Brunner Feuerschlagmesser

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

Brunner Feuerschlagmesser (Fire Striker Knife)

Thanks to Roger (Swissbianco), I am the owner of the first two of these custom knives to make it to the US.

These are new production Soldiers with the current “Swiss Made” tang stamp and no year stamp.

The knives were commissioned by Horst Brunner who is the author of the book Feuer und Feuerschlagmesser.

A Mr. Fischlin made the special liner and Striker and his touchmark is the small fish struck onto the side of the Striker. The knives were assembled at the Victorinox factory.

Each Feuerschlagmesser came with a small piece of prepared tinder fungus and a flint.

[Leatherman123]

Very nice Spork!

[Roadie]

They are very cool!

[Benner]

I agree, very nice! 

[ducktapehero]

I saw that on the other board. That's sweet. I bet it's pretty cool owning something where you know that no one else in the whole country has.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

There stunning mate

[J-sews]

So what exactly does the big protrusion along one side of the knife do?

[Benner]

It's a fire striker.

[J-sews]

So like just a bar of magnesium?

[Benner]

So like just a bar of magnesium?

That's what I'm thinking yeah.

I do think it odd that you would need another knife to make use of it though.

[J-sews]

So like just a bar of magnesium?

That's what I'm thinking yeah.

I do think it odd that you would need another knife to make use of it though.

Yah, that was what puzzles me. Is the magnesium removable perhaps?

[Benner]

Well SporK does say that it comes with a special liner, but I just assumed that it was just designed in order to hold the striker as well.  It doesn't appear to be removable .

SporK, we need more information! 

[Roadie]

I think it's more this type of arrangement
http://www.ydalir.co.uk/crafts/fire.htm
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pathtoadventure/handbook/survival/survival1.html

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

Oh no guys...this is a traditional Flint & Steel Striker used with real flint or chert, not a Ferrocerium or Mischmetal rod.

It is carbon steel like the Flint Strikers in this photo...

[Roadie]

Yay! I was right

[J-sews]

Oh okay, so you just bash the carbon steel bar against a piece of flint (like the ones shown in this picture here)

(Image removed from quote.)

[Benner]

Thanks for reporting back.  Cool idea that. 

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

 

[J-sews]

Oh okay, so you just bash the carbon steel bar against a piece of flint (like the ones shown in this picture here)

(Not meaning to oversimplify it at all. According to the one link Roadie provided there seems to be a fair bit of technique involved)

[Roadie]

Oh okay, so you just bash the carbon steel bar against a piece of flint (like the ones shown in this picture here)

(Not meaning to oversimplify it at all. According to the one link Roadie provided there seems to be a fair bit of technique involved)

I think you got the basic jist of it!

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

Oh okay, so you just bash the carbon steel bar against a piece of flint (like the ones shown in this picture here)

Yes. In traditional Flint & Steel the sharp edge of the flint scrapes tiny pieces of steel from the striker which ignites into sparks. The sparks produced are relatively low temperature (yellow) and requires a prepared tinder like Charcloth or Tinder Fungus to catch.

With Ferrocerium rods it is the components of the rod itself that is scraped off and ignites into a high temperature spark (white hot). There is actually no need to use any steel to cast sparks off a Ferro rod...any sharp edge will work, even broken glass.

[J-sews]

Oh okay, so you just bash the carbon steel bar against a piece of flint (like the ones shown in this picture here)

Yes. In traditional Flint & Steel the sharp edge of the flint scrapes tiny pieces of steel from the striker which ignites into sparks. The sparks produced are relatively low temperature (yellow) and requires a prepared tinder like Charcloth or Tinder Fungus to catch.

With Ferrocerium rods it is the components of the rod itself that is scraped off and ignites into a high temperature spark (white hot). There is actually no need to use any steel to cast sparks off a Ferro rod...any sharp edge will work, even broken glass.

Cool, I didn't know that! 


....I also didn't know there was such a thing as "tinder fungus." I'd accuse you of making it up, but I see there are several auctions on eBay for the stuff. 

Tinder fungus. Wow, what will they come up with next?   

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

Tinder Fungus was actually in use for firemaking long before the advent of steel.

It is one of the few materials that will catch the even weaker spark produced by "bashing two rocks together" to make fire (like Marcasite and Flint, Pyrite and Flint).

There was Tinder Fungus found in the kit of Otzi the Iceman.

[J-sews]

Oops, I'm kinda hijacking your thread here Spork....


Does the tinder fungus need to be dried or aged for some period before being useful?

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

It does need to be dried and can be used as found or prepared by pounding flat and soaking in a solution of Nitre like a slowmatch.

The Tinder Fungus supplied with the Brunner SAK has been treated and comes from Romania according to the information given to Roger/Swissbianco.

[Icheatpeople]

thanks, according to damon eggert does sutch qulality fungus not grow in usa. its also spl nitride prepared so it catch fire by the littlest spark.

mr brunner is an swiss speSmurfpillst on firemaking knives and has let an run of those made, the detail pics are to find in my swissbianco photobucket, there you see the liner with attatched steel. mr brunner has whrite an book about this matter and as i have this in my study collection there are the latin names and history etc listed

only 2 pcs currently in usa, another is by an ex swiss police friend that has whrite for swiss gun magazin and lives in west canada, countryside.

work on the 2 farmer protos with that firesteel, orange alox with clip and splitring, theyr not for sale but test.

+B

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I can't get over what a fantastic idea that is, once mounted on a Farmer it will be the best bush folder out there (I think the Farmer already holds that mantle anyway)

[J-sews]

I can't get over what a fantastic idea that is, once mounted on a Farmer it will be the best bush folder out there (I think the Farmer already holds that mantle anyway)

Plus it gives one a perfectly legitimate reason to carry around tinder fungus.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I can't get over what a fantastic idea that is, once mounted on a Farmer it will be the best bush folder out there (I think the Farmer already holds that mantle anyway)

Plus it gives one a perfectly legitimate reason to carry around tinder fungus.

Now I'm getting old, I have fungus naturally growing on me anyway

Anyway here's a video of Ray demonstrating the technique 9 It took me a bit longer

[FredKJ]

I lust.  I have a couple of flint and steel kits.  Would love one of those.  So how could one get one?