Hey all, I just wanted to inform ya'all about an interesting fire-striker I just found. It's from a company called EXOTAC (www.exotac.com). They call it the NanoSTRIKER, a small 0.6 ounce ferocerium rod in it's own case. It seems pretty well-made.
Here's a video:
Exotac NanoSTRIKER

They are pretty old standbys done over in high-gloss CNC machining and coatings. They certainly look pretty and incorporate many small product improvements. How much aesthetics and such improvements matter to you is up in the air.

They are also quite proud of their line. I'm not entirely sure a $25 match safe or $27 spark rod is exponentially better than a $5 match safe and/or $7 striker.

If you have the money and like refined gear they might be up your alley. Not to say any one is that way but I expect them to go over big with gear snobs. It comes down to what the extra twenty dollars for each means to you. If it means you feel better or more confident in your kit then it may be worth it.

$25 for a match safe is peanuts compared to their projected cost for a 650ml TITANIUM water bottle - $95 for preorders. Makes my recycled Gatorade bottles look like real bargains. 650ml is a piddling amount of water to carry im most circumstances.

Yuppy gear central.

Drools on desk - but I would have to have a 1 litre Bottle and it would have to weigh less than the equivalent Sigg aluminium?

This is getting more like it though;

http://www.vargooutdoors.com/store/p1593/Titanium-Water-Bottle/product_info.html

I can buy a small ferro rod for a dollar or two and put it in my wallet if I wanted a tiny ferro rod. Not worth $30+ to me.

Don't waste your money on gimmicks.

JMNSHO.

I have one, sorry but, I like it I also have an Armageddon FireSteel Tube which throws great sparks but, is really big. I like the size of the NanoSTRIKER and the fact that the ferro rod is protected. I have the NanoSTRIKER in a small PSK and the Armageddon in a BOB. I don't think I am a gear snob, I still have tin can stoves, I do think I am a gear junkie though.

I'd buy one.

My reasoning:

This is not an every day tool. Its designed and intended to be carried 24/7 in a manner that protects the firesteel but is extremly durable. One of the major problems that I have with firesteels - and I speak as someone who carries one for 16 hours a day - is protecting it. The best solution that I have come up with so far is to coat it with nail varnish. Which works, but I have to recoat on a regular basis.

Also the build quality looks to be extremely good. The firesteel is replacable. I like that.

One final point: you get what you pay for. If this is as good as first impression suggest then I expect this to become a benchmark. Think K&M matchcase build quality.

You might try using a bit of heat shrink tubing. Cut it a little long, shrink on, cut to remove excessive over hang. Then slide off and apply few drops of nail polish or hot glue to keep the tubing from sliding off and slide back on. It should last longer than the nail varnish while still being easily removed.

Yes, I saw that but declined to comment. You could buy the entire contents of one of my smaller kits for $95. Sounds silly to spend that sort of cash for a bottle. I usually use a recycled plastic water bottle and pay nothing. If you feel you really need a metal one, perhaps to boil water in, a Sigg bottle goes for what ... $8 or $10? For boiling I use a 1500ml aluminum pot that sold for $5 but gear choice is a personal thing.

I go cheap and buy three at a time.

Read the "About Us" section of the website. They fully declare that they are making gear with cost being a secondary factor and function being the primary factor. I emailed them a few minutes ago to see if the products were made in the USA which would contribute to the cost although even products made overseas to a high spec can be expensive. As far as I am concerned I think it is a good design although I would like to test one out. I destroy lots of gear every year looking for the best of the best so I have no problem buying, carrying, using, and recommending pricey gear as long as it stands up to the test. Inexpensive gear is great as long as it does the job and the cost savings doesnt outweigh the corners cut.

That being said some expensive gear is just outrageous and the expense outweighs the benefit and seems to be more of a status symbol than actual use items. I see these as being a well designed option but I will hold any more opinions as far as use and durability until I can play with one.

Some other observations:

The striker has the benefit of being discreet on a key chain where as my hacked Swedish Firesteel Mini is anything but discreet:

Before the hack:



Hacked to reduce size and weight:



Discreet is a double edged sword. If something is very discreet and I am dead other survivors may not know what they have but at the same time discreet avoids attention at things like security checkpoints.