Swedish Firesteel - Army Model, Oak Handle

• Durable - Army model lasts 12000 strikes
• Produces a 3000°C (5,500°F) spark
• Works when wet
• Bright spark - can be used as emergency signal
• Available with Black or Oak handles. For backyard use, look for the Barbeque model.

received quickly:
The item shipped quickly. It took a while to get the hang of it but it works great.

The Good and the Bad:
The first time I used this product it worked as advertised. The second time, while sparking, the item came apart. It sliped out of the tan handle(knob remained in my hand) I searched in the dark umg. Found it and started my fire. Could have been ugly. Will try to glue back into handle because its hard to hold onto without it.

Ignites any type of tinder wet or dry! :):
If your plane goes down in the middle of a forest or a desert island, you'll be glad you have one of these babies :) I tried it on dry leaves, wet leaves, fatwood, it lit everything. Way to go, Light My Fire!

For Fire on Demand Nothing Beats A Big Firesteel.:
Every outdoorsman loves a fire. But sometimes, outdoorsmen NEED one. That is when you realize there is nothing quite like a big fire-steel to get the job done. Matches are convenient but don't work at all when when wet and most do not work so well in wind, either. Waterproofing them with wax works fine if you use them within a few months. But I found out the hard way that if you store them away for much longer than that, the match-heads just smear into mush when you try to strike them. Disposable butane lighters are another popular option for fire-starting and work fine in fair weather. But try using them when "freight-train" winds are blowing and you learn how quickly foul weather can snatch away a flame. The same goes for all but the best ("NATO" or "Lifeboat") matches. Fire-steels, on the other hand, will always work. Though the term "flint" is often heard in describing them they are actually made of a metal alloy similar to that used in traditional cigarette lighters. And what a lot of people don't realize is that their sparks are much hotter than the open flame of traditional matches or lighters. Since the chemical structure of this alloy is quite stable, you can store a fire-steel away indefinitely and it will still spark. You can get one sopping wet, and it makes no difference. They always work. And if you have never used one it is a revelation how easily they will ignite good tinder. The Light My Fire Army Model Fire-Steel is a hefty 3/8" in diameter and throws a LOT of sparks. Rain or shine. Recommended.

As good as 1500 matches?:
$15 should buy about 1500 strike-anywhere matches. The Firesteel's 12000 strike lifetime is about equal to that, perhaps a little longer, without the bulk but also without the builtin kindling of the matchstick. It's easy enough to waterproof matchheads in candlewax. With that said, the Firesteel, striker, and a dozen cottonballs soaked in Vaseline fits in an old McCormick spice jar. 6 boxes of 250 matches each is significantly bulkier. The firesteel comes with a protective paint coating on the stick. This needs to be scraped off before use. This is undoubtedly the reason for the complaints of difficulties. It strikes easily and consistently once the paint has been scraped off. There's something primally satisfying about striking a fire without benefit of pre-packaged combustibles, but the Firesteel's magnesium body and chromed steel striker is anything but primitive. Nonetheless, the modernity doesn't dampen my satisfaction the slightest. I'm averaging about 3 to 5 strikes to light well prepared tinder in ideal, still air conditions. The small size and easy packability makes it a winner here.