Ah... Good thinking!

Duh, one strike and it's exposed to the elements again

Or put heat shrink tubing on it...

I wonder if you can fit items in the casing with the firesteel? Maybe a needle and some thread or a safety pin. It would be really awesome if you can fit tinder in there.

Looks like it shouldn't be a problem for a drill press. Hope to find a way to EDC my spool of Kevlar thread

By the way, the o-ring for a similar airtight setup could be improvised with chewing-gum. I'm EDC'ing a pack of Nicorette Gum just by accident.

Review on other forum no pics though

Adam

It def lights paper with one or two strikes.
I did some quick playing today and will get video soon.

Way better than ANY other firesteel I have, and I have a handful.

videos and pictures soon.

Finally, got mine. The eBay seller disappeared from eBay, so I thought I'll never receive it.

More specs:
- case is 92 mm long, 16.5 mm in diameter, weights 50 grams.
(3.6" x 0.65" x 1.7oz)
- cap is 61mm deep, 9.5mm inner diameter.
(2.4" x 0.37")
- magnesium alloy rod is 44mm long, 6.3mm in diameter.
(1.7" x 0.25")

Pros:
- The fire starting properties are amazing! In fact it's producing hot burning magnesium chunks not just sparks. So all of the properties of burning magnesium (wind/rain resistance).
- The cap thread step is large, untwisting the cap in 4 - 5 moves.
- The case is watertight and have some spare space at the bottom (~5mm), and around the rod (~1.5mm).

Cons:
- The case have very abrasive finish (and actually made quite rough, or inaccurate in other words). However, aluminum is easy to work with, so I plan to smooth its exterior a little with sand paper/files, otherwise it might damage pockets/bags with time (quite uncomfortable on my palms too).
- The case sealing o-ring is not fixed, it's easy to lose it (I'll try to glue it).
- The lanyard hole is small (3.7mm).

I know the gist of this post is a little off-topic, but.....

I like the aurora. This is the first I've heard of it, thanks!

I went to the website and see this warning/disclaimer:

WARNING: Use extreme caution when using the Aurora Fire Starter! The ignited magnesium that results in striking this fire starter burns at 5400º and will ignite most anything combustible that it lands on. DO NOT use or demonstrate inside a house or structure or near anything that you do not want to ignite. Doing so could result in injury, structural damage, or death. Use extreme caution in any wooded areas. This is not a toy and it should be kept out of reach of children. Survival Resources is not responsible for any damages or injuries caused by the use of Aurora Fire Starter. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

It seems such a shame that these type of disclaimer warnings have to accompany nearly everything we buy. I understand the logic behind it, I'm just commenting on the ridiculous necessity of it all.

Question for those of you who've picked one up.

How long to does the magnesium burn after you strike it?