Sparks when grinding hard carbon steel

[Bud]

VERY interesting Mr. Grepper. Thanks for the explanation. Someone gave me a fire starter years ago. It was a piece of deer antler with a magnesium rod embedded in it, a small piece of steel file sticking out the end and a piece of hacksaw blade. With the hacksaw blade you scraped some shavings of magnesium onto your tinder and then drug the saw blade against the file creating a shower of sparks. The magnesium acted like a match set to gasoline.