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Featured Article - Review of Army FireSteel

Matches can get wet, and each will only light once. Lighters can be better, but most aren't water resistant and all are limited by the amount of fuel they can carry. Enter the FireSteel. This device is supposed to be able to create fires easily and reliably, be weatherproof, light thousands of fires, and come in a compact package. Gear For Adventure has sent us one to put to the test.

Introduction

The FireSteel, made by Light-My-Fire of Sweden, follows a simple concept: when a harder material scrapes across ferrocerium (an alloy of mischmetals) a shower of sparks is thrown. The FireSteel is a ferrocerium rod mounted in a strong, plastic handle, attached by a lanyard to a metal striker. To use the FireSteel, one directs it at a pile of tinder (such as wood shavings, shredded bark, or leaves), and uses the included striker or back of a knife blade to scrape the rod. 5,500°F sparks are produced to ignite the tinder.

The FireSteel comes in three sizes: Mini, Scout, and Army. The Army model is the largest at 3.75" (9.5 cm) long, and will last 12,000 strikes according to the manufacturer. This is the model being reviewed. A complete list of dimensions is below.

The FireSteel's grip is the perfect size to be grasped between thumb and forefinger. The concave curves on either side afford a secure grip. The striker is made of a ferrous metal, but appears highly resistant to corrosion - I would assume it to be stainless steel. A raised groove along its border keeps the thumb secure. The striking edge is scalloped - an improvement over earlier models - and helps guide the striker along the rod. The lanyard, 14" (35.5cm) total, is just long enough to allow the striker to be used.

The simple design, devoid of moving parts, lends itself to high-quality, durable construction. The FireSteel and striker would never fail under any conditions that do not involve tremendous forces.

More Close-up Photos Below

Using

I found the FireSteel to be very easy to use. The end of the rod is placed in the tinder at forty-five to ninety degrees, and the handle is held with one hand between the thumb and forefinger. The striker is held with the other hand between thumb and forefinger. The striker is then used to slowly scrape the rod from top to bottom; this will produce ferrocerium shavings that ignite and burn violently. In addition to being very hot, the sparks are very bright. While working in dim light, I was dumb enough to stare into them, and they ruined my night vision. I approve of the manufacturer's claim that they can be used as a signaling device in an emergency. In the dark, these sparks would be easily visible at great distances.

In place of the supplied striker, I tried using the back of knives and of a Leatherman's saw. They all worked very well. Since most, if not all, outdoorsman carry a knife, it is possible to leave the striker at home altogether. The snap which secures the lanyard can be undone (and redone) to modify or remove the lanyard without damage.

If the FireSteel is brand new or hasn't been used in a while, a dark, protective patina develops which is scraped off within a few strikes. This done, many tinders ignite with a single strike. Char cloth, dryer lint, shredded newspaper, and commercial tinders like MayaDust all consistently light up on the first try. How would it work without pre-prepared tinder though? I tried to ignite birch-bark, wood shaved from the inside of a branch, dry pine needles, and dry leaves. The FireSteel worked well on each of them, even with my poor technique. You can see the results for yourself in the video below. Note that in the video, I did a minimal amount of tinder preparation (I did not shred the leaves, bark, or needles as one normally would) and that I'm using much less tinder than one would use if actually starting a fire.

Also in the video is a demonstration of the FireSteel's water resistance. After being completely submerged and lightly dried with a rag, it lit up without a problem. In fact, sparks will be made even with water on the surface on the rod - wet tinder will become a problem long before the rod becomes inoperable. The FireSteel also demonstrates solid wind resistance. In winds that would easily blow out matches and all but the best lighters, the FireSteel lit up tinder easily. This is one of the major reasons I would recommend carrying a FireSteel in conjunction with or in place of more traditional fire starters.

In the video, those are among my first tries with the FireSteel. I am trying too hard, and using too much pressure. Despite this, the FireSteel works well. It was very easy for me to correct my mistakes, and proper technique came naturally after a few dozen strikes. The wood shavings shown were scraped from a dead branch with my knife.

FireSteel Test -

Carrying

The FireSteel has a lanyard included, which may be handy for tying the FireSteel to objects or clipping it on, but is too short for the FireSteel to be worn about the neck. I have some concern about the durability of the included cord. After a couple of weeks bouncing around in my pocket, it began to fray. My pockets aren't the most hospitable environment, but the cord does strike me as a bit more fragile than most. As previously mentioned, the lanyard snap can be undone and redone by prying the slot. The lanyard holes on the FireSteel and striker are large enough to accept most cords - including the favorite Paracord 550 - so an upgrade for durability or for a longer or shorter lanyard would be very easy. For people like me who always have at least one knife with them (which you better if you're starting a fire!), it may be a good idea to remove the factory lanyard and striker altogether.

The FireSteel's shape lends itself well to being packed. I quickly found three great ways to bundle it with my gear. First, it will slide easily into the elastic loop in my Leatherman Wave Sheath. This is very convenient, since I always have it on my belt. Second, it will slip into dead space in the Khukuri sheath. Third, it will snugly lodge itself into a loop on the shoulder strap of my day pack. If there is concern about the security of a friction fit, you can always secure the FireSteel with a short cord or lanyard. With a bit of creativity, you can find dozens of places to pack the FireSteel. I recently met a hiker who had his custom knife sheath designed with a special loop for holding one.

Conclusion

I absolutely recommend the FireSteel. I thought at first that it may be a novelty product, but the bottom line is that it gets the job done. With a FireSteel, I would forget about matches altogether. A lighter can be more convenient, but as well as one may be constructed, I would never trust if fully - furthermore, it could simply run out of fuel. From now on, I will be hiking with a well-made jet flame lighter (review coming shortly) for primary use, with the FireSteel as a necessary backup in case the lighter fails or the weather is too severe for its use. It is quite possible that as I use it more, I will end up preferring the FireSteel for all use. When I set out on the 2200 mile Appalachian Trail in just over a year, where every ounce matters, the lighter will be left at home, and a FireSteel (possibly a smaller model) will have full fire-starting responsibility: gas stove in case the piezo electric fails, camp fires, and survival fire.

Gear For Adventure has great deals on FireSteels, is a superb company to work with, and made this review possible.

More Photos

Back of the FireSteel, after it has started dozens of fires: