Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparky Review
Well I decided to try out the Sparky to see how it does and managed to break my 1 of 2 bought within the first few minutes. I attribute the failure as my own fault with this one but all in all I think it's a good concept I just think it could be built a little more rugged. The Sparky has a cheap plastic bar that separates the flint from the housing and it you strike the thing more than 3 times in a row it will damage the unit. So I go out and play with the thing to take it for a test run and striked it 3 times lighting off a dead palm tree leaf and it worked like a champ. But I didn't know how long to let it cool down and went to light up some old bark a few seconds latter (thinking it was cool enough for another 3 more times) and the rod got locked up in the handle. I took off the outer jacket to see if there was any user way in the field to unlock it and I could not find a back up release. So that one will be going back. All in all I think it's a good product but needs some design modifications. I would not put my life on the line at this point with this design but I think with some modifications from UST that it has the potential to be a good product. I would not recommend this product at this time until issues are fixed.

Update:I soaked the thing in the sink for a few minutes while running water over it and it freed the jam up, turns out it is very sensitive to debris getting into it. I think some issues still need to be resolved with a bigger rod for the body, unlimited strike capability (metal rod bar vs plastic),and a better non jamming mechanism.

Advantages
1. Small, goes on a keychain
2. Sparks and uses the same great fire steel as the blast match

Disadvantages
1. Can only spark 3 consecutive times (no instructions of a cool down period)
2. Small Rod
3. Jams up real easy



http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/product_category.cfm?category_ID=710




Seen with blastmatch rod in comparison

Thanks for the review and pictures.

Is it better than a rod and a steel? That fits on a keychain, too

Correct, that's why I carry a blast match rod and a small hacksaw blade. I took a blast match to the extreme one day to see where it would fail and after sparking down the rod past where the V blade wouldn't grab much anymore I split the case and I use the rod with a hacksaw blade. I love the materials they use with the rods, I don't care to much for how bulky there items are but i do like the one hand bit. I can see how easy it would be for the sparky to fail for durability but the blast match held up well for a long time before I wore it out. I would trust my life on a blast match but that was after I abused it to a failure point to see the capabilities.

No problem dweste.

TeacherRO, right now I would say no, if they could get the blastmatch rod into a really small housing and completely change the design and make it as small as possible and a back up release in the event of a jam or failure then I would say it could be.

Great review.
It seems like their attempt to downsize the blast match was only a somewhat qualified success.

I have heard a lot of people complain about the size of the blast match, but that was one of the things I liked about them.
It made them much easier to use with cold wet hands.

I would rather carry something a bit bigger that works than something small that does not work.
Thank you for this review.

I don't blame you Izzy, it's really not that big but it's prone to failures (unacceptable). I just like the UST rods they use over the Swedish rods, I have both but I don't know if it's a higher magnesium count in the steel or what, but I can really catch a lot of stuff on fire with a blast match than I could with my light my fire steel. I just gutted a blastmatch for the rod and use a hacksaw blade and it's rock solid and 2X the diameter of my light my fire steel. I'm definately a blast match steel rod believer.

Thanks scafool, I hear you, I still keep a blast match regular one in my gear, I just have the rod for my PSK but that was after wearing the heck out of one taking it to a destruction test. Blast Match in my opinion is money well spent and yes I would rather carry the bulk knowing I can get a fire going now.

Well, that kinda sucks a bunch. I was really excited by this thing.

*shrugs* Maybe they can debug it.

If anyone remembers I broke a blast match too... usable if you have another piece of metal or a knife but the striker broke off it.