Solo Scientific

I have owned/used the sweedish firesteel Swedish Firesteel - Army Model , the Gobspark  Gobspark Firesteel with Super Scraper, Lanyard, and Red Handle  and a generic military style magnesium firestarter. I kept trying different starters because my results in real camping situations were un-satisfactory. I have found that those devices only work reliably with perfect tinder. If you have vasiline coated cotton balls or dryer lint on you then any of the previously mentioned devices (The Gobspark is the best) put off tons of sparks and will work well. However, if you forgot and/or used up all your home made stuff then they start lacking. Trying to start birch bark shavings, dry pine needles, or other small naturally found tinder is VERY difficult with just sparks even with extensive practice. We found that it can take tons of strikes and hand fatigue begins to make it un fun. The common magnesuim firestarter works sometimes but the magnesium shavings tend to scatter to much in the small tinder pile and are hard to light in any kind of wind once you get them in place.In addition to the sparks the aurora "lights" the magnesium as it comes off of the rod so that it is burning when it hits the tinder. In practice it burns longer and hotter than just sparks alone and is much more reliable for starting. I was able to easily light some old mans beard ,which can be finicky after a rain, with two strikes. The way you hold the striker is also a little different and I personally found it easier to aim at the tinder.The case is knurled and feels very high quality. The 440c striker can be sharpened, reversed, and replaced once it dulls over time. The rod comes with a coating like all the firestarters and the sparks improve once the coating is gone.I am sure if you are special forces ninja outdoors god then you can use just the sparkers listed above to start a bonefire from soaking wet grass blades. However, for the everyday hiker/kayaker like me this is a superior more reliable product. I am buying two more in case they stop making them. That is the highest recomendation I can give.

Ok so I gave it two stars because it did work ok, not great, but ok to start a fire. there are many easier devices (magnesium fire starters) out there that are cheaper and easier to use.However mine came broken. The rod had snapped off down by the threading. So amazon being awesome immediately sent me another and I sent the broken one back. I had the second one long enough to light exactly two fires on one camping trip and then it broke. Not in use but in my pocket. I sent it back and was done with it. If I am in a situation where I need a fire to stay alive the last thing I want is failing equipment. This is of course my experience and there are plenty of positive reviews to refute mine and maybe I got two bad ones in a row by coincidence and most are tough as nails but I was and am displeased.

Everything the 5 Star reviewers say is correct. This is a great device, well made, and without having to file a separate pile of magnesium it is easy, but still burns HOT.The self contained aspect is very nice, but nothing that a $4 flint & steel and a ziploc bag can't handle.After about 30 seconds of learning how to use it, I was able to produce a great spark that lit kindling no problem.4 stars because this is nothing I could not have done with my tried and true flint & steel. I have canoed and kayaked on camping trips, I have camped in the rain, and I have never had a problem with wet flint.I also have a slight problem with the magnesium and flint in the same rod. Traditionally you file some magnesium into a neat pile in your kindling and then strike the flint over the pile. With this design you are flinging CRAZY hot sparks that continue to burn longer than traditional flint. Just make sure your sleeves are pulled up!Lastly I compared the spark from the "440C" and the spark produced by the back of my trusty pocket knife and the knife won out by a long shot. Granted I am used to sparking with my knife and not with the "440C". And this design saves the back of your knife, if saving the back of your knife is your goal.All in all, it is sexy, and if you don't mind spending 5 times the money for this fire starter, you will not be disappointed. But remember; "sexy" doesn't start fires.Happy Camping

I bought this product for a camping trip I went to last weekend. Usually we all used natural kindle and lighters to make fires for the past couple of years. I thought I'd try something different. This product works as advertised except it would be best if you used your own knife to make the sparks rather than the little edge on the end of this thing. There was another review that pointed this out and I found it to be true. So I pulled out my knife and used that instead. If you have never used something like this I'm sure it can be frustrating, but be patient and you'll do just fine.1 Star off due to the blade on this thing not being the most user friendly.

Small, but that's what I wanted. I wanted it for the side loop of my leather man super tool. It fits nicely. The spark generated isn't as large as my other fire starters.

This item is a study in wasted potential. The self-contained aspect is mostly irrelevant, as the striker is simply too small and awkward to use, so you'll end up falling back on your knife anyway just to generate an adequate amount of sparks, and even those sparks are pretty hit-and-miss when it comes to actual ignition. The metal is so soft that noticeably large chunks are lost with almost every scrape. Even the o-ring can't stop slipping around all over the place, and the lanyard holes aren't anywhere near large enough to fit paracord. This could have been great, but instead I'll be using my $.99 firesteel instead, because it actually starts fires. Save your money, and hope they make the necessary adjustments to what could be a fine product.