A firesteel is one of the most tried and true tools of human civilization. Flint or flintstone is a naturally occurring type of sedimentary quartz that when struck with a sharp edge (especially steel) will produce a burning ember.
As with most skills, practice improves results.
The hard flint edge shaves off a particle of the steel that, heated by the friction, reacts with with the oxygen in the atmosphere and will ignite your fire.
Striking sparks with flint and steel is not a particularly easy or convenient method to start a fire. But I wear a flint around my neck every day - comforted by its potential. Firesteel is one of the most reliable and trustworthy tools in my survival arsenal. In a long term crisis, fire becomes essential for cooking, sterilization, defense, and communication. A flint will start hundreds of fires, long after the supply of butane in your emergency kit is exhausted.As with most skills, practice improves results.
