Flint strikers as art?

[Mike Ameling]

I'm still amazed at all the different styles/shapes of original flint strikers that I have found over the years in books/museums. Such variety in such a simple tool of everyday life from very early Roman times B.C. on up to the present. And a lot of ... art ... involved in them. And then there is all that "mechanical" stuff of figuring out how to replicate them on the anvil. Perhaps these will offer some inspiration for you blacksmiths out there - and a bit of a history lesson as well.

These are some of the flint strikers I made up yesterday. And the historical time periods vary quite a bit.

Left side from bottom:

- Found at the Fox Hill Seneca Indian village site up in New York.
- Found at the Cherry Hill Seneca Indian village site up in New York.
These two Indian village sites were in use from 1650 to 1680. The strikers are believed to be of Dutch origin - from traders operating out of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island - before the British captured it and renamed it New York.
- A Scottish flint striker. The British museum dates this to the 18th century, and said it was more decorative than the local British flint strikers, and probably from the Scottish dealings with France and Flanders were it was common. Note the similarities with that Dutch striker from the Cherry Hill village site. More than just coincidence.
- The top two on the left are Roman 1st to 3rd century style flint strikers. There is a French striker dated 1566 that has some similarities to the top one, but otherwise these styles went out of fashion several centuries before.
Right side from bottom:
- a Burgundian flint striker. The shape shows up in the mid 1400's, and continued to be seen up into the mid 1700's. It even shows up in several family Coat-of-Arms.
- an Irish flint striker. The British museum dates it to the 18th century. Don't you just love those museum 100 year date ranges.
- Classic C striker. With that extra little curl on only one end, this became pretty common in the early 1800's, and is more generally associated with the Western fur trade - Rocky Mountains.
- Classic Spanish Colonial or Mexican U shaped flint striker. Usually called an Eslabone - which means Link - because it resembles a chain link. There are lots of little variations on these - longer, shorter, thicker, with almost no gap in the middle, with a gap wide enough to put your fingers in it, almost V shaped, and with those extra little curls bent/curled from either side of the bar. There is also an Italian version dated 1634 where the two little curls are bent/curled into the center gap.

The unique thing about those Scottish and Irish flint strikers is that the British museum actually identified them as Scottish and Irish. They usually just give them that generic "British" or "English" designations.



Just some more iron work to get people inspired to beat up steel. And to show people some more shapes/styles of flint strikers.

Now I have to work on some more of those "bar" styles. Lots of variations with them - some being among the very first ever traded to the Indians in North America. Yes, that very thin/small "handle" was often broken off.




These I worked on earlier this week. From bottom left:

Viking era - with the ends curled back and forth like two snakes
Viking era - a simpler C style - the Vikings liked that center peak
Roman P - a Roman 1st to 3rd century style
And the top one is an original Roman era P style

Right side from bottom:

English Double Curl - from around 1700 up through the rest of the 1700's. Plus one original was found in northern Italy
English Monkeytail - mid to late 1700's
Voyageur style - the HBC was selling these in the early 1800's up to around 1860
And the top one is an original Roman era "dogsled" style. It kind of resembles the profile of a dogsled.




Have fun blacksmithing.

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

[Arbalist]

Interesting stuff Mike and some very good work there. :)

[dablacksmith]

nice work ! strikers are one of those things that everybody no mater what your station in life used... have you got the book fire steels ?it has some amazeing examples of true art! includeing examples with gold and silver inlay... i drag it out once in a wile when ime thinking my smithing is real good ..humbeling..

[Mike Ameling]

Thanks for the kind words. They are really appreciated.

And I have copies of the 4 known books about flint strikers.

FIRE STEELS by Cacciandra and Cesati isbn 88-422-0687-3 A very good boo, but kind of expensive. New runs around $85, but I got mine used through alibris for less than half that.

FIRE-STEEL or GLI ACCIARINI by Sanctis and Fantoni isbn 88-7143-118-9 In English and Italian. Nice little book with good pictures.

MEDIEVAL FIRESTEELS by Spiro Svoronos isbn 0-9761088-0-1 A nice little book, but most strikers have cast brass handles.

THE BRYANT AND MAY MUSEUM OF FIRE-MAKING APPLIANCES: Catalogue of the Exhibits published in 1926. No isbn. Great early information. But they only show pictures of some of the flint strikers in the museum collection.

And then there are lots of books that have information and pictures in them - but usually just a picture or two, or a paragraph or two.

Decorative Antique Ironwork: A Pictorial Treasury by D'Allemagne isbn 0-486-22082-6 has some pictures/info spread throughout it. But it has TONS of pictures of early iron work - and lots of it being very fancy stuff. They even have pictures of some iron yo-yo's from the 1700's!

Yeah, if I ever get to feeling too proud of my work, all I have to do is look in a few books to see what the REAL masters did.

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

[Quenchcrack]

Mike, not just good craftsmanship but good scholarship, too. Thank you for posting. How about putting together a Blue Print on strikers? Not just how to make them but examples of the historical models, too. Really good stuff!

[Frosty]

Thanks Mike, that is very informative. Do you mind if I print your pics and descriptions for future use? Appropriate credit of course and I'll ask permission if it looks like something that should go in our Newsletter.

Thanks,

Frosty

[Pipeliner32]

Very interesting investigation on flint strikers.
Thanks
Pipeliner32

[anvillain]

Great examples of smithing ! But, to me, an old man now, but even in my youth and long before that we had matches. I have been more humbled by the thought of starting a fire with such a device. At times I've had enough trouble starting a fire with a match in adverse conditions. I claim to be a pyromaniac, but what self-respecting pyro couldn't start a fire with a flint striker or by rubbing sticks together? :-) If any one can give a little tutorial on starting a fire with these devices, I would like to learn the secrets. (I was working in the home garden and missed Boy Scouting) Anvillain

[Bentiron1946]

Mike, Thanks for the tour of flint strikers. Some of the designs go back to the bronze age as Viking razors and some, double spiral, as bronze age fertility symbols. Nice work!:cool:

[Mike Ameling]

Thanks Mike, that is very informative. Do you mind if I print your pics and descriptions for future use? Appropriate credit of course and I'll ask permission if it looks like something that should go in our Newsletter.

Thanks,

Frosty

Go right ahead and use them if you can. The information is already written up in various books, I just kind of condensed it. And these are only around a dozen and a half styles/shapes. There are several dozen more out there that I know of.

Such a simple tool of everyday life, and such a long history of use. Yes, some of the fancier ones tended to survive better, but some are so simple/basic and survived well over the centuries. Every time I forge up a new style/shape that I found in a book or museum, I have a NEW FAVORITE for a while. I usually have one thrown in the pocket with a musket flint.

There are a number of You-Tube videos out there showing how to start a fire with flint and steel. I haven't seen them since I only have a dial-up connection. And there are also several descriptions of using one on a number of web sites. I have a simple description on my "ancient" web site. The Viking Answer Lady has a good description. And the Northwest Journal - the online publication of the Canadian Library system for their schools has some good description and tips. I'll see if I can get a copy of my version and post it here.

Of course, if you are a blacksmith, you can always start a fire by hammering an iron rod to heat it up. Take a 1/4 to 3/8 inch rod, and hammer it cold on your anvil. Rotate it often, and use moderate blows. You want to put the energy into the iron instead of just flatten it out. With each hammer blow, the iron will get hotter. Hammering it fast enough and long enough will get the end glowing red in a little bit. Then touch that glowing red end to your tinder material to start it burning. Yes, it does wear out your arm pretty fast, and you will need the time spent turning that burning/smoldering tinder into a full fire to recover. It's a neat trick. And all you do is hammer the iron cold. (OK, that will also send you to Hell - for beating cold iron - but what blacksmith ain't already heading there for not charging enough?)

Thanks

Mikey - that grumpy ol' german blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
- who just got back from my folks place for Easter

[Frosty]

Thanks Mike.

I've made fire steels and enjoy using one now and then. What we have is a number of new guys in the club and some basic first time projects are are always welcome. "S", drive and leaf hooks get kind of old after a while and to save my sanity I like to change them out now and then.

This will be handy, I can let the newby choose a style and show him/er a good time making something that will do a job.

Condensing the info is a pretty darned valuable thing to a guy like me. I don't necessarily need a history lesson but a reasonably historically accurate project for a student is a gem.

Think I'll hold off on lighting a fire with hammer and iron for a special day.

Thanks.

Frosty

[Quenchcrack]

I thought I recognized some of the work Mike posted. I have visited his web site many times and was impressed with the attention to detail he gives the humble fire striker. Google for "fire from steel".

[Mike Ameling]

Aaaah, that ... ancient ... web site of my about flint strikers. I really really need to redo it - as I learn this newfangled language on these "infernal machines". And add a ton more information and pictures. One of these days.

One little "hint" when forming up those two styles with tight spirals on them. I draw the end taper out, then start the spiral either over the anvil edge or with scroll tongs. Then tighten it up. After I reheat it, I clamp that started end in the corner of my vice with the rest of the rod sticking up. Now I pull/wrap it down around the part of the scroll already formed. Tighten and true up on the anvil. Then re-heat, clamp it in the vice again, and pull/wrap the next section around that which is already done. The tight spiral goes pretty quickly that way.

This way, the only tricky part is getting that first full curl on the spiral. The rest is just wrapping it around the part already done. And stopping before you have toooo much spiraled up! But you can always straighten parts back out easily.

And it is so much more fun than just making that classic C or "n" style strikers.

Have fun with the ... students.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' german Blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. I now have reproductions of specific early flint striker styles on display or in use at the National Museum of the American Indian, Grand Portage National Monument, Museum of the West, the New York State Gananodaga Indian village site/park, the Jamestown/Yorktown Volunteers Association, 5 or 6 State parks, and even the Museum of Welsh Life over in Wales.

[CBrann]

Are flint strikes mild or high carbon steel? and where can I get napped musket flints? I have tried flint work on my own, and I'll let some who knows something do it.

Always wanted to stat a fire this way!!!

but I like the idea of hammering the forge to life....

[ThomasPowers]

I curl spirals like that with my lightest hammer I forge with, less than 1 pound skinny long crosspeen---the one I show folks when they tell me that can't do blacksmithing because they wouldn't be able to swing a hammer...

[matt87]

Are flint strikes mild or high carbon steel? and where can I get napped musket flints? I have tried flint work on my own, and I'll let some who knows something do it.

Always wanted to stat a fire this way!!!

High carbon. They need to be hard. File steel (roughly 1% plain carbon) is a common and good choice. Only give it a slight temper on the working face, if at all. A gunflint would be fiddly, any piece of hard stone with a somewhat sharp edge will do.

You will need some suitable tinder to catch the sparks; charcloth is ideal. You will then need to convert this ember into flame, here flax tow, cotton or similar are good. Then you do the usual with gradually larger kindling. There is more detail available via Google...

[Sweany]

Fire Genie

[Quenchcrack]

Sweany, are you the same Sweany who frequented Keen Junk when it was alive?

[Sweany]

Yep I'm Sweany.
good to see ya bro.

[Quenchcrack]

OK, I got inspired and decided to try to make a couple of stikers this weekend. First I used what appears to be a 36" long piece of 3/8" drill rod. I say it appears to be drill rod because it has drill flutes on one end and when oil quenched gets harder than woodpecker lips. Next I cut off a piece of Chinese FB file. This is the only thing I am aware of that the Chinese made file is good for. As a file, it is useless. After shaping them, I normalized them, re-heated to medium red and oil quenched them. No temper. I ground the striking face down a good 1/16" or more to remove the decarb. Breathlessly, I struck the edge with piece of chert. Nothing. I struck the chert with the striker. One or two tiny sparks. Neither of these masterpieces would make a decent spray of sparks. They are so hard, a file skates on them. I even crowned the striking face to concentrate the heat but no luck. Mike, what am I doing wrong?

Sweany, glad to see you again.

[Mike Ameling]

Well, a number of possibilities here.

Chinese files tend to be junk steel. They usually are made from low carbon soft iron/steel inside, and then are Case-Hardened on the outside. This means that only a few thousandths of an inch have enough carbon in it to strike sparks. And most of that is in the file teeth. Even some "good" modern files are made like this. Most older files and some modern "good" brands will work - like Nicholson. Those are still made with high carbon steel throughout the whole file.

That is also why knife makers will do a heat-treat check on a small chunk of a file - to see IF it will heat-treat. That way they don't put many hours of work into making a knife only to end up with junk at the end.

What gets called "drill rod" can still have quite a variable carbon content in its metal alloy. And many people will take a piece of junker "welding shop" rod to weld onto a drill to make an extra long drill bit. The drillbit end can have good tool steel in it, but that long shaft often won't.

And when you blend in other metal alloys, you can end up with "steel" that will get very hard with heat-treating, yet have very little carbon content in it. Those other metal alloys giving it the hardness (chromium, magnesium, nickel, etc.)

And then there is that chert. Was the edge truly sharp enough and thin enough, and hard enough to dig/chip out little bits of steel from the hardened striker? Chert tends to be more brittle than flint, and the sharp edges crumble back a lot faster.

What you are trying to do is chip/dig out little bits of the steel from the striking surface of your steel. The harder that steel is heat-treated, the easier it is for that sharp rock edge to chip/dig out little bits. The energy of chipping/digging out those tiny bits, along with breaking of molecular bonds, heats up those tiny bits of steel hot enough that the carbon in them burns. That carbon burning is the little "twinkling" you see in the sparks.

Plus the hardness of a striker is greater than the hardness required for a good knife blade. Those need to be hard enough to hold an edge well, but not too hard that they are brittle. A good striker needs that extra hardness.

So a lot of little things could possibly be wrong. Or several could be combined and throwing things off. The first step is to start with good high-carbon steel. A good Spark Test should show that. Make sure that you see lots of those twinkling little sparks. If possible, compare to some pieces on known high-carbon steel. A lawn mower blade would be a good choice, but not a wrench or screwdriver. Those have too much other metal alloy mixed in. But the tines from a hay/manure fork are generally pretty good carbon steel - another possibility.

And sometimes your ... technique ... for striking sparks might not be working right. With a known good flint striker, it's then easy to tell when your technique is working right. With some unknown quality of flint striker it gets more complicated.

I hope these rambling thoughts help.

Let me know if you have more questions.

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

[Mike Ameling]

One additional thought.

"Medium Red" may not have been the right temp. It all depends upon how You see that red color. The best way is to use a magnet. The "critical temp" for heat-treating is that point where a magnet will no longer stick to the steel. That is the point when you need to quench it.

But if it is hotter than that critical temp, then the grain structure in the steel gets altered and expanded. And the quench can be off. But if it is too cool, then the quench won't take and it won't harden up.

So until you can fairly accurately tell the color of that critical temp when a magnet will no longer stick to the steel, it is best to use that magnet to check.

Now, I usually quench with plain water. Oil cools the steel at a slower rate. So that can also affect your striker. I have had little experience using oil, but I know a bunch of people who always oil quench. It's a matter of what works for you.

But my gut feeling is that the steel you used was off to begin with. So I would suggest making your next striker using some known good high-carbon steel. Those lawn mower blades are great. And I also pick up those modern hay-rake teeth down at the local Farm Fleet store. They run around $1.30 each. But you end up with around 30 inches or so of 1/4 inch diameter rod by the time you straighten it out. I cut them into 5 inch lengths to make that classic C striker, or that Scottish snail striker, or that double snails or rams horn striker. I flatten them out first, then taper the ends. And then form the rest of the striker. And the last thing I do before the normalize/thermal-cycle/heat-treat step is to use a Flatter on it. This evens up and smooths out the sides.

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

[Quenchcrack]

Thanks, Mike. I will try to find some real flint, the chert does seem to crumble quickly. I heat treated the file and the drill rod to where a file skated, then ground of a lot of stock and the file still skated so I think the heat treat is about right. Dull red to me is about 1400F. This roughly coincides with the eutectoid temperature so I should have gotten mostly austenite at that temperature. Of course, eyeballing is notoriously variable. I did get a nice spray of sparkly sparks so I think the steel is high carbon but I also have some rake tines and I will give that a try. I am thinking my problem is the stone and the shape of the edge. Danged 4th century technology!

[Mike Ameling]

I am thinking my problem is the stone and the shape of the edge. Danged 4th century technology!

4th Century Technology? Yeah, but actually 4th Century B.C. technology - or earlier. The earliest documented/dated flint striker is from around 500 years B.C. - dated by the coins that were buried with it in the tomb. That "carbon dating" can be off a couple hundred years or more.

On the striking surface. Some people prefer a wide/flat striking surface. Kind of like the Frizzen on a flintlock gun. But in my experience, I have found that a narrow striking surface works better. It "concentrates" the force into a smaller area - making it a little easier to chip/dig out those little bits of steel. So I often find myself tilting a striker slightly to the side - so that I strike my sparks from along one corner/edge.

Real flint just works better. It is easier to get a thin/sharp edge, and it is stronger so that it holds that sharp edge longer before crumbling. But you can use most any rock that you can get a sharp edge on. I've used granite, quartz, agate, limestone, even slate. It was just harder to get that initial sharp edge, and then have it hold up longer than one strike.

Also check the angle of your flint and steel. That sharp edge needs to slip along your steel and dig in. Too great an angle and the flint won't dig in. Too shallow an angle and it won't dig in either - just scrape along it. Somewhere around a 45 to 60 degree angle seems to work well.

Good luck on you ... quest for fire.

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

[Quenchcrack]

Just for grins, I did a search of "flint striker" on YouTube. What I got was a bunch of yahoos showing how they start a fire using one of those Swedish matches. Duh! This is the stuff that is made of ferrocerium, not high-carbon Steel. I suppose their next project will be "how to chew gum and walk at the same time". Should be called UselessTube.