Hello Everyone, (long post here)

Sorry about the delay in posting results. But here they are..

I think it is important to state that this testing was done by myself - as a personal owner of these products, in no way was it endorsed, sponsored, or funded by ETS...All observations and opinions expressed below are simply my own as a consumer and user of the products..

Now, having said that...

I recieved both with in the last 3 weeks. I ordered directly from the manufacturer Survival inc. off their web site www.ultimatesurvival.com .

The Strike Force and Blast Match are both flint bar and steel/tungsten carbide strikers designed for survival fire lighting use. The main difference between the 2 being that the Blast Match is designed to be used with only one hand.

On to equipment specs:

The Blast Match: Cost: 19.95 +S&H . It comes in one color, black. weight is 2.55 oz ( weighed on Tanita digital scale ) Dimentions are: 3 7/8 inches long, 1 1/2 inches wide, and 1.0 inch "tall" .

The Blast Match is designed for use as a one-handed ignition system . A sliding cover compresses a spring loaded flint bar. The cover is released by applying upward pressure on a small release latch, which also serves as the leverage point/button for the hidden tungsten/carbide blade. The cover pivots back to the end of the unit via 2 plastic arms and recessed rails on the sides of the unit . A small, slit type lanyard hole is at the end of the unit. ( approx. 3/4 in L , 1/8 in H )

The Strike Force: cost 11.95 US + S&H. Comes in either black, or safety orange colors, ( I chose orange ) and includes one piece of packaged "wet fire" tinder ( also sold on the web site ) which is stored in the flint bar handle. Also included is a black nylon braided cord which serves as "cap keeper " for the tinder compartment cap, as well as fastening device. Weight ( with tinder ) is 3.70 ozs, with tinder cube. ( weighed on Tanita digital scale) Dimensions : 5.0 in Long x 1 1/8 in Wide x 7/8 in "high". it is important to note that there are no square angles on the Blast Match, it has an oval/torpedo shaped body.

The Strike Force was designed as a two handed ignition system, and is comprised of 2 seperate pieces that snap together. The flint and striker blade pieces are connected with the above mentioned nylon cord. The flint rod piece has a hollow handle approximately 1 1/2 in L. x 15/16 W x 5/8 H that has a tethered lid. The striker blade portion is a hardened steel "blade" secured in the plastic handle.

On to testing and performance:

Phew, glad the physical descriptions are done with... That was a pain. Anyone wanting to see photos of these products should go the the above mentioned website.

I tested both these items in "wild conditions" - meaning dirt, sky, rock, wood, grass, and water only. No barbecue pits, no picnic tables, and other than impact testing - no concrete or asphalt.

other than the following tinders nothing else was used: Wet Fire tinder, Tinder Quick tabs, generic cotton balls impregnated with melted Vaseline, and trioxane tabs.

Test observations - Blast Match ( BM )

Overall:

My first attempts with the BM were somewhat sucessful, but I was annoyed with a few things right off the bat. Since this product was advertised as a "one handed" fire starter, my preliminary testing was done using only ONE hand. This proved problematic from the get-go.

Opening the BM with only one hand while dry was challenging and required the use of my two front teeth to do so. Opening the BM after I had jumped in the lake ( yes, I actually did this.. granted I AM in South Florida) was downright annoying. The rounded design, and slick plastic case made it slippery to handle. A para-cord lanyard I added prior to testing helped alot. The black color of the case is something I consider a liability. Due to its small size/color if it is dropped unknowingly it will more than likely be lost altogether.

The design of the BM requires the user to push down on the unit while applying finger pressure to the striker/blade tab to produce sparks. This requires the tip of the flint bar to be in contact with the ground, wood, etc. This proved to be problematic . Operating the BM one handed it was very difficult to arrange tinder, wood, etc in a stable enough platform to withstand the downward force needed to make sparks. In damp ground the flint bar repeatedly plunged into the dirt rather than making sparks, requiring repeated rinsing and drying.

Pros and Cons:

Pros: If used correctly the BM can and will make sufficient sparks for a great fire. The ability to use the BM one handed, once opened is a plus. The BM showers sparks exteremely close to the tinder, increasing the probability of ignition.

Cons: Annoyingly hard to open one handed. The BM is fragile and prone to breakage. ( the instructions from the manufacturer include a specific warning about not allowing the flint bar to " bend out of line with the Blast Match body" - the body may snap off , or damage striker bar.) This is a SERIOUS liability in my book.

Test observation Strike Force:

Overall:

My first attempts at spark making were educational. It takes a number of strokes to remove the black oxidized finish on the flint bar. In addition to that, the angle and force used on the flint rod differs per stroke and requires a bit of practice, as well as producing drastically different results. Practice is requred to be able to shower sparks right ontop of the tinder.

The 2 separate pieces didn't prove to be a factor. Unfastening/refastening the caps was simple , and easily done while wet, or dirty. ( i'm sure the supplied nylon cord helped with this. )

Pros: Sturdy construction, storage space for tinder in handle, ability to sharpen steel blade, high visibilty color option. Doesn't require contact with solid surface to produce sparks

Cons: larger than the BM.. Requires a bit of skill to aquire ability to produce useable sparks effectively.

Impact Test: Both units were dropped 3 times from 8 feet onto concrete with the following results:

Blast Match:

1st drop : Unit popped open ( latch for cover was released due to shock ) .. slight case abrasion,,,

2nd drop : Unit popped open ( latch for cover was released due to shock) Cover was loosened and abraded, resisant to closing.

3rd drop: Unit popped open ( latch for cover was released due to shock ) flint cover was loosened.... Same closing condition. seemed like it was about to fall apart...

Srtike Force:

1st drop: No damage observed.

2nd drop: Tinder lid cover partially popped off.

3rd drop : Slight abrasion..


Overall Opinion:

Both the Blast Match and Strike Force can, and will produce sparks sufficient to make a fire under wet or dry conditions. A bit of work is required for both to do so. Both devices are much better than standard matches, and will last Eons longer if used properly.

However, the fragility of the Blast Match is its Achillie's heel.... . Cheaper plastic, the ability for the user to unintentionally break it, and otherwise flimsy construction make this a true liability in a survial situation.

The Strike Force requires practice, but is in my opinion as solid as a rock as a fire starting device. The option of High Visibility coloring is a big plus. If i drop it... I need to find it.



So, thats my 2 cents.... For whatever its worth...


Matt

Good post, but I have one minor nitpick. The fact that the BM is difficult to open with one hand (I've never had difficulty opening mine, but then I've never jumped in the lake to test it either <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ) is not a liability when compared to a device that can't be used with one hand AT ALL.

The BM can be used with two hands; the SF can't be used with one. I think that deserves mention. <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

hey bat69: excellent after action report ..very usefull info and insight on these two items of equipment..i have both also and i use the strikeforce the most for just about the same reasons ..again great job.. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> .vince g..

Great post, very informative.
I just wanted to add an observation of mine: I still think the Spark-Lite is THE best out there, I mean if they added a lanyard hole to it it would be perfect. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I also love my Zippo and Bic. Bic I carry because if it is submerged and dried it still works and it is storable, the Zippo because of the wide range of fuels and space to store spare flints. (both of which can still be used to spark after they are out of fuel) Those are my three favorites. On my keychains I carry BSA hotsparks because:
1. They have a hole
2. They are cheap
3. They are easy to get (my local scout store is within a few miles from my house, I can always run and get more).
4. It can throw a wicked spark

For matches I like the strike-anywhere kitchen matches with the heads dipped in candle wax. If they made "strike anywhere kitchen size Nato match style" matches they would be perfect. <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
Again, great info.

i didn't have my blast match for very long at all before the metal blade embedded in the plastic popped out. after that i had no option but to take the whole thing apart and just use the 'flint' rod by itself. it puts out longer lasting sparks if you hit it with a hatchet...
it also gets considerably thinner if you hit it with a hatchet though.
i wouldn't recommend it at all.

I can imagine it does indeed. ( the hatchet )

The Blast Match was quite capable of making fire in all the conditions I tried it in, albeit annoying doing it one handed.

My main concern was in the durability of th BM. While I didnt experience a failure like you did, my impact testing pretty much "sealed the deal" for me.

Both are able to ignite tinder reliably, but for $9.00 less the Strike Force seems much more robust, and includes a place to store tinder.

Matt

For what it's worth, I kind of like to have both close at hand. Redundancy is almost always a good idea, and they don't cost THAT much.

P.S. I also like to have a mag. bar and striker with me too.

Troy

Matt - great post. You inspired me to give it a whirl with all the firestarters I've acquired in the last couple years, for "just in case." And my results? DISMAL. It's now very clear that it's the skills, not the gear. I'm humbly asking for some tips to make it go more successfully in the future.
I grew up in a rural area and feel rural at heart, but have been a city dweller since college. For years I lit fires in our fireplaces/Franklin stoves with matches and newspaper, and I think that's led to a bit of my overconfidence. I've never been a Boy Scout, and the camping I've done (not very recently, unfortunately) used a multi-gas stove.

I had to do my test in more controlled circumstances than Matt's - rooftop, in a small charcoal grill (to keep flames from the tarpaper roof). For tinder, I had some wood chips, vaseline-soaked cotton, "lightning bug" sawdust tabs, and fire ribbon.
My firestarters included: a strike-force, a magnesium/flint bar, a mini flint/magnesium firestarter, and a mini Bic.
Getting sparks was not a problem - all items drew sparks, some more successfully than others. The strike force seemed to consistently give the most volume/longest throw on sparks. Also, a variety of items worked as a striker - the small piece of hacksaw blade that came with the mini firestarter, the back of a carbon steel Mora, the back of an ATS-34 blade, the back of an AUS-8 stainless blade, and a P-38 can opener.
The problem was getting the sparks to catch. Since purchasing these items, I've tested the striker just to see how well the sparks fly, but not used them to start fires before (or, sadly, yet).

A couple things I noticed that helped during the test - rather than using the flat of the back of a blade, it improved spark output and throw to tilt it and use the corner. Also, the more pressure put on the striker, the more impressive the spark output.

I tried both pushing the striker forward, and holding the striker in place/pulling the flint back (I read that suggestion here on ETS) - neither seemed to make a difference, although the pull was a bit more awkward for me. My results tended to be - several sparks along the length of the flint, one or two leaping the inch or two the the tinder, and nothing catching. The Strike Force would put out a slightly higher volume of sparks/slightly longer throw (I think because the handle made it easier to grip firmly) - but still nothing wanted to catch - even a nice dollop of fire ribbon.
Same with the magnesium bits I scraped off. First, they didn't seem to come off very neatly - very irregular-sized shavings, and they tended to go all over, not into a neat pile. How big a pile do people usually create before trying to spark them? How thick/tightly packed is your pile? How big are your shavings (mine tended to look like 1/16-inch long or shorter bits of waste from drilling through metal - no long whittled bits).

I've been watching the Survivor All-Stars show (guilty pleasure), and when they gave them magnesium firestarters, I was sitting there criticizing the way they were hacking at them and getting feeble results. I'll clap a stopper on my armchair criticisms now <img src="images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

So, my list of questions:
--For the vaseline/cotton balls, how much vaseline? I read other posts, and softened the vaseline in the jar in the microwave and dipped the balls in - and they were sopping with vaseline. I've had it in film canisters, and yesterday when I tried to fish it out, I couldn't get a ball to come out - wisps of cotton suspended in vaseline came out. I'd read that I should fluff/shred it a bit, but it wasn't that easy to handle.
--How close are you holding your flints to the tinder when you strike? How far should I expect to throw sparks to get a successful fire, and what kind of volume of sparks should I expect to see to know I'm doing it correctly?
--Any vital details I'm missing on angle/pressure/how quickly to strike?
--I have trouble not bumping/jolting the tinder (or the tiny charcoal grill) if I'm doing a series of strikes.
--Any hints about shaving the magnesium/piling it/keeping a cohesive pile/how much to use?

This has been a great wake-up call for practice. If it had been one of the firestarters that I tried and it didn't work, I'd flatter myself that it was a Janet Jackson-style equipment malfunction, but I can't blame the tools for this one. I shudder to think about being in an emergency, trying to hold onto the mini flint with numb fingers and NEEDING a fire.
One comment on the fire ribbon - very impressive stuff. I think it would be good if they made very tiny tubes of it - like lip balm sized tubes.
Oh, and the mini-Bic? Lit everything quickly and easily. I'll continue to EDC a Windmill butane lighter and a mini Bic.

OK folks, please help the awkward ETS member.
Thanks
Dave

Dave,
I've had success with the vaseline-soaked cotton balls. The key is to use just a small amount of vaseline (my own trial and error) and be sure to "shred" the cottonball. The spark will catch easier to the shredded surface. I've also used a small amount of Chapstick with the cotton balls. You might also want to try Purell hand sanitizer, which is alcohol-based and catches pretty easily. You're right, the key is to practice.
As far as the firestarting devices, I've had good luck with the Sparklite and the small ferrocerium bars. I've never liked the magnesium bars, just seem to be too much trouble. And you can't beat a Bic lighter.

My only successful experience is with vaseline impregnated cotton :
I use those make-up remover cottonwool discs :
- I separate a disc in two discs,
- put a bit of petroleum jelly on a disc,
- squeeze the whole stuff in order to spread out the jelly
- and then tear it into pieces that I stuff into plastic straw bits (about 1.5 or 2 inches long).

And last time I tried, it easily caught fire with some sparks.... maybe not the first shower, but the second or third.
I just get the stuff out of the straw and fluff it a max.
And no, the cotton is not "soaked" with melted vaseline...

Hope it will help ...

Hi Dave.

In my experience, the cotton balls should have as much vaseline as possible squeezed back out of them, you want them saturated, not soaked. When I prepare a fresh batch, I soak one, then put a dry one on top, soak another, then another dry one, etc. untill I have a medicine bottle about 3/4 full then fill it the rest of the way with dry cotton balls. When the bottle is full, I compress the cotton/vas. mix as much as possible, If I'm getting vaseline oozing out the top, I add more dry cotton, if the top cotton ball is dry, I add a dab of vaseline. It's not an exact science, but a little experimentation should get you there.

As for how far away to hold the flint/striker, I put it right down in contact with the tinder, Works every time for me. If you're using a lighter for your source of spark, again, get as close to the tinder as possible.

Fluffing the cotton ball shouldn't be much of a problem if you get the right cotton/vaseline mix, but as you've already found out, if you've got too much vaseline, you just get a sticky mess. I'd like to point out that in my experience, somewhat less than a full cotton ball is needed to get a fire going if you've got half-way decent DRY kindling (1/4 to 1/3 or less).

You might get other advice on this, but this is what has worked (to start hundreds of fires) for me (I believe in practice makes perfect). Try what I've suggested and let me know how it works for you.

As for the magnesium shavings, I wouldn't go this route unless I couldn't get a fire going without it (wet tinder, no tinder). If you need to resort to the Mag. bar, it will take a while to get enough shavings to have success. I try to get a pile about the size and thickness if a nickel (or bigger) together before I even think of striking a spark. The size/shape of the shavings doesnt really matter, as long as they're small enough (yours sounded just fine) but you HAVE to have ENOUGH. I keep a piece of notebook paper folded around my bar to lay out to catch the shavings on, then pour them where they need to go. After a lot of experimentation with not having enough shavings and not being able to keep them in a nice little pile, this is what I have come up with that works for me. ONE WORD OF CAUTION, that nickel sized pile of shavings WILL burn through a metal ash tray and ignite anything combustible that it's in contact with (trust me on this, I almost burnt the house down, ashtray, table top, and straight through to my leg under the table). It's time consuming getting the shavings off the bar, but it makes neat fireworks for a few seconds. Also, on this, I've found that a hacksaw blade works much better than a knife blade for getting the most shavings with the least sweat.

Hope this helps, let me know.

Troy

Dave - too much vasoline. Try this: Fluff up a DRY cotton ball (no goop) and hit it with the sparks (put the blade edge where you want the sparks and pull the rod away - it is easier after a little practice). You may "get it" on the first try or the 50th try, but once you "get it", try it again right away until you can reliably ignite a plain cotton ball (all fluffed up) most of the time on the first or second try - it comes fast after a few successes.

The vasoline merely extends the burn time - and perhaps it lends some water resistance. If the vasoline is melted to a clear liquid, soak a ball and squeeze it as "dry" as you can with your fingers - really hard. Be careful, as that is about the max temp I can tolerate without scalding myself - YMMV. There should be a compacted blob of cotton ball with little or no excess vasoline left. Just fluff one of those up and spark it - the extension on the burn time is impressive and they are no harder to light.

BTW, I use a double boiler - a soup can in a sauce pan of water works, as does the original container - because I KNOW the hottest the melted vasoline can be is the local BP of water - you could get a higher (finger-frying) temp in the microwave, I suspect. As soon as the vasoline melts clear, I take it off the stove and use it.

Or you can take a dab about the size of a pea and work it completely into a cotton ball - it's a fair bit more work and to do it well you have to tear apart the cotton ball to get it impregnated all the way thru, but that works as well. If you've got perceptable bits of vasoline afterwards, it was too much - you're after a greasy cotton ball, not a blob of grease reinforced with cotton.

HTH,

Tom

Hi Dave!

Sorry , i've been insanely busy at work and havent been able to post for a while.

As far as how close to get with the striker/bar:

as close as possible, an inch or 2 at most... Anything farther and the sparks will peter out. You want the max sparks to shower the tinder on each stroke. With the Strike Force you can sit cross-legged and place the flint rod the edge of your boot/shoe for stability, or use a "one knee" kneeled stance ( like you are proposing marriage to a gal ) and use the tip of your boot/shoe as a sort of stability platform to place the flint rod on, angle it downward, as close to the tinder as possible and "scrape" sparks onto the tinder.

Don't just rely on one stroke to ignite the tinder. Scrape the flint bar rapidly 3 times as close to the tinder as possible, and although it may not be needed, be prepared to blow on the tinder to make a flame.

Tinderly speaking... I did the same thing with my first batch of VCB's ( vasiline cotton balls ) even though I had thoroughly searched all the threads about these little beauties.. None of them would light easily as they were pretty saturated. Granted, with a lighter they lit up like fireworks and burned for a few minutes.

So, I made a new batch of VCB's. This time lightly dipping each ball in the vaseline then placing it into a gallon bag. When the specified number were in the bag ( 50 in this case) , I squeezed all the air out of it and microwaved it for 2 minutes on High.. I took the bag out of the microwave and after opening the bag used a rolling pin to squeeze out the excess vaseline. After this I transferred all the balls to a fresh bag and forcefully rolled it again. When I pulled the matted balls out of the bag they felt almost shockingly dry. However, when "fluffed" first with fingers, and then a pair of tweezers ( try to make it look like an afro/dreadlocks ) they all caught fire easily with "close sparks".

A hacksaw blade used on the non serated side is a great "blade" to produce sparks on any flint rod, in fact the best IMHO. ( and far better than using your knife blade to do it. )The blade in the strike force cap is good right out of the box, as long as you use the 90 degree edge and dig in a bit.. Touching it up on a grinder, or sharpening stone makes it even better.

Although I've used magnesium fire staters in the past, I'm definately no expert on them. They worked, but burnt out far to quickly for my taste. I switched to trioxane shavings, or other " burn in the rain" material...

Practice is the key..

Matt

I agree that you're probably holding the striker too far away. I've noticed this is commonaly a problem with cadets (not to be sexist, but girls seem to have more of a problem with it than boys). The problem there seems to be that they have an unreasonable fear of fire; they seem to think the tinder is going to explode into a fireball and burn their fingers off. Once they realise that the fire is not going to catch so quickly and so strongly as to cause even mild burns, they get up the courage to hold the flint down right on top of the tinder.

I've found my BlastMatch will pretty much ignite a cotton ball straight out of the bag, with no fluffing up necessary, but for other sparkers, especially my "home-made" ones, it's important to have the cotton wool really wispy - you should be able to see through it if you hold it up.

As for the mag-flint, you do need some sort of container so you can collect them into a pile. Just a loose pile about the size of a quarter is good (one poster here said a nickel, it's probably about the same size by eyeballing it). I've tried it a couple of times, I didn't find it particulary onerous a task as long as I had something to catch the flakes in. You do need an intermediate material, like paper or birch bark, to turn those white-hot flakes into a normal flame, just as you would with a match.

Btw, I always find the three words "tinder, kindling, and fuel" to be inadequate to describe the process of firemaking.
As I understand it, "tinder" is the thing that catches the spark - the cotton wool, for example - whereas kindling is the small pieces of wood that are used to ignite progressively larger pieces of wood until the fire is self-sustaining. But what then is the newsprint/birch bark? Is it tinder, or kindling? Maybe I should refer to it as "tindling" ;-) I can't call it "kinder" because that would scandalise any German visitors. <img src="images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> )

You do not need to hold it that far away. Place it so that the end of the flint is resting ontop of the tinder, This way all the sparks fall where you want them.

Dave,
I don't think the problem is so much too much petroleum jelly, but not enough dry cotton. I made a run of balls out of 3-x size cotton by rubbing the jelly on the outside of the ball, but not all the way through it. I stuffed them into a match safe and went hiking. Once in the field, I split the ball open, pulled the dry fibers out (I realize that this is not consistent with a one handed ignition), and placed it on a piece of bark. I was comparing a BM, and a Spark-Lite. Both ignited the dry fibers first, second, or third attempt (and did so in future tests as well). I also used the back of a knife blade (AUS 6, I believe) on the BM to create sparks. I think the trick is to see that the dry cotton acts as a wick and the saturated cotton makes the jelly available to those wicks.
FWIW,
Biscuits

Hi all - thanks for the long list of good suggestions. I'm going to give it another try this week - and I'll let you know where I get with it. Thanks again for all the help.
Dave

The file on a multi-tool, such as the Wave, makes quick work of a MFS bar with little effort.

Gentlemen,

I have read this thread several times, yet do not quite understand the circumstances in which one may be reduced to starting fires with simple sparks.

Is there a scenario that is being played out that was implicit?

My BOB has several containers of "lifeboat matches" - purely as a backup to a Brunton Helios. There really isnt much more bulk added by having the Helios.

In extreme cold butane can become unable to turn into a gaseous state.This makes it unable to light.I have witnessed this myself.I had the pleasure <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />of spending almost a month above the Arctic circle.This was compliments of U.S.Navy.In very damp conditions(rain forests,monsoons)even life boat matches have difficulty.Metal flint bars can create sparks hotter than matches.As for their size and weight they can start more fires than matches you could carry comfortably.So if with practice you learn to start a fire with just a spark you can handle most any thing.Also welcome to the forum.
BOATMAN

First, having several methods of firestarting makes sense as a backup. Matches and lighters can get lost, break, get wet, etc. MFS and other strickers are virtually impervious to the weather and will work when the matches and butane run out.

Second, I've been surprised on how easy it is to start a fire with a MFS and half a hacksaw blade. On campouts, I have them on a keychain at my side and it's almost easier to strike a sparks on demand than it is to fumble around with matches. Plus I get a sense of confidence when I do so that doesn't come with striking a match. <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

When I thought about the same question, firestarting with sparks seemed to be quite backwards and obsolete for me. I tried it for the toy value of it anyway. I found that it´s a pretty effective method and the tools are really robust. When you light a fluid (e. g. a Trangia stove) it´s even safer than a match or lighter. I many cases I prefer sparks to matches now.
I carry a ferrocerium rod that takes less space than two matches and can´t leak on my keyring. A similar rod is used up about halfway and already lit about 80 fires. That simply can´t be beaten by matches or lighters.
The usefullness in adverse conditons or as backup has already been pointed out and I second that.

Thanks for the welcome and the explanation. It would seem to be a good method of starting fires. However, I have not had such problems with this lighter - even as cold as it gets here in CO. In fact, I dont remember having problems even with Bic lighters - probably because they are in my jacket, not in the pack.

I suspect that in 99.9% or more of all survival situations, a BIC lighter would be more than adequate. If it gets wet, though, it will take some time to dry out, and if it gets smashed (it's only plastic, after all) then you still need to know how to start a fire using only the spark.

Plus you don't want to find yourself lost in the bush and discover too late that when you lent your BIC to that cute redhead in the lodge last night, you never got it back <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hey, I am a new member, but I thought I would through my two cents into the pile.

I have tried a lot of flint and steel fire starters from the Blast Match to the Boy Scout Flint and Steel, but the one that I have found to work the best was given to me in Bridgport California at the Marine Corps survival school. It is made by Wilderness Survival Institute and the model is the P-60. It throws the largest and longest shower of sparks of any firestarter I have seen. It has a flint striker and a magnesium bar, which is almost warn out on mine. Besides the Marine Corps the only place I have seen it is on the manufacturers website.

Anyways, just thought I would bring it to your attention.

Thanks,

Josh

It is a round magnesium bar with flint attached right? Very common style fire starter. I personally carry one in my waist bag sized kit, also I believe Doug carries a version of it. It does work very well, though most here don't like using the mag as a tinder. It tends to blow away, burns too fast, and requires a bit of work to get a good pile of shavings. The flint bar on the other hand is great, they throw a good shower of sparks and it is a thick bar with a good backing (I know a problem with cheaper ones was the bar would fall off of some of them, though I haven't had that problem personally) I think it is a great keychain/pocket starter. It is a bit bigger and more expensive then the BSA hot spark, but it does give the mag bar which means if tinder is hard to come by you are atleast carrying something. One thing to think about though, it is a two hand fire starter, it is a good idea to carry a seperate method that can be used one handed. Carrying a magnifying/fresnel lense in your wallet and a Spark-Lite in your "altoids tin sized kit" means you have good backups that take up little room, even a Bic can be used as a one handed fire starter after the fuel has run out if you remove the metal shield piece on top. <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

DBAGuy,
The ability to start a fire with just sparks can be a great skill to have. It teaches proper fire building which if ever required to build a fire with a bow drill or fire saw because your kit got lost/busted/ect it will make things a bit easier on you. Right now I try as much as I can to practice "one blade survival" meaning all you can use is a knife and what you find. It is great practice for incase in a real situation you end up with nothing. I have read a lot of material in which the kit was lost, washed away, ect. I want to make sure I still have a good chance if this ever happens. Now, with commercial airplanes pretty much not letting you carry anything metal on you it seems like that situation is becoming even more likely for the average traveler.

Yeah, we all tend to assume that at least we'll be left with the clothes on our back, but even that isn't a given. IIRC, Juliane Koepke lost everything but the skirt she was wearing when the plane she was on broke apart in midair. But of coursed, as Doug and others have repeatedly pointed out, the most important piece of survival gear is your brain, and she still had that. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />