Yes, those are simple/basic/user flint strikers. In the end, that's all you really need. The rest is a matter of style and preference.
I have also made and used some made from old files. Just snap/break off a couple inches of the old file, grind the teeth off of the edge of the file, and strike away - all without annealing/forgin/heat-treating the file. Just make sure to get an OLD file. So many of the new ones are soft iron that has been case-hardened, so only the teeth are hard enough and have enough carbon in them to spark well.
Here's a pic of some I was playing around forging up earlier this past week - before the really cold temps moved in. (18 degrees below zero before sunrise this morning - farenhiet of course.)
From the bottom:
- Scottish 18th century - but influenced by contact with France and Flanders
- Dutch trade strikers recovered from two Seneca Indian village sites that were occupied between 1650 and 1680 (Fox and Cherry Hill sites). Note how much that one resembles the Scottish one. And that double snails or Ram's Horn style striker continued being made/traded on up through the 1770's Rev War time period.
- two strikers recovered from a Mohawk village and Jesuit Mission site in Montgomery County NY that was occupied between 1630-1645. Probably of French origin. That "bar" style is one of the first styles of strikers that the French were trading in North America. It probably was almost twice as long originally. Interesting side note: a similar one was collected from the Crow out in Monatana in the mid/late 1800's. That's a long ways to travel for a piece of "trade goods" from the 1600's or early 1700's.
Interesting how ... connected some things can be.
Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
- where temps are staying below zero (F) for the next few days ... now where did I put my insulated coveralls and pack boots - that shop is mighty cold!
