A truly gifted presentation... thorough, skilled, correct. Dave, when you travel so much, I worry about your personal safety. You push yourself so hard and your days are long. Please make sure you do as much to keep yourself safe on your trips as possible. I don't want to be concerned about losing a guru and friend.
Thank you for addressing what to use on a Ferro rod for a striker. A lot of places say the edge of their knives but then they stop there. I like how you went into detail about other things that can be used and about how much pressure to put on the rod. It’s very hard to find out. Good job. God bless you and your family.
If you have a large or medium sized Leatherman (Wave, Charge, Super Tool 300, etc), then you can use the v-shaped wire stripper notch on the can opener to scrape a ferro rod. It throws a TON of sparks and doesn't do too much damage to the notch (which you are unlikely to need for stripping wire anyway in the woods). The hooked can opener blade works well also, but it does dull the edge just like it would with a knife blade. The back of the saw works pretty well, too.
Excellent video Dave, well presented. Thank you. Such a pleasure to see someone doing this well & using the correct name instead of "flint & steel" !!! Regards, Keith.
I'm liking the series Dave. Thanks for doing it. I commented a couple videos back (where you put the aluminum in the divot on your bearing block) that I never find any garbage in the areas that I typically go. Well, I went out on Saturday to look for some horsehoof, chaga, etc... and I stepped right on an old beer can. Man, I just about busted a gut laughing. I've been going out in those woods since I was a kid and I have never seen any garbage out there. Then 2 days after writing my comment I step right on a half buried beer can.
Eric Wright I suspect it's because we see so much of it, that we don't "see" it all around us. Recently helped with a roadside clean up on a rural 2 lane road. Roughly 3.5 miles long, much of the area wooded. Two pickup truck loads of bagged trash. Next day, the litter was accumulating, again.
Just made my first bow drill fire.Awesome feeling.Thank you dave for your instruction in all things bush craft. It has become a most rewarding part of my life.
Dave's like "let's talk about fatwood for a minute." Dave works the fatwood and makes a flame without saying more than two words about it. That's how I know that I will always be able to learn something from this channel. Props and respect, Dave.
Thanks much Dave. Liked you since your stint with Cody. Excellent vids. Appreciate your time and effort and skills immensely. Cheers and good luck in Missouri.
Thank you very much for the fire school video. My boys and I work on and try all you have shown us. We look forward to your next video. Thank you again.
We all have old drill bits laying around someplace. The tips are usually dull, but the cutting surface of the rest of the drill will throw plenty of sparks. I use 3/8 and 1/2" ferro rods, 4 and 5 inches in length and always keep them with a matched-length drill bit. Regular or jobber style. Short router bits work well with any of the shorter rods.
I've got a few of the 4.5" x 5/16" rods that work well for me. I have used smaller ferro rods as well. With respect to the handle on the smaller rods, I have developed a technique that works with or without a handle. I grasp the end of the rod but I also use my index finger along the length of the rod. This gives me additional control and secondly with the smaller rods I am providing reinforcement so that the rod doesn't break. Before this technique, I have broken the very small 1/8" x 2.5" rods by exerting too much pressure on them with the scraper. Additionally, since I now don't need to have a handle at all with my technique, I can scrape the rod in both directions and get maximum use of the length of the ferrocerium.
Hey Dave my friend just bought me one of those ferro rods from your website it works great and I'm gonna use it this weekend thanks for all the great videos you have taught me a lot
Went to Smoky Mountain Knife works and bought 3 Opinel knives for 7.99 each. They have very sharp spines. I shot a huge shower of sparks from one swipe. A couple flew 4 feet!! If your thinking fixed blade, the Marttini Knives have a sharp spine as well and they are in the 18-25 dollar range. I have lit a pile of dried leaves with the ferro rod without prepping them. My ferro and knife combo is just as good as using a lighter. Thanks for this video.
Thank you Dave for your hard work and your great teachings. I am glad to hear that you are getting back on t.v. you will do great there. I'm just sorry that I don't get that channel. Safe trip.
Great job on this topic. Learned a lot as usual, and looking forward to watching you in the future. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas with me.
Dave you mentioned the difference and pro's and con's between hard and softer ferro rods. I was wondering though how... when you purchase a ferro rod would you know how there ranked or marked up ? do stores even list this aspect on ferro rods? thanks again... this aspect alone made this a good vid to watch
great video. really like this series. never would have thought glass would work on a fero rod. as always..thanks for taking the time to make these videos
I love that arrow head idea. when you were grinding the fungus i thought it would be great idea if one side had ridges for removing bark or if you don't have a ferro rod and have flint or had rock as a striker
Dave, your bow drill prototype is seriously ingenious. If you decide to produce it for sale, please think of us young guys and keep the price reasonable! In all honesty I can see that thing selling for a ton of money though! THANKS :)
Didn't realize that glass could be used with a ferro rod. Thanks for the info. I have had an Audible.com membership for around 10 years and love the books they have.
Hey dave, I was wondering if you could do a video of your current kit if you were going to camp out for a couple days, or make a list of items. Thanks, Jon
Do you ever have to touch up your knife spines to keep them sharp? Do you find the ferro rod to dull the spine over time or is that just the softer glass?! Thanks
Missouri! Cool my area right now. Lots of history here in Missouri. Glad to see the glass added to this video. I saw some Norwegian bush-craft guy doing that a while back and I said no way! Guess it works though... as shown
Thank you. I didn't know, until recently that broken glass and some other common materials can cast a spark. Can't speak for anyone else, when I say we can get locked into a particular mindset when the same "common knowledge" is frequently shared. In this case carbon steel strikers. ie knives & hacksaw blades. Appreciate efforts towards thinking/looking outside of the box. To consider adding a shard of glass & sandpaper (emery board) to fire kits, for example.
Dave, I was battening A log with my knife. It"s a full tang, but the metal started to rise up from the wooded part of the handle does that happen with your knifes, or could I be battening wrong.
you don't see cody making free information videos. i may not be a pathfinder student, but i am most certainly a wildernessoutfitters student. thank you dave, as always.
wildernessoutfitters i have attempted and succeeded a bowdrill fire two out three times with to much time invested in each attempt. i am having an issue with my cord slipping on the spindle. ive used bank line and also paracord, how would you suggest to solve this problem. ive also roughened up my spindle a little to give it a little grip and problem continues.
I've watched lots of your videos. Can't beat free, but you convinced me to take your course. Ill See you tomorrow at the pioneer intermediate. Btw, id love to see videos on smoking or curing deer roasts.
Really awesome vid and series here! So refreshing to have such thorough explanations combined with expert hands on demos. Keep up the great work there Dave! Does anyone have recommendations for a softer material/make rod? I can never really seem to get those long lasting, after the fact burning sparks for marginal tinder needs.
just a quick thought dave. love your video's as ever. just a query about fire lighting though. i am a smoker, and was wondering as i have never seen it done before. can you use rolling tobacco to create an ember for your birds nest as i always have some on me and i think if it works it would be a great way to start a fire if you didnt have premade charcloth.
I hade a pretty hard time to remove the handle of my PRIMUS-ferro-rod. I had to smash it with a hammer to create cracks to remove it. It even has a very good striker. But I keep my ferro-rod without handle. That way it wears out evenly on every side and lasts much longer.
You lose out on the longer striking surface, but I personally have a small piece of fero-rod that is laced into my shoe. It is probably only 1.5 to 2 inches long and has 2 holes drilled through it. Basically it is a nice guarantee because I doubt I'll find myself without my shoe, haha! I have used it to start a few fires and I highly recommend it.
I'm enormously appreciative of the fine work the Pathfinder School has done with these excellent videos on fire making. But I think that a series of videos needs to address the complications associated with fire making. First of all, in many locations they are forbidden. That's just a grim fact. And fires attract attention from folks you may be intent upon avoiding. Personal survival may depend upon surviving without a fire. Is there really such a thing as a stealth fire? I would love to see that topic discussed. Many of us know about Dakota fires, but they aren't a panacea--at least that has been my experience. Certainly, those of us who have been in combat know that fires are almost always banned--and for good reason. So maybe a dialogue needs to be started about these matters. Oh.............not only does the fire and smoke attract attention; cutting wood with an ax creates a lot of noise. That might be a good reason to use a saw instead--although saws can be noisy, too.
In a survival situation, it is more important to be prepared to make a safe, effective fire than to worry about the local laws. In a very volatile situation such as an extremely dry forest, perhaps you wouldn't choose to make a fire... using common sense. But knowing how to make one could save your life. Hopefully, the local law enforcement would rescue you, not shoot you for making a fire. Close to 99% of fires in rescue situations should be visible signals, too. I suppose that, if you were a crook, in your hideout... but I digress. LOL Seriously, combat is combat and search and rescue is what it is.
Great points, and I agree with everything you said. That said the Pathfinder initiative that Dave and the others are doing isn't aimed at combat or WROL. They focus on a more 18th/19th survivalability/lifestyle mentality. I personally do not want to see the Pathfinder system turn into a WROL/SHTF kind of channel. I recommend you checking out MAINEPREPPER or AnalyticalSurvival if you are looking for combat applications like escape and evade type fires. Both those guys are current or recently retired Special Operations Servicemen. Ps. I do think Dave could answer your questions. Take care and God bless.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Understand that I'm not talking about paramilitary operations. If you are on your bicycle for an extended ride and can't make it to a camp ground or motel, where are you going to sleep at night? Most likely, it will be along the road on someone's property. It may belong to the state or some private individual. What can a person do? Most likely, the person will endeavor to camp, at least for a few hours, before leaving at early dawn. This is stealth camping. I'm not totally sure what mission Dave's site is about. And I don't mean that as a criticism. But he claims to be about self-reliance. And that is the topic I'm choosing focus upon .
Very good video on the use of the ferro rod., But I watched it three times just to see that knife. So what's the story with the knife, is that a Jeff White creation? it's a beautiful piece of craftsmanship whoever did it.
You pull out the trusty old Bic, find out it's empty and remember your new fire rod is at home still in the package. Oooops, gonna be a cold night. :-)
A truly gifted presentation... thorough, skilled, correct.
Dave, when you travel so much, I worry about your personal safety. You push yourself so hard and your days are long. Please make sure you do as much to keep yourself safe on your trips as possible. I don't want to be concerned about losing a guru and friend.
Thank you for addressing what to use on a Ferro rod for a striker. A lot of places say the edge of their knives but then they stop there. I like how you went into detail about other things that can be used and about how much pressure to put on the rod. It’s very hard to find out. Good job. God bless you and your family.
Absolutely the best Ferro-Rod demo I have seen yet. Thank you Dave.
Dave Canterbury- everybody's perfect Grandpa. So much knowledge to give.
If you have a large or medium sized Leatherman (Wave, Charge, Super Tool 300, etc), then you can use the v-shaped wire stripper notch on the can opener to scrape a ferro rod. It throws a TON of sparks and doesn't do too much damage to the notch (which you are unlikely to need for stripping wire anyway in the woods). The hooked can opener blade works well also, but it does dull the edge just like it would with a knife blade. The back of the saw works pretty well, too.
Excellent video Dave, well presented. Thank you. Such a pleasure to see someone doing this well & using the correct name instead of "flint & steel" !!!
Regards, Keith.
The entire fire starting series has been great. Very informative. I've burnt a lot of tinder in the last few weeks. Nice job Dave.
I learned something new today! A glass striker. I love it! Thanks for sharing Dave.
Excellent video, explains ferro rods better than any other i have come across.
I'm liking the series Dave. Thanks for doing it. I commented a couple videos back (where you put the aluminum in the divot on your bearing block) that I never find any garbage in the areas that I typically go. Well, I went out on Saturday to look for some horsehoof, chaga, etc... and I stepped right on an old beer can. Man, I just about busted a gut laughing. I've been going out in those woods since I was a kid and I have never seen any garbage out there. Then 2 days after writing my comment I step right on a half buried beer can.
Eric Wright I suspect it's because we see so much of it, that we don't "see" it all around us. Recently helped with a roadside clean up on a rural 2 lane road. Roughly 3.5 miles long, much of the area wooded. Two pickup truck loads of bagged trash. Next day, the litter was accumulating, again.
Just made my first bow drill fire.Awesome feeling.Thank you dave for your instruction in all things bush craft. It has become a most rewarding part of my life.
Dave's like "let's talk about fatwood for a minute." Dave works the fatwood and makes a flame without saying more than two words about it.
That's how I know that I will always be able to learn something from this channel. Props and respect, Dave.
Thanks much Dave. Liked you since your stint with Cody. Excellent vids. Appreciate your time and effort and skills immensely. Cheers and good luck in Missouri.
Never seen a rod being used with glass, nicely done SirDave always pulling something new from the hat!
Thank you very much for the fire school video. My boys and I work on and try all you have shown us. We look forward to your next video. Thank you again.
We all have old drill bits laying around someplace. The tips are usually dull, but the cutting surface of the rest of the drill will throw plenty of sparks.
I use 3/8 and 1/2" ferro rods, 4 and 5 inches in length and always keep them with a matched-length drill bit. Regular or jobber style. Short router bits work well with any of the shorter rods.
Thank you Dave. I did not know glass. As many others I believe your new striker would make an awsome belt buckle. Would buy one!
Great instructional video. Thanks Dave.
Thank you for this very informative video, especially the tip with the glas and the fero! Take care!
I've got a few of the 4.5" x 5/16" rods that work well for me. I have used smaller ferro rods as well. With respect to the handle on the smaller rods, I have developed a technique that works with or without a handle. I grasp the end of the rod but I also use my index finger along the length of the rod.
This gives me additional control and secondly with the smaller rods I am providing reinforcement so that the rod doesn't break. Before this technique, I have broken the very small 1/8" x 2.5" rods by exerting too much pressure on them with the scraper.
Additionally, since I now don't need to have a handle at all with my technique, I can scrape the rod in both directions and get maximum use of the length of the ferrocerium.
Well done Dave and thanks for sharing. All the best and take care.
Hey Dave my friend just bought me one of those ferro rods from your website it works great and I'm gonna use it this weekend thanks for all the great videos you have taught me a lot
Went to Smoky Mountain Knife works and bought 3 Opinel knives for 7.99 each. They have very sharp spines. I shot a huge shower of sparks from one swipe. A couple flew 4 feet!! If your thinking fixed blade, the Marttini Knives have a sharp spine as well and they are in the 18-25 dollar range. I have lit a pile of dried leaves with the ferro rod without prepping them. My ferro and knife combo is just as good as using a lighter. Thanks for this video.
i love your videos. i watch like to watch them before i sleep. Very helpfull and educational. Please keep posting more vids Dave. god bless
Thank you Dave for your hard work and your great teachings. I am glad to hear that you are getting back on t.v. you will do great there. I'm just sorry that I don't get that channel. Safe trip.
Great job on this topic. Learned a lot as usual, and looking forward to watching you in the future. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas with me.
Oh...oh....the beard is coming back. You go Dave. Another great video.
just what i wanted to say! it was really weird seeing him with a smooth face :)
Dave you mentioned the difference and pro's and con's between hard and softer ferro rods. I was wondering though how... when you purchase a ferro rod would you know how there ranked or marked up ? do stores even list this aspect on ferro rods? thanks again... this aspect alone made this a good vid to watch
great video. really like this series. never would have thought glass would work on a fero rod. as always..thanks for taking the time to make these videos
Glass for a striker. .never thought of that. GENIUS! !! And did I hear a new show? ? Alright! !Please keep us all informed as to when and where
Another great video Dave. Thanks.
i learn so many things from your vids i enjoy them i watch them several times..
I love that arrow head idea. when you were grinding the fungus i thought it would be great idea if one side had ridges for removing bark or if you don't have a ferro rod and have flint or had rock as a striker
great job Dave. i though glass would be the hardest to get sparks of the rod but it was the easiest. a series well put together.
Dave, your bow drill prototype is seriously ingenious. If you decide to produce it for sale, please think of us young guys and keep the price reasonable! In all honesty I can see that thing selling for a ton of money though! THANKS :)
Hey Dave could you post a video of how you hang your bushpot? it will be really helpful
I did't think you could use glass as a striker, thank you Dave. What would be the risk of the glass shattering?
Favourite slo-mo television for any time you need grounding
Thanks
Didn't realize that glass could be used with a ferro rod. Thanks for the info. I have had an Audible.com membership for around 10 years and love the books they have.
Never knew glass could work on a fero rod. Another great video thank you.
Hey dave, I was wondering if you could do a video of your current kit if you were going to camp out for a couple days, or make a list of items. Thanks, Jon
Great video, Dave. Dual Survivor is not the same.
Do you ever have to touch up your knife spines to keep them sharp? Do you find the ferro rod to dull the spine over time or is that just the softer glass?! Thanks
Missouri! Cool my area right now. Lots of history here in Missouri. Glad to see the glass added to this video. I saw some Norwegian bush-craft guy doing that a while back and I said no way! Guess it works though... as shown
Great video Dave.
Thank you. I didn't know, until recently that broken glass and some other common materials can cast a spark. Can't speak for anyone else, when I say we can get locked into a particular mindset when the same "common knowledge" is frequently shared. In this case carbon steel strikers. ie knives & hacksaw blades. Appreciate efforts towards thinking/looking outside of the box. To consider adding a shard of glass & sandpaper (emery board) to fire kits, for example.
I watch and "Like" every video but I haven't commented much lately. But I'm always here watching, learning and enjoying my time here.
Dave, I was battening A log with my knife. It"s a full tang, but the metal started to rise up from the wooded part of the handle does that happen with your knifes, or could I be battening wrong.
Beautiful knife Dave. Is that going to be available for purchase or is it a gift? In either case it's a work of art.
What are the best buy for the dollar ferro rods and striker tools? Where can you buy those larege 6 x 1/2 inch models?
you don't see cody making free information videos. i may not be a pathfinder student, but i am most certainly a wildernessoutfitters student. thank you dave, as always.
More great tips, Thx Dave!!
Dave are you planning on coming to Missouri for some of the gun and knife shows and when and where
incredibly informative thanks dave
That is a very nice knife. Any chance it will be on the website?
Another excellent video. Same great idea's i will trying this weekend
I also keep a large ferro rod on my belt that I use frequently, and a small on my knife sheath for special occasions.
Awesome Video As Always Dave. Keep up the great work. N.
wildernessoutfitters i have attempted and succeeded a bowdrill fire two out three times with to much time invested in each attempt. i am having an issue with my cord slipping on the spindle. ive used bank line and also paracord, how would you suggest to solve this problem. ive also roughened up my spindle a little to give it a little grip and problem continues.
Good lesson, very good teaching skills.
I've watched lots of your videos. Can't beat free, but you convinced me to take your course. Ill See you tomorrow at the pioneer intermediate. Btw, id love to see videos on smoking or curing deer roasts.
Great video! I didn't know about glass as a striker. Thanks
Really awesome vid and series here! So refreshing to have such thorough explanations combined with expert hands on demos. Keep up the great work there Dave!
Does anyone have recommendations for a softer material/make rod? I can never really seem to get those long lasting, after the fact burning sparks for marginal tinder needs.
Buen vídeo Dave......un saludo desde Nerva (España).Sigo todos sus vídeos
just a quick thought dave. love your video's as ever. just a query about fire lighting though. i am a smoker, and was wondering as i have never seen it done before. can you use rolling tobacco to create an ember for your birds nest as i always have some on me and i think if it works it would be a great way to start a fire if you didnt have premade charcloth.
whats the new gadget on your necklace? looks like a little tied pouch? another great video!!!
i knew i needed more ferro rods thanks for the great tips too
good video brother dave.
great tips, thank you. I was very surprised at the glass. I thought that was gonna be an issuexample of what wont work.
Cool! I gota try that. Question.....Where is your cross?
Hay dave I'm 14.i got a new 66 powermaster bb gun.love the out doors is this power full enough to get a cleen kill on a.rabbit?
I understand that those sparks are a couple thousand degrees but why wouldnt they burn your hand when striking the rod?
does the store on Emerson ave. in Indianapolis sell products instead of buying online
Tips on scraping off the outer paint quickly?
I hade a pretty hard time to remove the handle of my PRIMUS-ferro-rod. I had to smash it with a hammer to create cracks to remove it. It even has a very good striker. But I keep my ferro-rod without handle. That way it wears out evenly on every side and lasts much longer.
Awesome... Did not know that about glass... Thanks
You gotta appreciate this guy....puts in a lot of effort and does a great job.
Yes Dave... join the longhair legion
Thanks Dave.
I have a quick question I bought one Sunday and live in philedelphia pa when will I get it thanks?!
You lose out on the longer striking surface, but I personally have a small piece of fero-rod that is laced into my shoe. It is probably only 1.5 to 2 inches long and has 2 holes drilled through it. Basically it is a nice guarantee because I doubt I'll find myself without my shoe, haha! I have used it to start a few fires and I highly recommend it.
Another awesome vid!! Thanks for the great info.
another great video but all i could think off was i wonder how many people have caught "themselves" on fire doing it that very same way
With the glass, if the edge gets dull you could also just snap off a small piece of it.
The fungus that you used from the birch tree also makes a tea known as Shaga, extremely healthy and good for you, just boil it up.
I'm enormously appreciative of the fine work the Pathfinder School has done with these excellent videos on fire making. But I think that a series of videos needs to address the complications associated with fire making. First of all, in many locations they are forbidden. That's just a grim fact. And fires attract attention from folks you may be intent upon avoiding. Personal survival may depend upon surviving without a fire.
Is there really such a thing as a stealth fire? I would love to see that topic discussed. Many of us know about Dakota fires, but they aren't a panacea--at least that has been my experience. Certainly, those of us who have been in combat know that fires are almost always banned--and for good reason. So maybe a dialogue needs to be started about these matters. Oh.............not only does the fire and smoke attract attention; cutting wood with an ax creates a lot of noise. That might be a good reason to use a saw instead--although saws can be noisy, too.
In a survival situation, it is more important to be prepared to make a safe, effective fire than to worry about the local laws. In a very volatile situation such as an extremely dry forest, perhaps you wouldn't choose to make a fire... using common sense. But knowing how to make one could save your life. Hopefully, the local law enforcement would rescue you, not shoot you for making a fire. Close to 99% of fires in rescue situations should be visible signals, too. I suppose that, if you were a crook, in your hideout... but I digress. LOL Seriously, combat is combat and search and rescue is what it is.
Great points, and I agree with everything you said. That said the Pathfinder initiative that Dave and the others are doing isn't aimed at combat or WROL. They focus on a more 18th/19th survivalability/lifestyle mentality.
I personally do not want to see the Pathfinder system turn into a WROL/SHTF kind of channel. I recommend you checking out MAINEPREPPER or AnalyticalSurvival if you are looking for combat applications like escape and evade type fires. Both those guys are current or recently retired Special Operations Servicemen.
Ps. I do think Dave could answer your questions.
Take care and God bless.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Understand that I'm not talking about paramilitary operations. If you are on your bicycle for an extended ride and can't make it to a camp ground or motel, where are you going to sleep at night? Most likely, it will be along the road on someone's property. It may belong to the state or some private individual. What can a person do? Most likely, the person will endeavor to camp, at least for a few hours, before leaving at early dawn. This is stealth camping. I'm not totally sure what mission Dave's site is about. And I don't mean that as a criticism. But he claims to be about self-reliance. And that is the topic I'm choosing focus upon .
I would sure like to see a fire school video or two about the hand drill.
I cant wait for the arrowhead to be on your web site
glass is great idea.
Best I have found is short piece of worn hacksaw blade, fine teeth, 24 or 32. Aggressive on the rod, but works well.
k
Very good video on the use of the ferro rod., But I watched it three times just to see that knife. So what's the story with the knife, is that a Jeff White creation? it's a beautiful piece of craftsmanship whoever did it.
it very well could be the butcher knife he got at a garage sale many years ago
I believe its a ML custom he had made to his specs.
mgdrobert1 its not the butcher i usually see him carry.
would love to get a closer look at the scrim.
Is a feraserium rod better than a bic lighter?
bic lighter is nice, till it gets wet. Fero rod even wet will throw sparks
You pull out the trusty old Bic, find out it's empty and remember your new fire rod is at home still in the package. Oooops, gonna be a cold night. :-)
Suprised no one's asked you about that bone handled knife yet. Prototype for new stock or a gift?
hey Dave I found an extremely good bushcraft knife "Dragonfly 4.5" by Tops knives please try it out
Thank you
How much for the rod your useing now from ya site
A talented man.
Ray Mears uses glass as the final sharpening step, like a superfinegrit stone. I guess it's a magic material...
old linklees learned a few things i didnt know using glass to stike a ferro rod
that's the best fire steel iv seen wow
Hmmm. I didn't know that about the glass striker. Thanks :) .