Casström Knives Sweden – Curly Birch Firesteel Review

Last Update 19-11-2024

This review is about the Casström Knives Sweden curly birch Firesteel or Fire Steel/Striker

This Firesteel has a 9.5mm thick and 10cm/3″ long rod made of Austrian Treibacher Auermetall® (most likely, according to my research).

The material of firesteels is often referred to as Ferrocerium (also known in Europe as Auermetall) which 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 struck with a harder material, friction produces hot fragments that oxidize rapidly when exposed to the oxygen in the air, producing sparks that can reach temperatures of 3,315 °C (6,000 °F). The effect is due to the low ignition temperature of cerium, between 150 and 180 °C (302 and 356 °F).

The rod is Covered in lacquer, not paint like the Chinese ones to protect it, by striking the rod, the metal shows itself.

The firesteel is declared to be good for 12.000 strikes, about 3x more than my old Light My Fire Scout firesteel, which was much smaller and thinner, this one is a nice chunk!

The sparks come down like a shower and light paper,  feathersticks, oily cotton and many other tinder kinds with 1/3 strikes with ease.

The handle is made of a beautiful Swedish Curly Birch with a square design, making easy to hold and to rotate, the best is to use it turning the rod, not to use the same “side” every time to ensure it doesn’t brake at some point, it should get thinner with use.

The rod can be striked with the included steel striker, the wood saw’s back of a victorinox, the back of the opinel 12 saw (my case), a Knife’s square spine or anything with a sharp-ish square back.

Carbon steel Knife spines are better than stainless strikers because of the high carbon content of the steel reacts with the auermetall giving even more sparks.

I bought it to attach to my TRC Urban Tactical, I will update the review with more pictures of the simple loop I want to attach to the kydex sheath.

Casström Lars Fält knife Specs:

• Austrian Auermetall and Curly Birch
• Included striker when bought alone
• Shock cord is about 20cm
• Weight is 49gr with cord and striker, 42gr firesteel alone
• lengh is 95mm, rod is 60mm by 9,1mm diameter
• good for 12.000 strikes