While we're throwing out wild scenarios, let me give you another advantage steels have over lighters- they won't go off on their own. Many years ago, probably 20 or so, when I was dating my now-ex-wife, I stayed over at her parents house after dinner. As they were the religious type I slept on the couch. After a while I saw an orange glow. I tried to ignore it but it got brigher, then I could smell smoke. The couch I was sleeping on was on fire! After an agonizing and awkward moment of refection I woke the family and we hurriedly doused the sofa with a fire extinguisher and carried it outside. The cause of the blaze? Either my ex or her little sister, both covert smokers, had dropped a lighter down in the couch cushions. My movement, just tossing and turning, somehow was enough to strike it. You could tell that's precisely where the burn was on the couch.

A fluke? I may be the only guy to ever light one by sitting or laying on one, I dunno. But I've never heard of anyone impaled on their firesteel.

As for the durability of lighters, that seems hit and miss. Since I don't smoke, the only time I ever carry a lighter is when I specifically plan to make fire. So I haven't broken many. But I have had and have seen the button depressed while the lighter was packed, letting most of the gas out. And I've seen them broken just from being sat on. True- I'm not talking shattering the whole body. You don't need to do that to render one inoperable.

As lighters go, I think the peanut ones from CountyComm.com would be more durable. I think I'll order a couple for camping and survival use.