I think compairing a mag block to a fatwood is like comparing snare wire and fishing gear to MREs. One works right now once, one works many times. Would we take out the thimble-sized fishing kit and 15 feet of snare wire for another slimjim or tiny roll of malted milk tabled? I hope not.

That is why I always scratch my head when people are critical of the mag block in kits- sure, the full sized one is oversized, but even a small one is good for hundreds of fires with no moving parts other than a one-piece metal scraper, which saves matches, lighters, tinderquik, PJ balls, and fat wood for when it really is an emergency rather than being inconveniently misplaced. I've never found them hard to use- you just need to understand that it is going to take more than 60 seconds to get a decent sized shavings pile.