The ability to start a fire is a primal skill that propelled that ultimately led to the advancement of the human race. Fire gave us the ability to keep warm, light the dark, cook food, and disinfect water. Today fire is still one of the driving forces that keep us safe and comfortable in our daily lives. While the technology has advanced and we have things like lighters, torches, furnaces, and internal combustion engines, these things can all break, run out of fuel, or simply not be available when we need them. For those who love the outdoors or people who are just into being prepared for emergencies, the ability to start a fire in a pinch is a top priority. Today we will discuss two awesome compact tools that you can keep on your person at all times that will make sure you always have the spark you need to get that fire started.
What is Ferrocerium and Where Does it Come From
Before we get into the tools we must first talk a little bit about Ferrocerium. Ferrocerium was first discovered by the Swedish chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach in 1903. Auer von Welsbach was experimenting with rare earth elements and discovered that by mixing iron oxide with cerium oxide, he could create a new material that produced sparks when struck. He named this material ferrocerium, from the Latin words ferrum (iron) and cerium.
Ferrocerium is a synthetic pyrophoric alloy of “mischmetal” (cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, other trace lanthanides, and some iron – about 95% lanthanides and 5% iron) hardened by blending in oxides of iron and/or magnesium. When you use a striker or 90-degree spine of a knife to strike a Ferocium rod, it produces sparks that are upwards of 5400 degrees that can be used to ignite tinder materials and start a fire.
While Ferrocerium may not be the most primitive fire starting tool, it has a long and storied history of being a reliable way to start fires even in wet and cold conditions. Unlike lighters Ferrocerium will still produce sparks in wet, cold, and windy environments. While it will not produce a direct flame it will easily ignite natural materials like fatwood shavings and cattail fluff or man made materials such as fire plugs and chemical fire cubes. Now that we know a little more about Ferrocerium let's talk about two innovative and compact tools that incorporate ferrocerium rods to help you get your fire started.
Wazoo Gear Spark Necklace
The Wazoo Gear Spark Necklace is a wearable tool that looks cool and functions great! The premise is simple, consisting of a leather cord, small ferrocerium rod, zirconia ceramic striker, and an easy to use clasp. While the premise is simple the execution is what makes the Spark Necklace Shine. Wazoo does an excellent job blending form and function, ensuring that when it is not in use making fire it is an excellent looking piece of jewelry that is both rugged and refined. The Ferrocerium rod is perfectly shaped and chamfered, the tear shaped striker comes in either black or white, and the clasp is designed to allow the end user to set the length of the necklace to what best fits their needs.
From a performance standpoint, with a little practice the Spark Necklace is easy to use and the high quality Ferrocerium will last a long time. Even if you manage to wear out your rod, for a few bucks you can grab some replacements directly from Wazoo. The Striker is capable of more than just getting your making sparks on your ferro rod, it is so tough that it can break a car window, handle some light prying, and even help hone your knife edge. If you want to take your tool to the next level they also offer a variant called the Viking Spark that comes equipped with a custom cut Arkansas Whetstone that will ensure that you can fully maintain your knife edge anywhere you are! The Spark Necklace is a great standalone fire starting multitool, or you can use it to wear your favorite neck knife!
Outdoor Element Sparky and Scratch Key
Looking for something a little more discreet? Outdoor Element has you covered with the Sparky and Scratch Key! The Sparky is a hardened aluminum carabiner that has a small Ferrocerium Rod mounted to the side. To ensure you always have a striker, Outdoor Element has included the scratch key that can be cut to fit your house or office key that includes a striker plate on the top. It’s hard to argue with the intrinsic value of a carabiner. Many folks use these to keep their keys organized and securely attached to your belt, but the value of having an attachment point for other items should not be understated! Carabiners can easily attach to your bag or be used as an attachment point for ropes and paracord.
The Sparky is small and light, but built tough. The hardened aluminum holds up well to the elements and will not rust or corrode when exposed to water or sweat. The stainless steel gate is reliable and sits perfectly to avoid accidental opening. There are two attachment points on the bottom that you can add a ring to hold keys or any variety of small EDC tools. While this is not rated for climbing, the creative minds of an outdoor or EDC enthusiast can easily come up with dozens of uses for this compact tool, beyond its ability to get your fire started!
Be Prepared
Both of these tools are ideal compact emergency fire starters, and they both have a ton of utility beyond their primary fire starting purpose! The Spark Necklace makes a bold statement while the Sparky is a bit more discreet, but they both will get the job done and allow you to be more prepared in your everyday life or on your outdoor adventures. Check out the one that best fits your personality or be like me and have both on you every day!
