"If you want an inexpensive "fire steel," just go to your nearby Boy Scout store and get one of their Hot Sparks , same basic thing, just a lot cheaper... "

If you get the Boy Scout Hot Spark Kit, throw out their scraper bar. It's absolutely useless. It's far better to use the back of a knife blade. We used to make fun of the kits when I was a scout camp staffer (many eons ago <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />)