I just got into primitive fire making and am starting out using Magnesium Fire starters. I noticed that while my DCDM worked well at shaving the Magnesium, the back of the blade wouldn't spark when pushed against the rod. Any ideas why? Is it the Steel used, possibly Double Cut? It worked good on stainless, and better using high carbon, but not the back of the DCDM. I did try to use a small portion of the blade, and it worked, but don't want to mess up my sharp blade.

Any ideas?

Maybe the back “edge” (90 degree corner) wasn’t sharp enough? What works really well is a piece of hacksaw blade. Put it in a vise or use pliers or something and bend it back and forth until it snaps to a couple inch length. Then use sandpaper to get rid of any really sharp edges. Another tip, what works really well for the magnesium is to use the metal file on a multitool to make shavings. I never use the mag bar though myself, just the spark rod. (Along with cotton balls and fatwood, sometimes just cotton balls, and sometimes not even that)

I don't really like the mag myself. I can't find any spark rods where I live, so I suppose I'll have to get some online. I found that just a few strikes lit drier lint faster than anything else I tried.

I have a whole Pine stump ie fatwood that I plan to cut up to size. I am wondering how well it would work if I took the shavings from the fatwood (from using the chainsaw) and mix it with melted wax and form them in ice trays... do you think that would work or just waste my time?

I would recommend either a Swedish “Light my Fire” firesteel, a Strike Force firesteel, or a 4"x1/2" flint rod. I keep a finger length/size piece of fatwood attached to my Strike Force with a rubber band (which can also be used to start a fire). When I need to make a fire, I just split the fatwood into a bunch of small pieces, and use some of the cotton that I keep in the large “pill fob” I attached to the end. I can fit 7 jumbo cotton balls in it. You can buy them at Rx stores, Walmart, etc. of varying quality. I’ve never tried what you’re thinking of personally. I try to avoid mess/hassle if I can avoid it, and I can start fires just fine with my rig. Here are some pics:

Strike Force w/ small piece of fatwood


W/ pill fob attached


Starting a fire using ONLY shredded inner tree bark and nothing else.

Here’s a fire I started at my Aunt’s house using my flint and steel:

What Andy said!

The hacksaw blade is tops for scraping on a firesteel.

I spray paint my own 2-inch lengths of hacksaw blades with industrial/farm equipment yellow for easy ID in the woods and paracord them to my firesteel/mag block/etc.

Just because I may have 2-3 (probably more)quality fixed blades/folders/multitools at my disposal right this instant doesn't mean that things can't go horribly South in a heartbeat...possibly leaving me with (God forbod) just ONE edged implement to depend on!

That said, the last thing I want to do is to compromise my most important tool (a sharp cutting edge) while trying to light a fire when there are other methods/materials available.

you can always use the inside of the choil area...
where the choil thins out with the grind...

it might be thin enough to get some good sparks without compsomising the cutting edge.
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What are the options when looking for fire steels - Ferro rods, flint, etc... which work best and what are some good stores to buy from?

The ones I recommended are all good. I got mine on eBay myself.

I don’t find that splitting the fatwood works well for catching sparks from a fero rod. Even splitting the fatwood fine, it is harder to light using sparks. What works best for me is to hold a knife at a steep angle to the lighter wood and scrape fine shavings off with the edge. I end up with something that looks more like the shavings from a carpenter’s plain than little match sticks. That shaved fatwood catches fire without a struggle.

My wife thinks I'm strange (she's not the only one!), because I have film cannisters full of dryer lint in my survival kit. I never bothered to tell her why I was saving it...

Yes, I agree. Thin shavings (or dust) work better for catching sparks. What I meant is I split them fine to lay on top of the cotton so when a spark hits the cotton, it will set off the fatwood.