Among the many useful skills you can hone with your favorite Benchmade pocket knife is the invaluable skill of learning how to create a fire with nothing but a knife, a ferrocerium rod, and nothing but the materials you gather in the outdoors.

There are many skills you can learn with a knife, but learning how to create a fire is one of the most important if not the most important. It can save your life, and while others are leaning on matches, lighters, and prepared tinder, with a little practice you can carry nothing more than a knife and a ferro rod in the field, with the full confidence that you could keep yourself warm, should the need arise.

For this, you will need a Benchmade pocket knife and a ferrocerium rod. We recommend either the Benchmade Griptilian or the Benchmade Saibu, simply because the sharp angle of the spine will make it easier for you to throw sparks from the ferro rod.

Get your Benchmade and your ferro rod and head out to the fire pit. You’ll gather the rest of your materials out there - but well throw in some hints if you need help.

1.Prepare your tinder

First, you will need to prepare your tinder. This is the most critical part of the process because your tinder needs to be very fine and allow for a good flow of air throughout. It also needs to be completely dry. Even the most meager amount of humidity will render tinder useless and the sparks will not catch.

Before we suggest some good sources of natural tinder, know that you can use separated dryer lint, char cloth or jute twine as tinder. Separate the fibers of jute and it will catch readily if it is dry. Additionally, you can strop your clothing to pick up some extra lint; just make sure you only do this with natural fibers as they will catch sparks and burn. Synthetics will just melt.

Good natural sources of tinder including dry grasses and seed pods and down. These materials, if they are perfectly dry, can be worked between the hands until they are light and airy, like a bundle of fluff. A spark directed into them will catch readily. You can also work dry juniper or cedar bark between your hands to get the same effect.

Stay away from hair and animal fibers as these will not burn. Leaves and pine needles, which some people use as low-grade kindling, should be avoided. They will not catch.

2.Prepare your kindling and fuel

Once you have your - very dry - tinder prepared, get to collecting kindling and fuel. Remember, you cannot have too much of this. Look for standing dead wood and snap off a bunch of pencil sized twigs. Gather several handfuls of these at minimum and progress onto 1 inch and 2 inch width sticks and logs. Baton through thicker ones if you need to get crafty with making kindling or fuel. Set your fuel up to prepare it for the fire. You can create either a teepee or a log-cabin structure, whatever works best for you.

3.Direct the sparks into the tinder

Now it’s time for the moment of truth. Set your bundle of tinder within the structure you have made for it, or, if it’s easier, set it aside on a flat stone, but make sure that you will be able to move it as soon as it catches.

There’s more than one want to drive the sparks. Open the blade and ensure that it is locked. Turn the blade over and press one of the corners of the spine into the ferrocerium so that you can feel it bite (ferrocerium is a soft compound).

There are two good ways to do this. One is for you to press the point of the ferro rod into the bundle of tinder and sharply draw the edge of the spine down into the bundle, directing sparks into it.

The other way is very similar; press the point of the ferro rod into the tinder as before, but instead of driving the spine of your Benchmade pocket knife along it, draw the ferro rod sharply back toward yourself. This will drop sparks off of the spine of the knife into the tinder bundle, and it should help prevent you from disturbing the tinder with your hands.

4.Build the fire up!

Once the tinder catches, ensure you trap as much of the rising heat as possible with your kindling. You can now proceed to build the fire up, feeding it as it grows.

Check Back for More Tips!

If you liked this indispensable tip, check out our blog and make sure you stop back periodically to learn more about new skills you can practice with your everyday carry knives. Otherwise, enjoy our collection of fixed and folding knives, and if you need assistance, send us a message at whitemountainknives@gmail.com.