13.   Steel and flint. The andiron goes back to a long time, keeping its form unaltered. It was used to support the logs when starting fire, as the example here demonstrates.
The steel was used for making fire, before the invention of matches an essential tool. Its use can be described as follows: the generally drop-shaped steel had an opening big enough for one or two fingers, so it was easy to hold. Then one had to firmly strike the flint – which could be found in larger quantities around Szentgál – resulting in sparkles. Dry tinder fungus and straw was used to catch the sparkles and incite the fire. The method was longest in use among shepherds and woodsmen. Volunteers of Laczkó Dezső Museum often find steels abandoned mainly under old oaks, where these were lost just as lighters are lost in modern times.