Hand Forged viking fire striker, firesteel order and flint set in leather pouch

Hand Forged Viking fire striker set in leather pouch

1. fire striker - high carbon tool steel
2. flint
3. Amadou
4 order. leather pouch

From the Iron Age forward and prior to the invention of the friction match, the use of natural flint and steel was one of the most common methods of fire lighting. Along with friction fire lighting, percussion fire-starting was prevalent during the Roman times (100 CE), Medieval times and the Viking Age.

When using natural flint and steel, many hard, non-porous rocks that can take a sharp edge, such as chert, jasper, obsidian, or some petrified woods can be used.

The sharp edge of the flint is used to strike the fire steel at an acute angle. With practice, small pieces of steel are shaved off the fire steel. The friction of shaving the steel off the fire steel and the pyrophoricity of the steel heats the pieces to a molten state.

Charcloth or amadou is usually used as tinder with natural flint and steel because they more readily catch the low-temperature sparks, which can then can be blown into flame.