Swedish Firesteel – Army Model

Originally developed for the Swedish Department of Defense, the FireSteel is a flash of genius. The FireSteel is intended to replace matchbooks, lighters, and other fire starters, providing a 3,000-degree C (5,432-degree F) spark that makes it easy to build fires in any weather, at any altitude. The FireSteel is a breeze to use: just pile up a small quantity of dry grass, paper, or other flammable material, and then force the included striker down the FireSteel. The resulting spark will create a fire even when wet, letting you light campfires, stoves, and gas barbecues at a moment’s notice. Used by a number of armies around the world, the FireSteel’s dependability has already made it a favorite of survival experts, hunters, fishermen, and campers. It’s also found its way into cabins and backyards as a foolproof fire-starting tool for tough conditions. You can even use the bright spark as an emergency signal.

This Army version of the FireSteel, which comes in several handle colors, is designed to last for 12,000 strikes and is approved by the International Survival Instructors Association.

* Compact fire starter designed to light fires in any conditions
* Provides 3,000-degree C spark in any weather, at any altitude
* Ideal for lighting campfires, stoves, and gas barbecues
* Striker lights up small piles of dry grass, paper, and other flammables
* Lasts for 12,000 strikes; approved by International Survival Instructors Association

User Comment: Best firestarter. It works, if you do your part.

Over the years I’ve played around with all kinds of emergency firestarters, from so-called “waterproof” matches to magnesium blocks to bows and drills to flint and steel to butane lighters. This is the first product I’ve found that works every time in all conditions. Believe it or not, it’s actually more reliable when wet than a butane lighter! I bought the Army and Scout firesteels and got the BBQ model really only to practice with. Well, these Swedish firesteels are so easy to use that there’s really not terribly much need to practice after the first couple times.

Like any firestarting device from matches to flint and steel, the key is in having dry tinder and starting out with very small bits of wood shavings. For tinder, I really like a golf ball sized bit of dryer lint. Dryer lint ignites so easily that it’s worthwhile to regularly harvest it and keep it in zip-lock bags for when you need it. If that’s not an option, then dry cedar works well, too. Typically, to get the grill, the chimnea, or the campfire going, what I do is take a tuft of dryer lint, whittle some nice dry oak or cedar on top of it, and ignite it with the firesteel. Only once it’s going do I start adding finger sized twigs or kindling. So far, it’s worked everytime and I rarely have to scrape the firesteel more than twice. Just to see what would happen, I even soaked the firesteel in water. As long as the tinder was good and dry, it lit anyway, though it took a few more strokes.

I think everybody ought to have several sizes of these distributed in their houses, cars, cabins, boats, bug-out bags, hunting kits, etc. This thing is actually easier to use and more reliable than cheap Chinese wooden kitchen matches and unlike a butane lighter it won’t leak out over time or pose a safety risk. I plan on getting several in different sizes so I’ll always have one handy. Makes a great gift, too.

http://www.amazon.com/Swedish-Firesteel-Model-Black-Handle/dp/B0013L2DKU/