I love using ferro rods for making fire. Typically, I’ll use one of them instead of a butane lighter or just about any other method. Honestly, I just think it looks cool when you send a shower of sparks down on your tinder. My kids dig it, too.

The thing is, though, some people have a difficult time holding the ferro rod properly and still leaving enough of the rod exposed for decent scraping. Those with small hands in particular, such as children, sometimes struggle a bit. I mean, sure, you can get the job done with as little as an inch or less of ferro rod but when you’re just starting out learning firecraft, this can be a frustrating endeavor.

Living Large in the Wilds has starting making and selling ferro rods with attached handles made from wood or other materials, such as exotic nuts from Australia. These are as functional as they are beautiful to gaze upon.

The one shown above has a hand-turned wood handle with a four inch ferro rod chemically attached. At the butt end of the handle is a built in compass, making this a dual purpose addition to your kit.

There is also a lanyard hole for you to attach paracord, if you wish.

While it doesn’t come with a striker, those are easy enough to procure. I might suggest picking up one of the Ultimate Strikers sold by SurvivalResources.com. What you might want to do is thread a keyring through the lanyard hole on the ferro rod handle and attach the striker of your choice to the ring with a snap swivel. This way, your striker is never far away.

The wood handle makes using the ferro rod a piece of cake. It is a large enough handle that it fills your hand nicely. The rod is firmly attached, too. I’ve tried pretty hard to break it off and had no luck.

While the addition of the handle certainly makes the overall rod larger in size, it isn’t cumbersome and will still easily fit into your pack. Plus, like I said, with the attached compass, it is a dual purpose item, something we often strive for in our kits.

Scroll back up to the picture and you’ll notice a camo print tin next to the ferro rod. That’s the fire kit they also sell. It is the size of an Altoids tin and has been hand painted. Inside the tin, you’ll find char cloth, a small bag of magnesium shavings, and some birch bark. All of these are handy to have if you’re unable to find dry natural material. There is even a mini ferro rod included in the kit.

The price on the ferro rods depends upon the material used for the handle. The basic wood model shown above goes for $35.00. The fire kits are also $20.00, with shipping included.

Contact Scott Larkin via email (livinglargeforge@gmail.com) to inquire about obtaining your own ferro rod and fire kit.