Quite possibly. Quite possibly it was the weather, or any of the mecahnical devices I was using (it lit fine with NATO matches). Nevertheless, it does not work for me, and that's really all that matters. It is no different than the $500 backpack argument that has been going on here. It may be the best product out there for 99% of the users, but if it doesn't work for me, through it's fault or mine, it is useless.