Primitive fire making skills are always a nice fallback for when everything else fails and you are left to using whatever nature provides. That it is not the most efficient or expedient survival method of creating a fire is an inherent quality of our intellect, but does not diminish the knowledge of how to build and use the tools. I would think knowing how to build one and use it would be far more valuable than actually having one in stores.

As for the bic, it is one of many viable options for primary/backup firestarting. I prefer a refillable windproof butane lighter that I get for $10.00 as my primary. For backup I have a couple of $3 refillable standard flame butane lighters and a zippo. I usually keep the zippo stored dry and the fuel in an airtight container so the fuel doesn't get needlessly wasted. The way I see it, even butane lighters can lose fuel over time sitting unused, so the notion of a cheap refillable for a few dollars more isn't such a big leap. In fact, I have both refillable and disposable butane lighters in reserve.