Check your firesteel before you set off

[eraaij]

I just finished a neck-sheath with firesteel option for my WS woodlore. After stiching up the sheath I needed my firesteel to see how well the end result did fit. My bushcraft kit is carried in a backpack and stored in my basement. We do have a bit of a humidity problem there, but nothing too serious. I keep lots of bushcraft-related stuff in the basement, including collected fungi and wood.

My primitive fire kit is carried in a tanned muskrat-skin pouch, and includes a bit of home-prepared amadou and pieces of flint with a steel. I put my firesteel for some reason in the same pouch when I stored the backpack.

On opening the backpack I was greeted by a cloud of greenish dust. The picture tells the rest:

The humourous bit of the story is that I had to try the primitive kit to see if the apparent humidity had had any effect on the amadou. Apparently it did not:

So I would say 1-0 for the flint-steel-amadou kit.

Did Anybody else have a similar experience with the modern firesteel?

-Emile

 

[Hoodoo]

It happens. If you coat your firesteel with clear fingernail polish, shellac, etc, it will help, although on a long trip after repeated use, it will be vulnerable under wet or humid conditions.

 

[JFW]

Is the firesteel still useable?

Cheers

JFW

 

[chris chris]

That's horrendous - never thought that would ever happen.

They seem so indestructable.

 

[Gary]

I thought it was common knowledge that firesteels are suseptible to damp/humity.

How was the knife blade? Was the knife carbon?

Be interesting to see if it was just the steel effected - was it stored in damp leather or some such!!

Once all the rot is scrapped off the remaining steel will be usable (provided there is any left to use) but the moral of the story is always keep your kit clean and well maintained as hoodoo points out coating your steel will protect it but personally I'd say thats a bit more hassel than its worst just keep it clean and dry and it'll be fine, after all it didnt happen over night did it.

 

[Stuart]

if you leave your firesteel in a shallow tray of water it quickly becomes mush.

I carried my firesteel in the jungle for a month though and it didnt look as bad as that!

was your fire steel lacquer coated????

 

[BOPLEO]

What about putting it away dry in a plastic, zip lock type bag?

 

[eraaij]

One possibility is that the substance I used for tanning the Muskrat skin corroded the steel. I used a mix of Salt and 'Aluin' for it. Add the humidity of my basement (especially now in spring).

But the humidity did not prevent the amadou from taking a spark

Well, I learned a lesson and will store my new firesteel in the knife sheath - now that it is finished.

-Emile

 

[Roving Rich]

yup - same happened to mine, got a real soaking, leather sheath got sopping wet. When i got home i took the kinfe out and let the sheath dry out. When i next pulled the fire steel out, I discovered half of it had dissolved ! I thought they were supposed to be vertually indestructable, and waterproof - well it will still work after a soaking, but doesn't seem to like the damp.
Best to find these things out now than when your reliant on them.
Cheers
Rich

 

[eraaij]

Well, I just received a kind email from Light-My-Fire. They want to investigate the corrosion problem and have asked me to send the firesteel to their lab.

This corrosion is most probably my own fault, but the fact that they are willing to look into it is a good sign!


-Emile

 

[Gary]

Well, I just received a kind email from Light-My-Fire. They want to investigate the corrosion problem and have asked me to send the firesteel to their lab.

This corrosion is most probably my own fault, but the fact that they are willing to look into it is a good sign!


-Emile

That is a good service!

Eraaij please let us all know what they find out after their tests ect.

 

[greg2935]

If any moisture is in the bag (and it usually is) you will get the same result, although it is worse because the water in the air (in the bag) will condense.

 

[j.roberts7]

i use a firesteel by light my fire
i store it in a tabacco tin with cottonwool
and have never had any problems with
i have had a very long time of use out of it so far

 

[alick]

I wouldn't be surprised if salt from the leather aggravated the problem - even though it doesn't rust like steel salt kills aluminium (for example) big time. My kit hasn't been left damp to test the theory but when I wipe my knife over with camelia oil to protect it, I sometimes rub it over the firesteel too just in case it might help.

Cheers

 

[Motorbike Man]

I remember having the exact same pattern of corrosion on one of the tiny ferro rods you get with the hacksaw blade attached and that was just left in a dry drawer for a couple of months. Be very interesting to hear the results

 

[Ogri the trog]

I got a brand new Army sized one the other friday,
It was in a coat pocket for the weekend - during which there was a reasonable amount of rain. Come sunday morning, there was a good covering of green corrosion, though not nearly as bad as yours Eraaij.
Does anyone know of a grease, vaseline, wax etc that might remedy the situation?

Ogri the trog

 

[beach bum]

I've heard that painting in clear nail varnish helps to prevent corrosion, you'd need to recoat it every now and again though.




regards


beach bum

 

[Motorbike Man]

I got a brand new Army sized one the other friday,
It was in a coat pocket for the weekend - during which there was a reasonable amount of rain. Come sunday morning, there was a good covering of green corrosion, though not nearly as bad as yours Eraaij.
Does anyone know of a grease, vaseline, wax etc that might remedy the situation?

Ogri the trog

There is a product called Rennaisance Wax that would do the trick, wouldn't do any harm to leather sheaths either. Lakeland Plastics stock it, or at least used to, there is a possibility they may be discontinuing it

 

[eraaij]

Well, I just received a package from Light-My-Fire. Inside was a kind thank you note and two new firesteels for the trouble of contacting them and sending my broken one in for examination.

I guess I will hear from them again once the results from the lab are in. I'll keep you all posted. Great service and kind people!

-Emile

 

[Brian]

I had the same problem with corrosion at the end of one of my fire steels which had been left in a bag that got wet, it still works ok so I'll keep it and see how it goes.
Brian