Quality of ferro rods

Here's something new for me.

Couple years ago bought a bulk - I think 4 or 5 blanks(bushcraft store here in UK - it's all made in China I know...) and I left them in somewhere in their original packaging with the intent of making my own handles. 6 months later opened the ziploc bag and I've found them all oxidized really badly.

I've been told that you can't keep them in the same place as your matches( sulfur) and I though that was it.
Just greased them and put them back into cupboard, few months later still the same, this thing just changes into dust and the pictured one is the last one remaining, nothing helped really even submerging it in WD40, still the same..

Got few LMFs, ESEE and nothing like this is happening to those, wth?

Never really seen anything like this to be honest.

So yesterday I just used the torch and burned/melted it in my garden for fun...

 

This has happened to me on a few firesteels I own. It's oxidation from the oxygen in the air. If you'll take black or clear spray paint and coat it real good, it will prevent this kind of thing from happening. Any color spray paint will do actually. You just need to put a barrier between the rod itself and the surrounding air.

 

I've seen it as well on one of my oldest firesteels. I can carbon date it to when my son was 10 years old because we were on vacation in Utah when I bought it at the outdoor shop there. So the oxidation has developed over the course of the last 19 years. But on the other hand it is still quite usable and not turning to dust!

 

Nail polish will preserve them as well.

 

It's gone anyway and the other ones I use are absolutely fine.
Just curious what's the casue of it, like impurities or different ratio of rare metals used.

Any particular brand or colour?
My fav is magenta, but that's not very tactical

 

Pink for breast cancer awareness!

 

I always put clear nailpolish on mine cause it s fairly easy to remove and does the job.although the ferros i have were made by charles and are 'MERIKA MADE so you know it s good **** right there.

 

Had the same thing happen, bought something like 12 firesteels. Forgot about them in a box, just checked last week and they are all messed up. lol

 

Heated it up until it was red/white and started melting...nothing happened..left it on the ground in my garden and went to grab some tea, returned 20minutes later and it turned into some sponge like rusty thing, pretty cool but it wasn't a violent reaction. As far as I'm concerned it needs some sort of shock as in being bashed with a hammer or being dropped on the concrete floor to produce explosion.

 

Forgot to add.

I got you guys when you're saying it should be covered to protect it from air, but here's the deal, I've got plenty of fire rods that are used(from slightly scratched to 50℅ being gone) and none of them oxidise, yes there is a small amount of discoloration on the exposed areas but nothing turns to dust.

Good example is the first light my fire/scout model that I bought like 6 months before those ferro rods that are gone now and even tho it's the one I abuse the most and it still looks OK.

 

I noticed this only occurs (for me) when bundled up next to other ferro rods. Haven't had it happen when they were isolated individually. For example, the ones in my bob, mini kit, and several backpacks have never show any signs of self deterioration.

 

It's Hillary's fault.

I've had one that turned to powder quite quickly, an ek cheapo one. All my ESEE and LMF ones have never oxidized