Not sure what it's made of exactly. The directions were to scrape some of the material off into the tinder and then create sparks by striking the rod with something metal. Thanks to groo, you can see what GI Jane's has to say about it. I like the smaller size, it might even make it thru the TSA and on to the plane. Countycomm's site also has good pictures, but no detailed info as to what it's made of.