My first firesteel - "Rustic"

Like all other "bushcrafters" I decided to make my own hand made firesteel, too.
Provision of materials was a quite simple. Piece of tick birch branch, piece of beechwood along with cheap firesteel ferrocerium rods from ebay. Pattex Total glue and Tung oil.
The rest of the materials and tools I already had at my home.

For start I decided what shape I want to carve, measured the material, roughly cut it with saw and knife, carve it, and processed them with rasps and sandpaper. On the end I got two final shapes with witch I was satisfied.











Since "first phaze" was over I decided to treat myself with some sandwich and juice.
I returned to my working post and spoted that oval shape i made is missing. No, it is not!
It is in the kitchen, bathroom, in my pocket, under the table…. No ti wasn't.
I couldn't find it anywhere.

Already a bit crazy i looked at my "best friend and faithful companion" resting place.



"Egg shape" and the "Designer"


I do not know why but she was not satisfied with one of the shapes, so she decided to "redesign it" :)))))


Afther I throw her about 4 times from the fourth floor balkony, chased her with my shoe and  yell at her with a "series of gentle words" I remembered that it is not all gone, there is still one finished and not "redesigned" peace left.







So I calm down and proceeded with work
I made a serious of small cuts in firesteel rod, for better glue reception, drilled holes for firesteel rod and lanyard, cutt and prepare the brass rod for glueing, glued it all, pushed the firesteel rod in to the handle and brass rod in to the lanyard hole.

 

 

To be shore that this time everything will be OK, I tightened all (very tight) with cramp (or squeezer) and left it overnight to dry.

 

In the morning….

 

Well…I was so furious that I even did not made a photo of my "masterpeace". In few words, the handle broke all over the length… So much about tightening!

 

Result - 2 of 2 destroyed

Some time passed. Firesteel rod was just lying there.

I had some days off, so I was occupied with our daughters and, of course, our bellowed "designer".

The devil in me just won't rest. I remembered that friend of mine left me some "exotic wood scraps" for playing with.

 

Maybe I could….

 

So, third attempt

 

Peace of wood I choose was beautifully variegated but also full with small cracks.

So I think to myself, it does not have to be standard shape firesteel handle.

Let's give this peace a meaning…

At some point of that process I was with my friend  explaining to him the purpose of firesteel and what I am planing to do… He said to me: "Leave the peace rough as it is. It looks good to me just as it is."
I was thinking, OK, anyway I will give it to him as a gift on the end.

 

This time before final processing I pushed and glued the firesteel rod and tightened it very gently while waiting for glue to dry. Only after that I started with final work.

After "playing with it in the park"

 

Working on it a little bit on our local city lake "Bundek" (In Zagreb, Croatia) while daughters were playing in the shallow:

Final touches:






















And the end result -  I present you the.........................."RUSTIC"

Today I will give it to friend. I hope it will serve him well.