but I guarantee you that no matter what the conditions, if you can find any tinder at all, you will have a fire.. Believe me when I say that the bigger the rod the better the sparks... Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinion on this topic, I appreciate it sir.
The spark wheel is meant to be rolled on a surface, while holding the starter material in front of the sparks. Been using dead bic/disposable lighters with the cap popped since the '70's.
Great video ! A Swedish Fire Steel tethered to a large yellow plastic Hanson Pencil Sharpener from Home Depot to make tinder from a twig or Fatwood ! Combined with a Doan Magnesium Bar make a great start to a Fire Kit And have a Fresnel Lens for the Wallet and my Fire Kits ! Plus some left over for Christmas gifts ! tjl
Nice video beast. I've experimented with the shavings too, and found they really do enhance whatever tender I've mixed them with. I've also found that the finer the shavings are, the better. Also, if a magnesium bar doesn't say DOAN'S right on it, it is junk. Doan's manufacturing process locks the rod in place, where as other makers glue it in.
I like the idea of saving some of the savings. I use many ways for fire, but the one I most use is the BlastMatch, like one of the black ones you excluded. What exactly is the blue container you have the shavings in? I wouldn't mind having one for different uses.
This is great I've had that same idea about gathering and collecting the shavings of the magnesium. But adding them to the 100% cotton pads soaked in vaseline is another great way to pre-prep some fire tender. Thanks for sharing. Awesome stuff👍👍‼️
Wow, the Misch metal fire starter is impressive, I may have to give that a try. What I like using is a cheap flint rod, remove the plastic handle and replace it with a an Ash wood handle, nothing too big (or any slow burning wood), wrapped with rubber bycicle inner tube, about 4 inches worth (Rubber is good for burning as well as keeping the wood it is covering bone dry). As if it is wet outside and I'm having trouble starting my first fire or starting a fire under emergency conditions, I shave a bit of the ash wood from the handle, as well as a few thin strips of rubber, I find that lights up after 3 or 4 strikes. As my flint is always attached to my bushcraft knife via Para cord, Emergency fire making is always with me while camping/hiking.
After watching this again I just wanted to say I think the magnifiying trick is acctually cooler than the fire starting part. Beast you always amaze me.
@HawkLMT absolutely, I have never not gotten a fire started with any of them, but it was focused on the sparks, I didnt prepare the tinders on purpose.
You can buy magnesium turnings in bulk pretty cheap; this avoids the tedious drilling. I'm not very impressed by any form of magnesium myself. The heat it takes to get it started would light almost anything- and it burns out in a couple seconds. I tried imbedding them in cotton too. I'll have to try it again based on your vid. Thanks, Beast.
Very cool video brother! You always have the good vids on the tube! My boys and myself used the same makeup cotton pads that you are showing in this video,then we soaked them for a couple of days with spray liquid silicone. The alcohol will evaporate and the oils in the silicone will set into the cotton fibers. You could light an army tank on fire with these suckers! Very good in cold wet conditions! Can you imagine using the silicone and magnesium shavings together? THANKS!!.....ARCO
the 1/2" ferro rod (misc metal) will produce the most spark of any type of ferro rod available. Thy them with the EzeEdge sharpener and you will find they spark even more. I only use 1/2"diameter rods these days, bugger the smaller ones. I like the idea of magnesium shavings as tinder, good job mate.
The black ash from your mischmetal is magnesium. Ferros have some variety in the "recipe" used in their manufacture. That one obviously has a higher magnesium content than most.
Have you compared the Mag bars from different manufacturers? I see different videos comparing several manufacturers and im leaning toward doan for my mag bar. Have you ever had any experience with them?
I subscribed as soon as I saw him use that in another video! So tired of the blurry close up people try to do and never works with their crappy cameras.
Nice video, the misch metal has less iron and more magnesium. A zirconium oxide ceramic striker produces a 10X more spark on my firesteel. Even with a 2mm blade and scraping the last half inch. The womens face pads for removing makeup is a cool idea as firestarters. Of course I would love to try a 22 round emptied on a pad.
BIC lighter 1$. Your firesteel says 10,000 strikes, but it takes an average of 3-5 strikes to make a fire. This brings its effectiveness between 2000-3000 strikes total. A full size BIC lighter is rated for 3000 lights. They also survive in water especially the one with the quartz crystal. I'm not saying you shouldn't use firesteel, but rather have it as a backup and have the lighter as the primary lighting tool. Less headache...
Dude you're voice sounds exactly like mine. Everyone in the other room asked me who I was talking to when I played this. Do you sing too? Asking because I do.
It's a little keychain thingy that you get with every order at EDCdepot.com, they say you can request a color, but it's really up to them. I ended up with the blue one, too. Sadly, it doesn't match the rest of my black and chrome gear. But it's still nice to have.
while working at a Vets Hospital i had guys tell me they lit the entire block of magnesium to make drop zone markers when nothing else was at hand,BS or has anyone else heard of this and how it was done.
You want to point the steel down so that the sparks are concentrated on the pad and strike not scrape. Personally I find the magnesium block works very well.
hi just my 10p worth re fire steel, would suggest your technequ holding the steel could be better also practice makes perfect. suggest you holdsteel closer to the edge like u did the mish rod also you can shave a few bits off and holding the steel on it helps aim the sparks and lights better
anything with moving parts Will brake when you need it the most, take nutnfancy for example, he was gonna show off a sparky in a ferro rod vid and it broke on first strike during the demo of it as the tiny scraper in it fell off.
or in a survival kit you could bring bug spray and one little drop of it on some birch bark and one single strike of a magnesium block it goes up in flames.
When your striking your metal matches and flint and steel..keep in mind the closer you have your steel to the cotton, charcloth or what ever the spark is hotest when it comes off the steel. So put your metal match on the cotton or what ever and you will find it lights almost everytime with the first strike. I carry a Micro Logic pocket knife and can always get a fire with it.
nice vid. But if you have petroleum jelly on a cotton pad you don't need magnesium shavings. The ferro rod part will light that on its own. The shavings should only be used when you run out of other options. This is because the magnesium can eventually wear away and a survivalist needs to conserve resources. Ferro rods wear away too but at a much slower rate.
Wouldn't you have better control with using the LightMyFire closer to the working surface? I've found they work better if you brace them down for some more control.
thats the only benfit so it should only be used in the wet even then you would have some dry tinder and lighter in a plastic bag that could out perform the magnesium striker
Just seems to me that the mag block is best because you have flint and another helper to make fire. If you really really took the time the shred a block like a good size pile of shavings you can light pretty much anything.
Sparks from a lighter fly upward. From a steel they go in the direction they are aimed but still some fly upward. You could have use the step as an advantage hanging the tinder over the edge and sparking from below. Cotton balls fluffed up and outward are 1000 times better than those pads b/c they aren't so dense. When you try to generate a flame from a spark, you must have very fluffy light tinder and O2. Cotton balls with petroleum jelly last up to 5 minutes, are hotter and smaller/compact
actually though Magnesium just doesn't last long enough to transfer the heat even though it reaches 3200 degrees C at some point. The iron lets it last longer by limiting the amount of oxygen to the Mg.
@baldwinjackson41 You can get an inexpensive firesteel in most sporting goods stores or departments. But look on eBay, too - they have a number of inexpensive firesteels.
magnesium does generate a lot of heat, and better for wet tinder but just put a little tinder in a plastic bag with a bic lighter they last so long its crazy, i would say around 10 times the fires of a striker but the problem with bic lighters is they dont make you look cool like a hardcore outdoors man... so everyone struggles with an inefficient striker
matches and lighters are super cheap and light-weight, just keep them in a little plastic clip bag for water proofing bic lighters are highly reliable and last much longer and can still give a spark after they run empty only if your trying to burn wet tinder can i see an advantage to the striker
The pads did not ignite because you were holding the steel too far away. Brace the steel right on the tinder and usually ignition will take place first strike
Great job on showing different options & how each one performed. Even though this was a small snapshot of each one it's always good to get out and practice with what you have & go from there on tweaking our system. Thanks for another great video beast
Damn, Beast! Such a simple prep and I would have never thought about it in a million years! I'm goona have to get the drill out and have a go with my magnesium block. Thanks, brother!
Thanks for posting this Beast, this is exactly the type of response I was hoping for. I wanted to see what else is out there and see if there are tricks and methods that I don't know. I definitly learned something here.
Sorry, for excluding the Blastmatch and strikeforce in my comparison. You are right, I have recently seen them priced under $20.00 but, I don't own one and knew it would squash out some good input on other things.
Thanks again
Nice work showing the differences, and experiments with the pads. I have one of those very inexpensive mag blocks, they are not the easiest thing to work with. The best thing about them is that they keep the rod from breaking.
Very good video I love comparison videos.
Thanks Beast
I have the mishmetal like yours. I found same results as you as far as holding rod close to tinder and trying to shave with striker was not working very well as far as control. I later decided on a different method of holding the striker at an optimum angle to the tinder and pulling the rod across the striker towards ones self that you can get enough pressure and snap to the strike to send the sparks into the tinder. This technique worked better for me.
Very hot sparks.
Great comparison! I have also drilled into mag blocks but I did it because I have lost the ferro rod from a block before so I wanted to have a divot that I could use as a bow drill bearing block.
Great video thanks for the tips
Thanks Beast, Interesting comparisons. ~Wolf
good comparison man!
You can also use the wholes/indents you drilled out on the magnesium block to help you with a bow and drill method, using as a handle to hold the top of the stick.
I have over 50 different types of ferro rods, over a thousand dollars invested in my collection... I started using them for almost 10yrs now, and I don't waste my time or money on the ones your reviewing here, obsolete in my opinion.... The larger the rods the better results, even with marginal tinder... My two favorites are 5in by 1/2in thick, and the 6in by 1/2 rods. I purchased a monster ferro rod a few months ago that is 1in thick and 6inches long, cost $75.00, but I guarantee you that no matter what the conditions, if you can find any tinder at all, you will have a fire.. Believe me when I say that the bigger the rod the better the sparks... Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinion on this topic, I appreciate it sir.
what about the weight ? to keep in the car, it's ok... but for backpacking...
You do whatever you find most comfortable and safe!!!
very cool beast. Im going to have to use your trick.
I was always taught to place the tip of my firesteel down and firmly against the tinder. I've used the popular Swedish model for over twenty years.
your not holld the ferro rod close enough to the tinder ... thus the prob
The spark wheel is meant to be rolled on a surface, while holding the starter material in front of the sparks.
Been using dead bic/disposable lighters with the cap popped since the '70's.
thanks. really good.
Great video ! A Swedish Fire Steel tethered to a large yellow plastic Hanson Pencil Sharpener from Home Depot to make tinder from a twig or Fatwood ! Combined with a Doan Magnesium Bar make a great start to a Fire Kit And have a Fresnel Lens for the Wallet and my Fire Kits ! Plus some left over for Christmas gifts ! tjl
Nice video beast. I've experimented with the shavings too, and found they really do enhance whatever tender I've mixed them with. I've also found that the finer the shavings are, the better. Also, if a magnesium bar doesn't say DOAN'S right on it, it is junk. Doan's manufacturing process locks the rod in place, where as other makers glue it in.
Cool stuff!
I like the idea of saving some of the savings. I use many ways for fire, but the one I most use is the BlastMatch, like one of the black ones you excluded. What exactly is the blue container you have the shavings in? I wouldn't mind having one for different uses.
This is great I've had that same idea about gathering and collecting the shavings of the magnesium. But adding them to the 100% cotton pads soaked in vaseline is another great way to pre-prep some fire tender. Thanks for sharing. Awesome stuff👍👍‼️
Wow, the Misch metal fire starter is impressive, I may have to give that a try.
What I like using is a cheap flint rod, remove the plastic handle and replace it with a an Ash wood handle, nothing too big (or any slow burning wood), wrapped with rubber bycicle inner tube, about 4 inches worth (Rubber is good for burning as well as keeping the wood it is covering bone dry). As if it is wet outside and I'm having trouble starting my first fire or starting a fire under emergency conditions, I shave a bit of the ash wood from the handle, as well as a few thin strips of rubber, I find that lights up after 3 or 4 strikes. As my flint is always attached to my bushcraft knife via Para cord, Emergency fire making is always with me while camping/hiking.
After watching this again I just wanted to say I think the magnifiying trick is acctually cooler than the fire starting part. Beast you always amaze me.
good video I have been wondering how too use those bar like fire starters
@HawkLMT absolutely, I have never not gotten a fire started with any of them, but it was focused on the sparks, I didnt prepare the tinders on purpose.
You can buy magnesium turnings in bulk pretty cheap; this avoids the tedious drilling. I'm not very impressed by any form of magnesium myself. The heat it takes to get it started would light almost anything- and it burns out in a couple seconds. I tried imbedding them in cotton too. I'll have to try it again based on your vid.
Thanks, Beast.
that was great!
beast.they did not shave them but somehow lit the whole block,C4 maybe,no details just stories while i was doing interviews in a walk in clinic.
Very cool video brother! You always have the good vids on the tube! My boys and myself used the same makeup cotton pads that you are showing in this video,then we soaked them for a couple of days with spray liquid silicone. The alcohol will evaporate and the oils in the silicone will set into the cotton fibers. You could light an army tank on fire with these suckers! Very good in cold wet conditions! Can you imagine using the silicone and magnesium shavings together? THANKS!!.....ARCO
This is a really good video, thanks for putting the effort in. I love your zooming in technique. :)
The benefit of a spark striker/firesteel or magnesium block over a match or lighter is they will still work when wet.
What size or.model is that misch metal rod ? Good vids by the way.
Matt.
That's a nice trick with the magnifying glass. It was on screen a short while, but is it just a cheap plastic magnifier?
@robinsonj03 it doesnt rotate on mine, like the blast match does, the sparkie is meant for emergency use.
That might work. The several hundred degrees of friction heat created doing that might also ignite the magnesium block while it's in your hand.
Mischmetal is what made all of the sparks under the space shuttle during launches to burn off excess gasses
the 1/2" ferro rod (misc metal) will produce the most spark of any type of ferro rod available. Thy them with the EzeEdge sharpener and you will find they spark even more. I only use 1/2"diameter rods these days, bugger the smaller ones. I like the idea of magnesium shavings as tinder, good job mate.
Where did you get the small blue case that you used for the magnesium shavings from?
The black ash from your mischmetal is magnesium. Ferros have some variety in the "recipe" used in their manufacture. That one obviously has a higher magnesium content than most.
Have you compared the Mag bars from different manufacturers? I see different videos comparing several manufacturers and im leaning toward doan for my mag bar. Have you ever had any experience with them?
i wish more people used that trick
I've tried that cotton/petro jelly combo it's ok. Best tinder ever IMO is plain old dryer lint
webrik33 yep and some cheap chap stick to make it slow burning. good to go
you just got another subscriber
I did a review/compare of the UST Sparkie vs the magnesium block. The UST Sparkie's rod can be rotated once you expire one part of the rod.
I subscribed as soon as I saw him use that in another video! So tired of the blurry close up people try to do and never works with their crappy cameras.
Nice video, the misch metal has less iron and more magnesium.
A zirconium oxide ceramic striker produces a 10X more spark on my firesteel.
Even with a 2mm blade and scraping the last half inch.
The womens face pads for removing makeup is a cool idea as firestarters.
Of course I would love to try a 22 round emptied on a pad.
BIC lighter 1$. Your firesteel says 10,000 strikes, but it takes an average of 3-5 strikes to make a fire. This brings its effectiveness between 2000-3000 strikes total. A full size BIC lighter is rated for 3000 lights. They also survive in water especially the one with the quartz crystal. I'm not saying you shouldn't use firesteel, but rather have it as a backup and have the lighter as the primary lighting tool. Less headache...
Dude you're voice sounds exactly like mine. Everyone in the other room asked me who I was talking to when I played this. Do you sing too? Asking because I do.
Great job on the video/audio. the mag glass really helps. Great production.
Great info too.
It's a little keychain thingy that you get with every order at EDCdepot.com, they say you can request a color, but it's really up to them. I ended up with the blue one, too. Sadly, it doesn't match the rest of my black and chrome gear. But it's still nice to have.
while working at a Vets Hospital i had guys tell me they lit the entire block of magnesium to make drop zone markers when nothing else was at hand,BS or has anyone else heard of this and how it was done.
7:54, it's easier to get it to ignite if the particles were a little more spread out.
It's chemistry, kinetics.
You want to point the steel down so that the sparks are concentrated on the pad and strike not scrape. Personally I find the magnesium block works very well.
hi just my 10p worth re fire steel, would suggest your technequ holding the steel could be better also practice makes perfect.
suggest you holdsteel closer to the edge like u did the mish rod also you can shave a few bits off and holding the steel on it helps aim the sparks and lights better
anything with moving parts Will brake when you need it the most, take nutnfancy for example, he was gonna show off a sparky in a ferro rod vid and it broke on first strike during the demo of it as the tiny scraper in it fell off.
What i that little canister he had the shavings in and where could i get one
maybe carrying a needle file to file off the magnesium bar. File can also be used to sharpen tools.
Try using a vegetable grater to grate the magnesium bars . You will be amazed by the results .
@medicjimr -I'm with medicjimr, all those spark throwers will work if you've got a good tender to catch the spark. Another great Beast video!
you can toss them in the fire, but it'll take 5-6 minutes before anything happens, would be hard to make effective markers
or in a survival kit you could bring bug spray and one little drop of it on some birch bark and one single strike of a magnesium block it goes up in flames.
If you chared the cotton pad...would that help..???
When your striking your metal matches and flint and steel..keep in mind the closer you have your steel to the cotton, charcloth or what ever the spark is hotest when it comes off the steel. So put your metal match on the cotton or what ever and you will find it lights almost everytime with the first strike. I carry a Micro Logic pocket knife and can always get a fire with it.
@Hint3788 only the back, but its a nice squared off edge
nice vid. But if you have petroleum jelly on a cotton pad you don't need magnesium shavings. The ferro rod part will light that on its own. The shavings should only be used when you run out of other options. This is because the magnesium can eventually wear away and a survivalist needs to conserve resources. Ferro rods wear away too but at a much slower rate.
Great
I didn't see the link to buy the mesh rod. Can you post it?
dryer lint works the best! or steel wool!
I have a big fire steel like that one one of the instructors at the pathfinder school
Wouldn't you have better control with using the LightMyFire closer to the working surface? I've found they work better if you brace them down for some more control.
pretty sweet
sharp part of the knife? or back of the knife?
@Buddy1306 one those 5 in 1 survial whistle compass, magnifier
good vid liking yr macro mode lol crackin up
Ozark trail from wal-mart makes a firestarter just like that magnesium brick
thats the only benfit so it should only be used in the wet
even then you would have some dry tinder and lighter in a plastic bag that could out perform the magnesium striker
I heard that if u boil the petroleum jelly then soak cotton balls this works really well, maybe u can try this?
great video - again! keep them coming Beast
@beast12101- Roger that, I'm with you on the Misch (spelling?) metal rod. That thing throws a wicked gob of sparks.
u can spin the flint in the sparkey
Just seems to me that the mag block is best because you have flint and another helper to make fire. If you really really took the time the shred a block like a good size pile of shavings you can light pretty much anything.
I understand that, but how do you fluff them all equally for testing purposes, that why I left them
Sparks from a lighter fly upward. From a steel they go in the direction they are aimed but still some fly upward. You could have use the step as an advantage hanging the tinder over the edge and sparking from below. Cotton balls fluffed up and outward are 1000 times better than those pads b/c they aren't so dense. When you try to generate a flame from a spark, you must have very fluffy light tinder and O2. Cotton balls with petroleum jelly last up to 5 minutes, are hotter and smaller/compact
hey beast. thanks for the comparisons! very helpful info! LR
like how you use that magnifying glass cool vid
@justyoustupid I didnt want to fluff it, to make them all the same consistancy for the test
what are the 2 black items you excluded earlier in this video?
put some of the magnesium shavings on a buddy burner if you come around to making one.
actually though Magnesium just doesn't last long enough to transfer the heat even though it reaches 3200 degrees C at some point. The iron lets it last longer by limiting the amount of oxygen to the Mg.
@baldwinjackson41 You can get an inexpensive firesteel in most sporting goods stores or departments. But look on eBay, too - they have a number of inexpensive firesteels.
magnesium does generate a lot of heat, and better for wet tinder
but just put a little tinder in a plastic bag with a bic lighter
they last so long its crazy, i would say around 10 times the fires of a striker
but the problem with bic lighters is they dont make you look cool like a hardcore outdoors man... so everyone struggles with an inefficient striker
matches and lighters are super cheap and light-weight, just keep them in a little plastic clip bag for water proofing
bic lighters are highly reliable and last much longer and can still give a spark after they run empty
only if your trying to burn wet tinder can i see an advantage to the striker
both are good but id choose my ferro rod over my mag. strip any day. magnesium strips are good for wet rainy weather
Have you tried the Light My Fire 2.0? AMAZING. 100 percent better than the old scout..and most any fire steel! :)
The only problem with Misch metal is the cost. VERY expensive. Fat wood and a fire steel works pretty good for me.
where did you get the fire starter stick?
Is that a desert camo tarp?
The pads did not ignite because you were holding the steel too far away. Brace the steel right on the tinder and usually ignition will take place first strike