Just encountered this and couldn't resist posting - more for grins than anything else - http://www.soloscientific.com/soknbysoscpp.html?gclid=CKCk6KS3qcQCFYhgfgod0V

Maybe this gadget is great,but I will reserve judgment for a bit. But just think of potential embellishments - a luxury steel (at least S90V), partially serrated blades etc. - maybe a folding variant. The mind reels as we enter the solar age of survival and bush craft....

Think I'd trust a SAK with a magnifying glass over that.

Pity Victorinox discontinued the Woodsman.

The mirrored handle scales on that would get scratched up in no time at all. It is a useless novelty in my opinion. A BIC Lighter,ferro rod and a 5X glass or fresnel lens is cheaper and more useful than this trinket.Just my not so humble opinion.

BOATMAN
John

Agree. All four are already in my EDC backpack.

If you want your knife and fire starter all in one, IMO the "light my fire knife" is a much better alternative:

http://www.amazon.com/Light-Fire-FireKni...t+my+fire+knife

No affiliation---just really like it.

what he said.

I agree heartily. First of all, the LMF is a great practical knife and the fire making capability comes at no increase in weight or bulk, and it can spark 24/7! I don't think I have ever been in a situation where I really needed to light a fire when the sun was shining brightly...Which leads me to ask,what is the lowest sun angle at which any solar lighting technique would be effective?

At any rate - great integration design! I disagree that LMF adds a firestarter at no consequences at all. It is adding weight and complexity to the system - no doubt. The solar mirror on the knife is truly ideal device (when inventor solves a problem - the ideal solution would be "nothing new added, but problem solved") as it is factually nothing you could break or lose. Compared to a fresnel or typical 5x loupe (usually small and thus quite useless) it has much more light concentrating potential than either (the surface size is ruling here). I agree, it can get scratched with time, but if so - you can polish it back as well easily enough. Overall it could be perfect for a minimalistic kit, which is not constantly in use, but waiting for an emergency.

A question to knives gurus. Is it good enough as a knife? (does it worth $60 regardless the mirror?)

Wow! That's the same guys, who's invented the magnesium impregnated firesteel! I have one and it's truly well made device.

The mirror is actually a composite one, like the fresnel lens - made in parabolic flat sections. So the hand grip was not compromised. The only caveat - it's aluminum, so - definitely quite easy to scratch, even though it's coated.

I'm going to put my money on the Tool Logic SLP2 or the Adventure Medical Kits SOL Original Survival Tool. A parabolic mirror is good in concept, but the practical problems just makes it survival bling.

Even as I wrote it, I knew I should have added a qualifier ("appreciably" or "significantly") to my statement. Any weight gain is very small and the fixing of the fire steel in the handle is actually simpler than a separate steel hanging out somewhere on the holster. Very elegant engineering, if you ask me.

What it does add is cost a list price of $36 compared to $15-20 for a standard Mora - still a decent bargain. It's kind of irrelevant anyway, because I usually light my fire or stove with a butane lighter.

Thinking back, on those occasions where I really,really needed a fire, I used matches,a century old (+/-) technology, and I still carry them routinely. I will probably never need to use my LMF for real.

WShen there have been times I needed a fire it was cold,wet rainy and overcast.All not conducive to solar ignition.Does it work?Sure it does,but not all the time.My fresnel lens doesn't work in those conditions either.No fire starter is perfect for all conditions.But my chances are better with more options.A "one tool option" does not exist.With my MORA Bushcraft Black I could get a spark from certain stones.But how does one turn that into fire is the key.....


BOATMAN
John

Took another look at the handle of this knife on the web site.It has very hard edges that would cause blisters with any moderate to heavy use.In a survival/bushcraft situation there is A LOT of knife work.Carving tent/tarp pins,fire prep,food prep,trap triggers etc..That knife handle would hurt or injure your hand and inhibit your survival.Just thought that the polished handles would make it very hard to hold onto in wet or bloody (game cleaning) conditions.The hand could slip up on the edge and seriously hurt you.I have the Aurora Fire Starter that this company makes and I like it.With the O-ring seal its good for a saltwater environment.This knife just really misses the mark.

BOATMAN
John

Eh, it's a mediocre steel with what looks like no grip or traction for holding it. No jimping or textured scales? That's a hard pass for me.

Also 4" is about as short as you would ever want for a bushcraft knife...maybe even too short. Can you baton wood with this knife? How thick is it?

It's a neat innovation but fails at just being a knife.

One questions, how many of us can actually keep a knife so clean in the field over numerous days out in the wilderness that it stays so shiny that it can be used to light a fire?

I can't, sorry but My Knives get Dirty, Scratched, & even Rusty the odd time during use. Even with a quick clean and sharpen each night none of my working knives ever look like they just came out of box if I really used then as a survival tool for a week or two.

Survival Knives need to be sharp, strong, and compact.

Fire Lighting Gear is separate and needs to be Robust and Redundant, so you can always light a fire in the wilderness regardless of conditions and if the sun can be seen or is out.

I am going to Skip on this "Innovation"

I don't agree with that. You'll find many of the really good bushcraft knives (even survival orientated ones) come in around the 4" mark.

There is no absolute limit. When the sun is near the horizon it is far less intense, this makes starting a fire with a given size lens or mirror more difficult.
By concentrating solar energy from a larger area, by means of a larger lens or mirror, then a fire may be lit even in very unfavourable conditions such as with the sun near the horizon or partially obstructed by light haze.

By use of an A4 sized Fresnel lens I have easily started a fire with the sun close to the horizon.

However as others post, a fire is most often wanted under conditions quite unsuited for solar fire lighting. IMHO a large concave mirror or a large Fresnel lens are well keeping for use in any TEOTWAWKI situation, but are less useful for a short term emergency.
Matches are soon expended, though carrying enough for a month or two is easy, a ferro rod and striker will light hundreds, maybe thousands of fires, but is eventually used up.
A suitable lens or mirror will start fires INDEFINATLY with nothing whatsoever being consumed or expended, that could be a lifesaver in any true long term emergency, but is less applicable to backpacking etc.

Thanks! I would have surmised that solar fire starting would have been considerably more difficult after 3 and before 10.You make a good point about long term versus short term situations. I might add that it is easyto keep a fire going, once lit. Camping overnight, a bit of fussing with the coals from the evening fire will heat up the morning coffee without further use of matches. Once deep in the Sonoran desert, we built our fire with Ironwood. The next morning the coals were still perfect for cooking-even easier than flipping a switch!