Trick for Striking Sparks Off Big Blades (Safety Stick)

Fire with a machete and a trick to hold the char next to the sparks.

I’ve been playing around with different methods of striking sparks off of big knives like this CRKT Halfachance and think I’ve finally settled on a favorite approach.

Any time you’re using a sharp-edged tool for flint and steel there is a risk of injury; but this method seems pretty safe to me. With this split-stick method, you can keep your hand well away from the edge, while still positioning the char right in the path of the sparks.

The sparks that come off of the back of this machete are much weaker than those you would get from a dedicated striker made of hardened steel, so it took quite a few strikes this time; but persistence usually pays off.

I tried this at least a dozen times with different tools before filming this and other than a split finger nail from an errant strike hitting the spine, it has worked beautifully every time.

Another option would be to put the char on a log and stand the blade upright; but I find that this hinders my swing and I am not able to generate as much momentum; leading to fewer sparks and the occasional smashed char.

A quick word of caution if you do try this… Keeping a firm grip on the handle of the tool is important when striking against the spine to makes sure it stays in position. You can still cut yourself on the spine of a knife or machete, so making sure you have a stone large enough to keep your fingers out of harm’s way is a good safety net; but you still need to watch your swing.








Materials Used:

CRKT Halfachance Machete
Split Willow Stick
Charred Red Alder Punk Wood
Western Red Cedar Driftwood
Western Red Cedar Bark
Quartz

Music: Luca Stricagnoli - Last of the Mohicans
   • Luca Stricagnoli - The Last of the Mo...