Hey, thanks for this video- very informative! I was under the impression that you had to find flint. Boy, was I glad to see that other types of rock will work. I'm currently learning fire starting techniques and I'll be out tomorrow morning striking sparks! Thanks again.

The Moh's hardness scale. 1 is talc 2 is selenite, 3 is finger nail or calcite 4 is Fluorite 5-5.5 is steel 6 is jade 7 is chert, quartz, tiger eye, jasper. All silicon dioxide stoves even petrified wood. 8 is aquamarine, emerald, and other beryls 9 corundum like rubies and sapphire 10 diamond.

Railway lines use a lot of crushed rock as a bed for their tracks most of the time the rock is limestone because it readily available in bulk for cheap and where you have limestone you will always find flint/chert. So walk along a rail track and check out the rocks you will fine stones with flint in them.

Mr Roberts, almost 5 years have passed since you made this video, and guess what? Its just as informative today as it was 5 years ago. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction for finding the correct rocks. Knowledge is the key! I learned alot from your video-Thank You for sharing!

Thanks for showing that you can study the properties of the rocks you find to see if they might work with your steel. Brilliant! Good stuff for this rookie.

Hey Larry! When it comes down to metals there are two particularly important qualities to take into account for bushcraft; Hardness. And toughness. Hardness is a measure of how brittle the metal is - literally. That's all it tells you. It tells you that a metal will chip or snap rather than bend. This is important, because if a metal is not hard, it is soft. And that means when you strike it with flint it will peel, easily, and not use any of the kinetic energy you have provided to get very hot. When a metal is hard, you will 'chip' tiny pieces off of the steel with pressure and friction, which will make the metal very hot in the process. Toughness relates to something entirely different. Two metals might have a hardness of 30 - but one can hold a tonne of weight, and the other will break if you put five pounds on it. Just as an extreme example. The one that holds the greater weight is more 'tough' because it has more strength. There are various measures of strength for metals however, because some perform better than others in different ways. There is tensile strength, compressional strength, and I think lateral strength, but don't quote me on that last one. These relate to the three ways you apply strain to an object - squashing it very hard with something heavy... Pulling on it very hard with something strong.... Or applying force across the mineral structures. It's important to understand that any *metal* is nothing more than a structure of billions of tiny crystalline / mineral structures. Any metal can only be as strong as these structures allow - and applying force or damaging the metal can be accumulative. You might batton your knife on monday, and all will seem fine... But under a microscope, you'd see that you have damaged the mineral structures. On friday you might baton in the same way, with the same woods... And the knife snaps. This is simply because the damage built up, and caused the blade to fail. I hope you find this useful!

I like how this guy talks plainly and shows that you don't need a bunch of knowledge to able to accomplish what matters..... Plus... I recognized this dude as the angry guy from the TV show called Alone! I was rootin for ya

Trial & error seems to work very well at fixing things in the memory. Good job.

Preach it Brother! Knowledge is power. Nothing is ever perfect, so we make do with what we got.

Just a couple picky things: generally speaking, rocks don't spark of course, except possibly for pyrite. And the best pieces of rock will basically be chips that have an extremely sharp edge. The sharp edge is key to shaving flakes off the steel that will ignite into sparks. The fracture pattern you're referring to is called conchoidal. It is the classic fracture pattern of flint/chert. Once you see the shiny surface on the chip, you never forget how it looks.

Hi Larry, Skeeter here, I realize that I came on this video a little late (couple of years) by it’s a really good video. Thanks for putting it together.

I remember when I was 11 yrs old and was sledding down a hill... sled had metal rails... and the snow was barely covering the ground... and not sure what kind of small rocks I skimmed over while going down the hill... but it sure sent up some sparks ! I've never had an actual fire steel... wondering if I can get a railroad spike to do the same... I heard that either the old spikes or the new spikes are of high carbon steel... not sure. I have some experimenting to do !

Great video Mr R! This Easter break I found myself on a stoney beach on the North East coast of England. Whilst my girlfriend was distracted by her dogs and the rock pools, I adopted this same approach and came away with a small fist sized piece of flint I cracked in two halves with nice crisp, sparking edges. Do like Larry says folks, get out there and try stuff out. Thanks amigo. Stay safe and well.

It's really refreshing to hear someone on KZfaq admit that they don't know something! Great video and very informative.

Rivers; creeks, streams... and then... railroad tracks! In America we are never too far from one or the other. Couple of weeks ago I found lots of quartz and even Iron pyrite walking the tracks a very short distance.

The hands tell a story... Great video Larry

Hey Larry Merry Christmas! I eventually bought 2 pieces of Flint from a dealer overseas and got some nice chunks for a fare price, and how I still love going to the river or on the railroad tracks near me and hunt for rocks I find it very satisfying to find some, thanks for sharing this.

7 means that you can scratch glass with it, easy to verify. Anythig that can scratch glass is higher than 7.

Good one Larry, Enjoyed it. I never grew up and still enjoy time at the creek looking at rocks. Just wish I new what they were ? from 4 to 74 and still like playing in the creek :-)

Larry - I started learning survival skills in 1950 as a boy, learning from my Grandad thar was in WW-1 . I joined the Navy in 1959 . I was with UDT -11 as a Para Rigger 1965. I ended up as a SERE - POW Inst ( 15 yrs ) retiring in 1982, NOTE - first saw a Negrito fire piston while attending the Navy Jungle school in P.I. .Later 75- 78 I brought several to USA. NOW I continue to learn and teach, now 2021 in Colorado at my tipi camp since 1988. SO ------ Great job on your info / demo video ! But I believe you must have been testing all the rocks with a piece of carbon metal, RIGHT ? I could not tell but I have never found" 2 rocks that make a spark ". ( I would buy a bucket full, ha ) The spark in " flint & steel " comes off the carbon steel . I have seen NO rocks that " throws a spark. " I will be age 80 soon . I have known many World experts. I will pay for 2 rocks that spark and make fire with natural material. I doubt if my contacts, Cody L, Larry O., Richard Jamison, Jim Riggs , Mors K. ( 4 dead now ) ever made fire with 2 stones. WELL keep up the good info. Stop by W. Colo and visit. Mtn Mel - Deweese

Great video Larry, I remember when we were kids we were hitting on every rock we could get a hand on to throw some sparks and many do! Cheers, Marc

Good info Larry! That first rock that fell apart is what we call in archaology "fire cracked rock". Hairline fractures happen when rock is heated and cooled. It can happen from camp fires, forest fires, and is often a first clue that there might be something historic or prehistoric there also, a settlers camp or native camp. And also sometimes those rocks that are nice, smooth and shiny on the outside often have what we call a cortex on them, which is basically an oxidized outer covering that develops over time. Those have to be broken open to find the good stuff inside. Roadbeds are often a good place to look since vehicle traffic can pre break open the rocks for your hunting pleasure.

Great Video! I was reviewing some videos and they would say just what you mentioned, find a 7, that means nothing to me. But your video was wonderful and now I feel I could find a rock that would work if I can't find flint.

Larry...my son is a directional driller for a company here down east and has spent months around the Nasheville area. He says the granite is so hard that it REGULARLY eats up those big drill heads that are $$$$ and that you can't bust "that damn stuff" with a 10 pound sledge..I'm pretty sure good solid granite would work if its got a half decent edge...but I'm no expert. Quartz of course. A cordless battery powered Dremel with a coarse sanding or grinding wheel works!! LOL! if you got one in your truck tool box!

Great video Larry. Enjoyed the trial and error method of finding the right rock. Persistence is the key.

Nothing works better than experimenting .... thanks.

As a flint knapper, that rock at about 9:00 is a fine grained quartzite...maybe a chert. Tools or sparks for sure!

Thank you Larry . This is something I can teach my family . Take care . 👍🏼👍🏼

Just came from Survival in purpose channel, he recommended your channel. Really well presented, thanks for sharing your findings.

No rocks in my area naturally. I have to go to a gravel road or driveway and get from there. Nice video Larry! can't wait for the Alone finale!

I have a video of a lot of chert by the creek. I found it pretty hard to tell at first, but helped a lot once I got the hang of what to look for. Thanks for the info! ;)

North Georgia = no chert north Georgia = orange to pink color quartz. Most likely found in creeks. very good sparkers not good arrowheads. That is my experience. Hopefully this useful to someone.... Nice vid. and the more u try to strike the better the sparks should get because of better technique. I found this vid to be much more thorough and easier to understand better for people learning about it! Thank you for spending your time to produce nice helpful videos!

Larry I love your honesty

Awesome video! Thanks for breaking it down so that it makes sense. Just subscribed.

Excellent video Larry we don't have flint up here either so its a challenge to find ones that do but sum great info here and thank you

That was great. Really appreciate the video, it was a big help

I really enjoyed this video. I may be a little biased though - I studied lithics in college. I think the characteristic you were talking about is a conchoidal fracture pattern. And there's such a quality scale of different lithic materials natives used. If they didn't have quality materials in their area or have any through trade - they used what they had. There's a lesson in there somewhere. Take care buddy. -Krik

Thank you didn’t ask you but you answered my question on another program and he never got back to Colorado thank U again this year for that I’m going to subscribe

Thanks for this beautiful presentation

Thanks for sharing man! Very educational.

Great video Larry! Thanks for sharing my friend!

Good info Larry! Thanks again for your work.

When I need more rocks for hitting against steal, I actually do just this. Sit in a rock pile and see what works

Good film. I made a similar one yesterday and stumbled on yours today. Good stuff 👍

Nice video. Thanks for the explanation. You really educated me. I had nooo idea about best sparking rocks. BTW I’m a subscriber and enjoy your simple realistic approach. 😁👍👍

The red rock with an edge looks like it might be jasper, which can be a good back up sparker

A good and honest video . Many folks have told me they have no flint - chert - quartz - chalcedony or other sparking stones in their vicinity . They are surprised when they actually get out there and start breaking rocks with a hammer stone or rock hammer - I recommend an Estwing for a rock hammer & one of the best strikers an individual can have is made from a file -> .187 thick or greater - Nicholson files are the best and old ones can be found at garage sales and flea markets for 50 cents . Thanks for your videos Mr. Roberts and best wishes .

thanks for the help. I want to try a flint and steel. now I know what rocks to look for

Hey Larry, I finally got my fire steel in the mail today. It came with a piece of flint but I went right to my rock driveway and tried a handful of them. Almost all of them that had a sharp edge threw a spark. Most I think are granite mixed with white rock. I even tried hardness # 7 porcelain 2"x2" tile. It sparked but chipped easily...thanks again for inspiring me to keep going. A lot less labor and more dependable than the bow drill. Finding the right wood is tough. Everything is rotted or wet.

Larry - this was the best demo I've ever seen on this subject - thank you!!! I know there are rocks you can strike against one another & get sparks - I just don't know or remember what kind. I was a little girl when my dad showed me how to do it. This is how I came across your video...I was trying to look it up. No one else has come close, as far as explaining how to find, break it up (caveman style lol), & use it. Of course - I'm a new sub now...lol!!! Hope you have a GREAT NITE!!! :-)

How awesome is this video. I just got my first steel striker and my first question was, "Would I really be able to manage finding flint or chert?". Very cool to know what sort of rocks to look for, looks entertaining actually can't wait to get out in the forest. I live in Central NY, not much flint here. But I guess in Coxsackie (near Albany, NY) there is an ancient Indian flint mine , evidence of knapping just about everywhere you go near it. Wicked cool. Thanks for the video!

Great job! This was very helpful. I'll look in my area.

Awesome vid. Thanks for sharing your experience.

very good video.....thank you...I appreciate your hard work to bring us all knowledge...☕🌎⚓🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Larry, Great info, Great Video, Ty for sharing

Thanks for sharing, I'm not a rockhound either so I dont know specific names. We found rocks in the Boundary Water area that is hard as steel, if you could break them, they work great, but they dont have the normal characteristics, they are mostly flat and rough on the outside. Just have to do what you showed, find, break, and experiment.

Great video! Thankyou for posting. I think I saw you on Alone. Big fan. 🙏👍

Nice lesson! Thanks Chief!!

solid tips and a good demonstration Larry...woods

Hi Larry, I just put together a video for my channel very similar in content to yours. Good to know I was on a similar track. Thanks for sharing

It's more a gut feeling and the sound of the rock....higher pitch and sharper. We've seriously hard volcanic rock around us. So stupidly hard that I had a breaker on one small boulder for 15mins, and still couldn't split it! Yet a shard of it still will lose it's edge rapidly on a true firesteel. Flint is worth a king's ransom!

Nice one, thanks!

Up here in northern Minnesota we have no flint but a lot of quartz, thanks

Right on. Makes me want to go down to the river now. Thanks for the video

Those fractures you mentioned are "conchoidal fractures". Like the results of a tiny stone hitting glass and leaving the round 'chip' on the other side.

great video larry , i live in southeast kansas i get the fun of searching through piles of limestone to find one decent rock. but hey you work with what you got

Great informative video. Thanks much!

Awsome! I learned exactly what I needed! God bless

Excellent info. Thanks!😊🗯🗯🗯

I live in southern MN too, thanks for this

I saw a video where a guy told he went out to railroad tracks and looked for flint (or suitable stones at least) among the ballast to use with a steel...

A little late to watching this video but thanks for the upload! I learned a few things to look for. Great knowledge!

Solid advice. Thanks!

really good informative video....thank you

very helpful and interesting ,thanks

Great video!

Hey Larry. I found lots of rocks that produce sparks in my area (Georgia). Searching for chaga now. Thanks for your inspiration and advice.

smash it....find the opaque or glassy bits if they wont smash....chances are. also porus rocks have moisture in them and can explode in a fire.....pebles near a stream are best ....erosion has left the tough stuff.

This answers a question that has bugged me for a while. Where I live there is a lot of sandstone. I now know what to look for.

Man. look at that log. that is a nice log

Thanks for showing man

Great demonstration!.

the steel is what sparks, so all you really need is a rock with an edge that is hard enough to peel and spark the steel

Great stuff man!

Concohoidal fracturing is the term for the way flint, chert and obsidian breaks.

Thank you Larry. 👍

Was about to throw in the towel on fire and steel and going to a bow drill, ( had some good results with it ) but thanks to your video I'm back in the game. Live in Georgia near the Flint River...but I don't think it has flint. Thanks for your efforts.

Thank you Larry, that helped me out alot :)

thanks help me a lot am new to flint and steel

super awesome video stuff I've never really thought about. Ok gotta go, I'm going looking for rocks!

Muy buen vídeo muy ilustrativo, felicidades.

Great video now I know what to look for thanks

Very good. Thank you very much

all experience this guy.while i bring pictures of rocks and view tutorials on my phone while

In Denmark, where I live, Flint is abundant! It's everywhere, on the side of the road, in the forests and the beaches.. If I put a shovel in the ground I would most likely dig up a few pieces of Flint. ;)

When i was a kid we used to use rocks off the railroad tracks to throw sparks, of course we didnt know how to make a fire with them but banginging to together sure did get sparks

Good to know, thank you.

I carry and use a piece of hss metal hack saw as striker and i test rocks with it to see If it gives sparks. If you live in an área were naturally there aren’t rocks that give steel sparks, look out for foreigner rocks brought from distant places to build roads or railroads

i was taught if you can knap the stone,then its good to spark steel.im still trying to get into this meathod of fire craft so i cant validate anything yet.learning all i can.ill use these tips when i finaly get my steel.

really interesting and helpful vid thank u