Genuine Issue Magnesium Survival Fire Starter

I've been using my Magnesium/Flint bar for about 15 yrs. You do not need a sharp knife or even a knife at all. You just need something with a good solid hard edge. I always use mine by using the back of my knife to scrape the magnesium into a pile for semi-damp tinder. I use the back of my knife as well to spark the flint onto the tinder. I highly suggest getting one of these, and I also like my "Swedish Firesteel" as well for lighting camp fires.

Even mountain biking, where you plan to be in the woods for only a few hours, things happen. You break a leg or taco a wheel and you're stranded miles and miles from the closest food and shelter. Sometimes you just get spun around or bonk and the best thing to do is lay down, call for help if you can and weren't so dumb as to not bring a cell phone, and do your best to keep comfortable until help arrives. And of course, this is all more so the truth when you're hiking, camping, or even taking a little day trip in an national forest area.

If you have a knife, some kind of water container, and this fire starter, you're set to make it through all but an absolute catastrophe--and even then you're better off than you would be without it. Fire is the first and foremost feature of civilization, which is where you ultimately want to be.

Magnesium lights up at roughly 1000 F, so this will start a fire on the first attempt if you've got the shavings in a nice little pile amongst some kindling. If you mess it up, no problem; you've still got a few hundred chances worth more of magnesium to fumble with. This is also a product that's been on the market likely longer than you've been alive, so don't think you got the last one they'll ever make.

With this, you just take your knife (the back works as well as the blade really) scrap off some magnesium in a little pile, put your little wads of bark or other hairy kindling (or pine cones, bits of cloth, or whatever you can scrap up as you can anywhere) along with your regular kindling, strike the flint side of the fire starter with the back of your blade or anything made of steel, and make sure to look away when it starts because the light is bright white like a halogen lamp on full.

If I had to compare it to anything, it's like setting off a flare.

The sparks from the magenesium catching fire don't go flying, so no worries about one shooting up into your face, but also don't be under the impression that you or your friend can hold the magesium and kindling while shooting sparks at it so that you can immediately blow on it. When it lights, it lights instantly, and it's so hot that it will burn right through to the bone if you light it on skin. If you've ever seen sugar on fire, this is far more serious, but it's safe so long as you don't do anything stupid.

Bottom Line: It's so small it can go on your keychain or be thrown in your backpack as one of those things you always have just in case, but forget about until you really need it. Its of negligible weight for you weight weenies out there. And it's so just plain cool that you'll find yourself using it not just for that moment when you're in trouble and panicking about the fact that everything they taught you in Boy Scouts was entirely wrong, but when you're 'out there' and there's absolutely nothing wrong.

If nothing else, it's a neat bit of science (kids go crazy for this stuff) that just might end up saving your caboose some day. It's small, cheap, light, and effective--which is something we can rarely say about anything truly useful these days.

Previous reviewer mentioned the cotton balls. Try saving dryer lint and put it in egg cartons and then pour melted wax on it from candles that are burned down with no wick. When a fire is needed, break off a section of the egg carton to use as fire starters, regardless of whether your kindling is damp it will light. And there is no expiration date on these once made! It works well and it achieves the desired results of a fire when needed. Everyone should add these items to their survival kits for home and camping gear.

This is one of the best fire starters you can carry. Another reviewer indicated it wasn't much good unless you have a sharp knife. Not only is a sharp knife not required, it's a very bad idea to use one. Shaving the magnesium then scraping the metal match insert with your knife will certainly work, but it will also dull your knife in short order. It is a much better idea to attach a piece of a hacksaw blade to it for this purpose. It works as well and lets you save your knife for its intended purpose - cutting. Even if you have no or hacksaw blade (or knife), a sharp piece of broken glass will let you shower sparks from the insert. That alone will get your fire started (though if your tinder is damp it's easier when you can also use magnesium scrapings). A cotton ball smeared with petroleum jelly makes excellent tinder to use with this device. A dry cotton ball also works; it just doesn't burn as long. Put several into an old film container then drop in it your pack with the magnesium fire starter. The bottom line is this tool is small, light weight, inexpensive, reliable and easy to use. These attributes make it an excellent tool and an outstanding value.