Did anyone else in the UK order any, and have they arrived yet. Having posted this no doubt it'll turn up tomorrow. Not sure what shipping/postal service they have used. Ignore the above ramblings of an idiot, just checked and it's pre order delivery in April. Doh
Hi, All, Just a thought. I have never had great luck using a ferro-rod or flint and steel, if the steel was stainless. So far, I've only used carbon steel as my striker, as that helps produce the sparks necessary to be practical. Are SAK now being made with carbon steel blades?? Am I missing something here?? Thanks, and God Bless! Doc
Whoo hoo, arrived today.... @ally you started this did yours arrive? Nice packaging and good instructions. A primary one is experience with other firesteels. Sadly having no experience with one previously I now have to get one to play with before using the rather more 'delicate' toothpick sized one. Recommend tortoise for completing the job. Simon
I just ordered the package of 3 from tortoise. I have used the ferro rod and other things in the past.
Customs? Didn't see anything of that, although I only bought three. @ally Although thinking about it a pressure cooker I bought from India caught up with me a few weeks later for he VAT.
Cool, usable for sure, but just another gimmick for gear junkies with expendable cash. Ferrocerium rods are expendable, every time they are used some of the rod is removed, therefore if starting with a tiny rod, it will not last long, or it will break off on striking when it gets thin, just when you really need it no doubt. The ferrocerium rods I order from China come coated with some sort of sealer to protect them from oxidation, and they will not strike well until the coating is removed. If kept in a damp environment, the rods will eventually begin to corrode, and if kept in contact with sweat (acidic), they will corrode badly and quickly. This is why if I am counting on a ferrocerium rod to perform well when I need it, every time, I carry a much larger one than this micro rod people are bemused with. I never light a stove with one of these, as they deposit tiny debris into the stove burner. With open top alcohol stoves one can see the tiny cinders building up at the bottom from lighting them this way. If I had no matches (very low probability in the short term) I would use the ferrocerium rod for stove lighting, and I often use them for lighting open fires. Carbide makes a fine sparking surface for these, and doesn't dull very quickly.
@dogface, I just thought it was slightly more useful than the toothpick in all honesty. I'm not going to be relying on it for fire starting in all scenarios, but it's there and works.
