Thank you for the product suggestion. I bought a few of these for now:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.36157
http://firesteel.com/products/GobSpark-Armageddon-FireSteel-with-Scraper-and-Lanyard.html

I also have a Swedish Firesteel by Light My Fire, which is overpriced compared to its competitors. I don't carry a ferro rod on my key ring. I like to keep my ferro rods attached to a container of tinder, which is too bulky for my key ring. However, I would wear the system around my neck or in a pocket. By the way, I would consider putting a Peanut Lighter on my key ring.

Slight detour, this is about the coolest video I've seen pertaining to ferro rods:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuD8LrB8SGY&feature=player_embedded

I haven't protected my flint strikers and have not seen corrosion. If I ever felt the need to protect, then I guess I would grease it and treat it like a gun barrel.

Can someone explain to me how shrink tubing prevents corrosion. I'm thinking that would promote corrosion.


same here

Perhaps carrying your firesteel in your pocket ensures enough abrasion to keep corrosion unnoticeable. Much the same as a (real) silver coin doesn’t seem to tarnish when carried in a pocket but noticeably tarnishes when just sitting in the open.

Shrink tubing would prevent corrosion by excluding oxygen from the surface of the rod the same as nail polish or other coatings, hence no oxidation or in other words… no oxygen = no corrosion.

Yeah, I like that one. Firesteel.com is a very good company, and I have 7 or 8 of their 'steels.

"I haven't protected my flint strikers and have not seen corrosion. If I ever felt the need to protect, then I guess I would grease it and treat it like a gun barrel.

Can someone explain to me how shrink tubing prevents corrosion. I'm thinking that would promote corrosion".

.........I always shrink wrap mine. I don't do it to prevent corrosion; I keep it on a cord with a whistle and brass compass, and I cover it in vinyl to keep it from banging and scraping the other items...

I have to try out this heat shrink trick because I'm curious now.

OK, y'all think the nanoSTRIKER is overpriced at $26? Try this one on for size. LOL

Wilderness Solutions Fire Pen II

It's a pen-sized fire piston with a mini ferro rod for $89.95

That's pretty competitive price wise with most fire pistons I've seen. A tad more maybe but I don't recall ever seeing one much under $60.

I want one but not for that price. They're overcharging for the addition of the fero rod ($15 more for the small fero rod). The piston is probably overpriced too.

Generally, pistons aren't as rugged as fero rods. For example, if you fall and bend the shaft or if you mess up the O-ring, then you're screwed. There has to be alignment and an airtight seal for the thing to work.

I've been keeping a spreadsheet to compare prices per unit volume of ferro rod. Just for kicks, I put the NanoSTRIKER in there.

Firesteel.com Armeggedon w/ handle & scraper = $36.18 per cu. in. of ferro rod (2.5" x 0.375", $9.99 for all parts).

LMF Swedish Firesteel Army w/ scraper = $68.17 per cu. in. of ferro rod (2.125" x 0.375", $16 for all parts).

Exotac NanoSTRIKER = $434.42 per cu. in. of ferro rod (2" x 0.1875", $23.99 for all parts).

Last week's trip to REI, spotted these two aluminum tent pole repair-sleeves (13.2mm and 16mm diameters). Don't have in front of me to measure, but they're around 6-7 inches long. At 75 cents each, bought one of each, thinking could cut to length and come up with suitable end-caps for some as-yet-determined kit use.