Ferro Rods | RECOIL OFFGRID

The ability to make fire without being dependent on a lighter is a skill that captivates us. Being able to create such an essential source of heat, light, and comfort is an incredibly powerful feeling. For most people, starting a fire without a lighter or match seems imposing, but it’s not as difficult to achieve as you might think. With the right tools and a bit of practice, you’ll be cooking in no time.

You might know these fire-starters as flint rods or fire steels — both misnomers, as they don’t contain either flint or steel — but they’re actually called ferrocerium rods, or ferro rods for short. Ferrocerium is a complex alloy made of cerium, lanthanum, and iron with smaller amounts of praseodymium, neodymium, and magnesium. When rapidly scraped, it throws a shower of sparks that can range from 3,000 to 6,000 degrees F. Additionally, by slowly shaving small pieces from the rod and forming a small pile, these shavings can be added to your combustible material before throwing sparks, increasing your chances of getting a flame to catch on combustible material. This is substantially more efficient than if you had struck an ordinary piece of flint with steel, which ignites at roughly 800 degrees F and throws much smaller sparks.

Typically, a ferro rod is set as the A, or alternative in a P.A.C.E. — Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency — plan, serving as a backup to a lighter. Lighters are great, and you should have one in your list of carry items, but they do have drawbacks that a ferro rod doesn’t. Ferro rods are very robust tools with no moving parts and have no fluid or fuels to contend with. They only require a 90-degree angle on the spine of a knife, a key, or a piece of ceramic, and a 45-degree downward stroke against the rod to throw an umbrella of sparks. And unlike lighters, they won’t become unreliable in cold weather.

Whether you’re looking for an addition to your hiking pack or go-bag, or something a little more covert that you can have with you every day, lots of options are available. Read on as we examine the pros and cons of a few ferro rod fire-starters.

Wazoo Gear Co.: Spark Necklace

Well known in the preparedness and bushcraft communities, you’d be hard pressed to find a professional who doesn’t field at least one Wazoo item on a regular basis. The beauty of the Wazoo Gear’s Spark Necklace is in the simplicity and tribal aesthetics. It’s a functional tool that can also be worn without seeming out of place or overtly noticeable. The Zirconia ceramic pendant is available in your choice of black or white and will not dull or corrode like a steel striker.

• Dimensions: 1/3 by 1 inch
• Carry Method: Round leather cord 1/8 by 16 inches
• Weight: 0.8 ounce
• MSRP: $35
• URL: wazoogear.com

Pros:

• Naturally dyed round leather cord is comfortable for all-day wear.
• The ceramic scraper doubles as a glass breaker or knife sharpener.
• Threaded ends in the quick-release clasp allow you to cut the cord to a custom length.

Cons:

• A 1-inch-long ferro rod may be difficult to use, especially with gloved hands.
• The primitive look may not fit everyone’s personal taste.

EXOTAC: FIREROD V2

This collaboration between Habilis and Exotac brings what could be considered the most widely recognized and used ferro rod for hikers and bushcrafters. The knurled aluminum handle has four color options (high-vis orange, OD green, gunmetal, or black) and a waterproof threaded cap with an O-ring. The storage compartment is large enough to keep a small piece of tinder dry. The threads are well-made to reduce the risk of cross threading.

• Dimensions: 5/16 by 2 3/4 inches
• Carry Method: Lanyard
• Weight: 1.3 ounces
• MSRP: $33
• URL: exotac.com

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Pros:

• Rods are replaceable, making this a tool you can rely on for many years.
• Carries a small amount of tinder material and keeps it dry.
• A great companion for any knife sheath with a built-in ferro rod carrier.

Cons:

• Included lanyard is mostly useful as a pull tab. For neck wear, you’ll need to replace it with a longer cord.
• Dry storage area has limited room for tinder.

Outdoor Element: Sparky & Scratch Key

Outdoor Element is a small Colorado-based company of former aerospace engineers and outdoor adventurers. They specialize in building reliable precision-crafted tools to foster confidence and skill-building in the outdoor space. This is a handy option especially for anyone who already uses a carabiner, since it retains the features you expect plus an embedded ferro rod on the back side. The options of a KW1 (Kwikset) or SC1 (Schlage) style key allow you to get the Scratch key cut to use in your own front door.

• Dimensions: 1 1/2 by 1/8 inches
• Carry Method: Carabiner
• Weight: 0.9 ounce
• MSRP: $15
• URL: outdoorelement.com

Pros:

• Easily integrated into your existing EDC gear.
• Carabiner is available in orange or silver finish and has an integrated bottle opener.
• Functional keys can be cut for Kwikset or Schlage door locks.

Cons:

• Accessing the key’s ¼-inch bit driver requires removing it from its keyring.
• Small rod and scraper surface make this more of a “just in case” tool than one for frequent use.

Grim Workshop: Hot Shot Micro Tool Keychain

Located on a fifth-generation homestead in Texas, Grim Workshop designs high-quality and very well-thought-out mini and micro-EDC tools. Many of their tools are so convenient to carry you’ll have no excuse to leave them behind. The Hot Shot can ride a keyring or necklace, or you can remove the backing and stick it to your favorite multi-tool. It could even be used as a zipper pull on a jacket or pack.

• Dimensions: 1 7/8 by 1/2 inches
• Carry Method: Clip
• Weight: 0.2 ounce
• MSRP: $8
• URL: grimworkshop.com

Pros:

• Extremely compact and lightweight design.
• Features both a serrated scraper and a 90-degree striker edge.
• Slim enough to carry on a keyring or even use as a zipper pull.

Cons:

• The small size makes it more challenging to use, and it would be easy to misplace the rod during use.
• Removing the rod can be a little tricky.

Shankle Homestead: Leatherworks Fire Steel w/ Leather Sheath

Shankle Homestead Leatherworks specializes in producing heirloom-quality leather goods. Based out of Ohio, Shankle Homestead started out providing products for subscription boxes and became known for their quality and utility. Their mission is to make high-quality goods at a price everyone can afford. The Fire Steel Sheath allows for a variety of mounting applications such as beltline or a pack strap. The large 5-inch ferro rod makes it easy to throw showers of sparks at your tinder.

Pros:

• The oversized one-piece rod is exceptionally easy to use, even with gloved hands.
• Leather loop doubles as a strop to deburr your knife edge after sharpening.
• Will develop a cool patina over time.

Cons:

• Leather requires repetitive care to prevent drying out or cracking.
• Quite large for EDC.

Prepared4X: Survival Torch Fire Starter – Large

Founded by an Eagle Scout, Prepared4X has set out to become the most trusted name in preparedness. The Survival Torch is a unique design, and everything is large enough to use with gloves on. Most will be able to use this with cold, wet, and shaking hands. The 36-inch wax-infused hemp wick will burn even when wet and can go continuously for more than three hours or can be used hundreds of times to start fires.

• Dimensions: 6 by 1/2 inches
• Carry Method: Pocket carry
• Weight: 8 ounces
• MSRP: $24
• URL: prepared4x.com

Pros:

• Large enough to use easily while wearing gloves.
• The 36-inch wax-infused hemp wick provides a reliable, water-resistant tinder source.
• Exposed wick length can be used to control flame size.

Cons:

• Size and weight may deter a minimalist.
• Included wick can be tricky to wrap up and store properly.

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Editor’s Note: This article has been modified from its original print version for the web.

Written by Matthew Williams