anybody here used a fire piston before

I saw this on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=110157856576&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=001

and a couple of videos showing them quickly making a fire using one of these pistons (less than 30seconds) and a tinder bundle. Seemed kind of cool.. (I thought so at least) I was wondering if anybody has made or used one of these before? If so. How did it compare to bow, drills, flint, and other less-than-modern (eg. lighters) methods?

P.S. if anybody else is interested in trying. I found pages on howto make one (if not already covered somewhere on this page)
http://www.onagocag.com/piston.html
http://www.garagegrafix.com/centerfinger/how-to-make-a-fire-piston/

I got mine from ebprimatives on ebay. It works fast and very well. That said I would never depend on it for a carry along emergency fire lighter. Around the house or at a car camp, fine, BOB NO !

i have a fire piston, great as a "toy", but there are more reliable and easier methodes out there.

IMO, a bow is harder to use than fire pistons. Bows can be a workout.

A hand-drill is harder to use than fire piston. Fire pistons are kind of hard on your hands from slamming the piston, but no where near as hard as a hand drill is on your hands. Drills can be a workout too.

Flint and Steel is more reliable than a fire piston. I would say they are easier too. With good technique, it takes seconds to create and catch a spark. If your fire piston is in working order, it is pretty quick too. Both work best when you have good char or the like to catch the spark (flint & steel) or create and ember (fire piston)

But fire pistons are by far the most interesting to me. I have made several.

cool then,
I will not buy it unless I can use it in my bob/psk/etc... and that doesn't seem like that's the case. But might be something to try and make some weekend.

I have three firepistons and like them very much. Vastly easier to use than bow or hand drills. Much like traditional flint and steel where a mild breeze is to your advantage.

They are a bit bulky and work best with tinder fungus so for me are just one more interesting way to make fire. I would not hesitate to use one over a hand drill any day.

Mine are made by Darrel Aune and Jeff Wagner. Top notch devices and from reading of many who have tried to make one....not too easy.

Darrel offers a DVD of his techniques and makes it looks pretty easy for a metal tube type device and if you are good with a lathe pretty easy then also.

Here are a couple of links to articles. The first by a friend of mine on the EBprimatives piston.

http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_article.php?id_article=284

And the second by my friend and myself on the Aune pistons...among other things he offers.

http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_article.php?id_article=320

I have one. Quality toy thats a joy to own. Great conversation peace. Just like my K&M match case.

One quibble that I have with them is that without a pick getting the ember to tinder can be deuced fiddly. Not sure that I would care to attempt it in a shivering hypothermia situation. I do wish that Dan would fit a pick as standard.

The one thing I always try to remember to do is fashion a small twig pick as I am making my tinder nest. The bone pick Darryl added to one of my pistons is very nice though.

I have also just transfered the coal from the end of my piston in-situ to char cloth or a larger piece of tinder fungus, then blown up the tinder nest.