flintandsteel
Flint and steel is a traditional fire-making method that uses a steel striker and a piece of flint to produce sparks capable of igniting tinder. When the steel is struck against the sharp edge of the flint, small fragments of steel are shaved off and heated by the impact and friction. These hot metal shavings are expelled as sparks and directed toward tinder, which must be dry and highly combustible to catch fire.
The flint acts as a shock-inducing hard surface, while the steel provides the material that forms sparks.
Historically, flint and steel originated in parts of Europe and the Near East and were widely used
In modern contexts, some products marketed as “flint and steel” actually employ ferrocerium-based fire steels, which