bayite 1/2 Inch X 6 Inch Large Ferro Rods Ferrocerium Rod Drilled Survival Fire Starter Flint Steel with Toggle Lanyard Hole for Camping EmergencyClimatePartner certified

The media could not be loaded. Awesome sparks of molten metal. I started the first fire in video with one strike with shaved curls from really good pine lighter (fat wood) and dryer lint. Second fire I removed the dryer lint. Third fire is fat wood and dryer lint but it’s dark so you can see how much spark this rod throws with the right striker. I’m using the back of a carbon steel wood chisel as a striker and it also shaves nice curls from wood. Carbon steel or high speed tool steel make awesome strikers. Speedy Sharp carbide tool sharpeners are probably the best strikers but I haven’t personally tried one yet. Stainless sucks as a striker. One of these rods, a Speedy Sharp, and a piece of fat wood tethered together with para chord is $25 total and I guarantee that it will quickly make fire in the rain with cold numb hands.

It's a basic ferro rod, so it might not be the sexyest item on Amazon, but this is the King of All Ferro Rods! It is far longer (6"), and larger in diameter (1/2"), than other sellers on Amazon, and it's about half the price. Why? Because it doesn't come with a useless custom handle, flymsy case, or some fancy striking gizmo that you can hang around your neck - forget all that nonsense, this is what you need to start a fire when your camping, or if you just want a awesome ferro rod for your Get Home Bag or SHTF Bag. You don't need a designated striker, just use the back of your knife (I love my Mora Garberg Knife for this application - for my money it's the best bushcraft/outdoor camping knife sold on Amazon).Additionally, there is a hole on one end that is perfect for threading paracord through and making a secure wrist lanyard, and in a pinch paracord can be used as an accelerant to start a fire if you have nothing else.Hot Tip: take a one to two inch piece of 1/2" shrink tube, slide it on, heat it up, and you have a great non-slip handle. If you cover the hole with the shrink tube, just poke through it with a awl or drill bit after it cools and then string your lanyard cord through it. That's what I did and it works great.I don't use a ferro rod as my primary fire lighting device, I carry a Bic lighter which is faster and easier, but I do recommend carrying a ferro rod as a back-up if you run out of fuel or your lighter breaks. It is very primitive and satisfying way to start a campfire, and when it comes to survival and warmth redundant systems are a good thing.One caveat, if you are a backpacker and weight is a big deal to you, this rod is somewhat heavy (it says 0.8 oz, it feels like more than that to me), you might be better off with their smaller 4" x 3/8" ferro rod.

The media could not be loaded. This Ferro Rod is big, easy to hold, and strikes REALLY easily. I use my knives (Mora, Condor, Ontario RAT) with spines I ground to 90 degrees and they work great, but... if you can get one of those actual scrapers that come with some rods, or even better the saw from a multi tool, you’ll be blown away.I typically use FireSteel dot com, and of course they’re superb. However this enormous Ferro Rod with a lanyard is honestly unbeatable. It works great. I’m going to buy at least five more.My video sucks and doesnt begin to demonstrate the spark shower, but then tinder goes right up. You can see the ember where I’d struck it already but you get the point. It’s definitely worth it. I trust my life to this thing and that was a surprise.UPDATE:First I am not sponsored or being given anything for my review (although I wish I was)! Also, I just wanted to add a couple newer photos. I started to make a handle for one, but didn’t cut the stick so ended up with a gigantic, super stable (and absurdly silly yet effective) FireSteel using a (4”?) sawzall blade with the paint sanded off.

I am a Freelance Gear Reviewer, and former Top Reviewer from a well-known online gear review site. I am also a Survivalist, and professional wilderness survival writer and editor.When it comes to Ferro Rods, size does matter. The reason for this is due to physics & mathematics, both of which was my primary focus in college. It all measures down to surface area, and length. A small ferro rod will produce less sparks, that is just science and not opinion. The amount and temperature of the sparks is what will ignite the tinder.People that have problems lighting their timber with ferro rods either has a combination or one of the other problems; not enough sparks or sparks are too low a temperature or a combination of both. (this is assuming your tinder is not to blame)Being an older gentleman reaching 50 years in the not-too-distant future (sadly), I must say that I got tired having to press so hard on my striker against smaller, thinner, less 'hot' ferro rods.Con: heavier than smaller Ferro rods, and hole is a tad small to feed paracord through, so make sure you melt the tip of cord 1st, and have patiencePros: Hotter sparks up to 3000°F, more sparks produced, easier to use due to size, this product will last longer due to it's size (there is just more Ferro material), less pressure needed to produce same amount if not more sparks of smaller competitors)Conclusion: Buy Once... Cry Once,,, IMO it is better to spent a tad more money, and get this heavier, thicker, more durable, and far more sparks producing Ferro rod. It will allow you to more easily start fires, and more effortlessly, not to mention due to the higher spark temperature output, you will be able to catch fire far less 'suitable' tinder, like on those wet and raining days in the wilderness.

It’s a bit small but will work for every once in a while easier to carry. Sparks well and easy to use. Takes a sharp edge to spark

This works really great after you scrape off the paint layer on the outside.It throws some real nice big sparks.