Aurora Fire Starter?

I came across this the other day. Does anyone have any experience with these? It looks like one of those things that could be a huge hit or a huge miss.

http://www.campingsurvival.com/aufistflstan.html
(There is a video with this one)

http://www.bepreparedtosurvive.com/FirestarterProducts.htm

Looks like a standard firesteel to me.

Hmm, very interesting! And the housing looks very professionally made. Just bought one of eBay here. Will report the results soon.

HackSaw. The secret is in the composite material - magnesium "impregnated" firesteel. So, after you strike the rod you have magnesium chunks burning at 5000C on your tinder (for a couple of seconds).

Wow Alex, you don't mess around. I'm anxiously awaiting your report.

I'm just clearly see the potential. If the rod is no good, I'll replace it with a regular firesteel By the way the larger composite rods are coming. It seems to me this composite should wear much quicker than firesteel one.

And thank you for the info!

I thought that's what a fire steel did in the first place. A ferrocium alloy rod burns at 3000 degrees C and magnesium burns at 2200 C...Either way hot enough to ignite something flammable. The real key will be to know how long the magnesium part burns for...I'll be curious to find out!

Wikipedia has it again...surprise surprise

The alloy used in a modern fire steel already contains Magnesium.

Funny this got posted!

I ordered one yesterday and did not even see this post.
I`ll report back too.

-Todd

If nothing else, the rod is well protected, and the striker is always handy...

Hmmm, make it a bit longer and you have a combination fire starter and kubaton. I like it.

-Blast

Agreed. The casing is slick.

Thank you for the correction. Confused between C an F on their site. Most likely the temperature is the same By the way, according to Wiki, there is only 4% of magnesium in modern firesteel. Hopefuly in this one they have significantly more.

Any ideas what tests should I (and ToddW) perform to compare its firemaking performance to the regular ferrocerium one?

Get both, get tinder of different kinds and in different states, use each one to see if you can ignite the tinder, make sure each one gets a chance at each type of tinder under the same conditions, reports your results.

For examples: use wood shavings or saw dust made weeks ago and made an hour ago; use some dead grass and straw; use drier lint; use cotton balls with and without petroleum jelly. Tell us how each does with each type of tinder.

Also, I think to do it fairly you need someplace where it will not be windy at all. The wind changes from moment to moment, so wind will make it difficult to keep conditions the same. But in the end, try it in windy conditions too, and let us know of any changes.

A controlled area with a fan may help normalize the wind results.

The reports I’ve read on other forums is that it works pretty well. It will ignite tinder that a regular fire steel won’t, since the magnesium keeps burning (unlike a firesteel that just makes sparks) it will light paper. Seems like the downsides are the striker is a bit awkward to use and the case is not to everyone’s liking.

I read that they plan on selling the rods only.

But it would be nice to get some other opinions.

Adam

All types of tinder, controlled wind conditions... Sounds like too much fun for me I'm sure it will work on usual tinder with no problems. My idea was to prove the concept. Like try to ignite a sheet of plain paper. I know for sure a regular firesteel can't do that. But I'll try some damp natural tinder also. And maybe will check how it behaves in windy conditions compared to regular one.

adam. Could you provide some links to the abovementioned forums?

I have a bunch of tender I`ll try it out on and get video so all can see.

I have my tender tests from 3 years ago I still need to write online and publish.

-Todd

I like the case.

My EDC Firesteel has a layer of corrosion on it. I just tested it, and it took a couple of swipes before it would spark.

ive lit paper with a firesteal, I jsut wrap the paper around the striker...

nicodemus
Coat the firesteel with some nail polist to stop the corrosion.

Lee

Ah... Good thinking!

Duh, one strike and it's exposed to the elements again

Or put heat shrink tubing on it...

I wonder if you can fit items in the casing with the firesteel? Maybe a needle and some thread or a safety pin. It would be really awesome if you can fit tinder in there.

Looks like it shouldn't be a problem for a drill press. Hope to find a way to EDC my spool of Kevlar thread

By the way, the o-ring for a similar airtight setup could be improvised with chewing-gum. I'm EDC'ing a pack of Nicorette Gum just by accident.

Review on other forum no pics though

Adam

It def lights paper with one or two strikes.
I did some quick playing today and will get video soon.

Way better than ANY other firesteel I have, and I have a handful.

videos and pictures soon.

Finally, got mine. The eBay seller disappeared from eBay, so I thought I'll never receive it.

More specs:
- case is 92 mm long, 16.5 mm in diameter, weights 50 grams.
(3.6" x 0.65" x 1.7oz)
- cap is 61mm deep, 9.5mm inner diameter.
(2.4" x 0.37")
- magnesium alloy rod is 44mm long, 6.3mm in diameter.
(1.7" x 0.25")

Pros:
- The fire starting properties are amazing! In fact it's producing hot burning magnesium chunks not just sparks. So all of the properties of burning magnesium (wind/rain resistance).
- The cap thread step is large, untwisting the cap in 4 - 5 moves.
- The case is watertight and have some spare space at the bottom (~5mm), and around the rod (~1.5mm).

Cons:
- The case have very abrasive finish (and actually made quite rough, or inaccurate in other words). However, aluminum is easy to work with, so I plan to smooth its exterior a little with sand paper/files, otherwise it might damage pockets/bags with time (quite uncomfortable on my palms too).
- The case sealing o-ring is not fixed, it's easy to lose it (I'll try to glue it).
- The lanyard hole is small (3.7mm).

I know the gist of this post is a little off-topic, but.....

I like the aurora. This is the first I've heard of it, thanks!

I went to the website and see this warning/disclaimer:

WARNING: Use extreme caution when using the Aurora Fire Starter! The ignited magnesium that results in striking this fire starter burns at 5400º and will ignite most anything combustible that it lands on. DO NOT use or demonstrate inside a house or structure or near anything that you do not want to ignite. Doing so could result in injury, structural damage, or death. Use extreme caution in any wooded areas. This is not a toy and it should be kept out of reach of children. Survival Resources is not responsible for any damages or injuries caused by the use of Aurora Fire Starter. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

It seems such a shame that these type of disclaimer warnings have to accompany nearly everything we buy. I understand the logic behind it, I'm just commenting on the ridiculous necessity of it all.

Question for those of you who've picked one up.

How long to does the magnesium burn after you strike it?

I wonder, does striking it make it wear faster than ferro?

"... plan to smooth its exterior a little with sand paper/files..."

If the case has been anodized and you work it over with sandpaper or whatever, be prepared for it to turn everything it touches black (or dark gray)...

I’ve had it with you guys posting all this stuff

I only have so much money and I keep seeing new toys like this that I want…

While on the topic of firesteels, here is an article on their use worth reading.