Hand-forged fire steel replica after an original find.
A typical Roman fire steel replica that was crfated by hand after an original find from the Roman period.

The curved shape of the Roman fire steel is very typical for the Roman period, but interestingly, fire steels in this shape were also used almost identically in the late Middle Ages.

The Roman fire steel is forged by hand from particularly carbonaceous iron. For the Romans, the fire steel was a daily utensil, and so it was simply impossible to imagine the Roman household without the fire steel.

The Roman fire steel is of very good quality and produces sparks particularly easily, which, with suitable tinder, make it possible to start a fire in a short time.

Dimensions of the Roman fire steel: 8 x 3 cm.


With fire steel, tinder, flint and a little practice, you can create a spark by striking the spark beater evenly. With a little luck, the spark will light up the dry tinder.
With steady, careful blowing, the first, delicate glow soon turns into a small flame that can light the kitchen fire. The tinder is dried birch sponge fungus, which is also fanned a little, as well as bulrush and fine birch paper. Flint, which can be found on the German Baltic coast, is used as flint.