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Genuine Issue Magnesium Survival Fire Starter | 
 enlarge | Brand: 4 Star Military Surplus
Category: Sports
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $7.25
You Save: $12.74 (64%)
New (3) from $7.25
Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 191
Media: Misc.
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
ASIN: B0002X1IOM
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | Manufactured in the U.S.A.! |
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Product Description
Government Issue Aviation Magnesium Fire Starter. Made of solid magnesium with striker. Creates hottest natural fire on the planet. Even lights wet materials. Will start 1000's of fires and only measures 1/4" x 1/4" x 3". Includes key chain.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 Basic and foolproof November 8, 2008
These little units are deceptively useful. They are very easy to use and simple. But just like matches, lighters, or anything else (which are much easier to foil), the little magnesium block requires a period of learning. (Many folks forget that they learned about matches and lighters when they weren't under duress!)
The magnesium block will last for many uses, so get out and use it under some favorable conditions before you carry it around as a "just in case, save my butt" type of tool. Once you know how to use it, it is quite simple. I have pulled a knife and magnesium out of my water drenched pants pockets and prepared and started a fired in minutes in spite of windy drippy weather. The heat generated by burning magnesium is considerable and even a brief flame of its intensity will get some rather hopeless tinder started.
The secret to using this tool well is to use it correctly. First you need to assemble the materials and prepare a proper bed for the fire. The rules about using tinder of some sort, kindling, and then larger fuel should be followed. I use a knife blade to shave the magnesium. I use a dragging stroke to peel off fine, thin curls of metal. That is neither dangerous, nor is it especially hard on a decent blade. (Magnesium is relatively soft.) A small pile of curls is adequate. I like to hold the magnesium against a solid surface so both metal and knife blade don't move erratically; that prevents scattering the shavings so much. A flat, hard surface of some sort is also useful for catching and the gathering the shavings into a single pile. When that is ready, I gather some tinder around, and perhaps loosely over the shavings. Thin pieces of kindling ready to be added as the fire flares are all that is needed to begin. A simple firm sweep of the knife blade across the flint edge which is aimed toward the metal shavings is all it takes to have a fire started.
I highly recommend this simple device for people who need a fire-starting tool that can work through years of neglect and conditions more dire than most other tools will survive. It works for me on the shores of the Bering Sea. (And yes, I have also used a bow and shoelace, but I much prefer the ease of using this simple block of magnesium and flint.)
Gets the Job Done August 31, 2008
Although many other reviewers have given great advice on how not to dull your blade knife, I opted for a small cheap pocket knife to use as a scraper. I haven't tried any other utensils yet but I am sure in a bind you could find an alternative.
With a little dryer lint and some fine dry starter I found laying around I was able to start a fire in no time at all. For those that complain the magnesium shavings blow away, that's because you didn't dig a little hole first to protect it from the wind. I found that when the knife edge is placed at the proper angle of 90 degrees, you will have no trouble getting shavings and it doesn't take alot of work either. The shavings are rather easy to get.
The difference between this and a lighter is that Magnesium burns at over 4000 degrees Fahrenheit. On a damp day this will make all the difference in the world.
Very reliable if used properly May 17, 2008
This and a Swedish Firesteel are my primary fire tools and have been for the last several years. As long as you patiently create a nice pile of magnesium shavings and strike the flint properly, it is very reliable and you can ignite just about any type of tinder. If you are in a wet climate, I'd recommend this over the Firesteel. Unless you are constantly dealing with wet tinder, you'll find the Swedish Firesteel quicker/easier to use (hotter sparks, as well as greater volume of sparks on the Swedish). I recommend carrying both, as well as a cheap BIC lighter.
 TERRIBLE!! DO NOT GET THIS IT WILL NOT WORK!! April 5, 2008
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
It is impossible to get a pile of shavings from the magnesium with you knife and even if you do get a pile it will not light with the flint. The flint sparks great but the magnesium does not light I put a match to it and it burned for a mili second it is useless!!!!
This was the hands down best in the Boy Scouts March 20, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
A decade or so ago when I was in the Boy Scouts this was, in the opinion of my troop, so good it was like cheating. It was more difficult to start a fire with a single match (which is how the scouts roll; one scout one match) than this. Also it put my little firesteel flint to shame.
I cannot for life of me figure out how people can think this is not the greatest fire starter. We used the backs of the blades our 3" folding knives to scrape off a decent pile of magnesium and then scrape the flint for sparks. The result was always white hot sparks and fire. It never failed. YMMV
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