Customer Reviews

SE 2" X 3/16" Flint/Fire Starter w/ Lanyard

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

When I received my fire starter, I noticed the INCORRECT instructions on the package call this a "magnesium rod" and tell you to:
1)Gently shave a small quantity of magnesium with metal striker into a small pile of leaves or grass, paper, or leaves to start a campfire.
2) Strike the magnesium rod with striker.
3) The sparks will start the fire with shaved magnesium.

THIS IS NOT A MAGNESIUM ROD. It is a ferrocerium rod. This rod(#FS373) is only designed to make sparks. Do not shave off pieces of this rod into a pile of leaves. You will waste it and it will not work as it should.

That being said, this rod (actual rod length is only 1-5/8 inches, NOT 2" as stated in ad) works exactly as it should. I would not buy this for every day use, but I have tried it, trust it, and will keep it with me for emergencies.

Not a premium firesteel, but for the price it works well. The included striker is a bonus: You don't have to mess up a good knife blade. I haven't used it much, but it makes adequate sparks with sufficient pressure. Durability is unknown, but I'll carry this as a backup firestarter.

At first use, it will take some scraping to clear the black oxidation. Once you're through the oxide layer, firm pressure and a quick wrist will generate lots of very bright sparks.

Dryer lint is an excellent firestarter, and takes a spark well. For emergency fire kit, knead some vaseline (petroleum jelly) into some cotton balls. Penny sized pieces of this gooey mess burns quite well and for a while. lay a piece of dryer lint along side, and stuck to the cotton/vaseline and hit it with a spark!

The instructions say to scrape a pile of metal off the firesteel. With dryer lint or other good tinder, this is a waste of time....

I have used this product and I was dissapointed in the spark that it produced. I have seen other products like this one and the spark output was much greater.

It is very cheap. It broke the first time I tried it out. Snapped at the base where it connects to the grip.

The first time we used this the rod broke off. It's not even worth the $3 we paid for it.

This is a great deal. I use the Swedish Firesteel Army model regularly. Not only while camping, but also to light my propane and charcoal grills. I feel they are actually easier and more reliable than a lighter for lighting the grills.

While this is a small generic version of a normal firesteel, it works in the same way. The diameter is slightly smaller than the `scout' versions of the various ferro rod firesteels, but they are very close in appearance and quality. While it is not as simple to use as the larger models, it is just as good as the smaller ones on the market and costs 1/3 the price of many of them.

My intent for this was to have one I could keep comfortably on my keychain. This works perfect for that. The knob handle is a bit large, but I trimmed it down so it's now the size of a key and does not feel obtrusive on my keys in my pocket.

Yes, the instructions are incorrect as other reviewers have stated. You do NOT shave material off of this and then spark it, which is how the magnesium firestarters work, not these. It took 5-6 scrapes before this unit started making good sparks, once the finish was worn away it worked great. Since it is smaller than many other models (which is why I bought it), it is a bit harder to use, but with a bit of practice it is just as functional.

The included scraper functioned acceptably, but I found I got significantly better sparks by using the squared back of my knife. Maybe if the thick paint wore off the scaper it would work better though.

The rod on this firesteel is not real thick, but if you don't strike the whole rod length you can make this last a long time. Striking the whole rod length will cause extra material removal near the middle of the rod, and it might break there. Start at the very tip and as it wears out work your way up the rod.

Creates really bright sparks that will catch dryer lint on fire no problem. Nice in a survival situation and/or Search and Rescue.

works great in the garage. haven't needed to use it yet for real and i hope i don't have to. buy one, toss it in your backpack and forget about it. if you need it, it's there. it will never expire and works when it's wet. cheap insurance.

I thought this was a great deal for what you get. It works fine and it is a nice small size.

It took a little getting used to for starting fires, but goes with me every time i am in the woods in case of an emergency.