900 AURORA FIRE STARTER
# MADE IN THE U.S.A.
# SELF CONTAINED FIRE STARTER
# MADE OF KNURLED ANODIZED ALUMINUM
# INCLUDES A CYLINDER WITH BUILT IN STAINLESS STEEL BLADE AT THE OUTSIDE BASE WHICH IS STRUCK BY THE 1/4″ THICK FERRO-MAGNESIUM ROD, CREATING A SPARK.
# THE CYLINDER AND ROD SCREW TOGETHER AND MEET AT AN O-RING CREATING A WATERPROOF SEAL TO PROTECT THE ROD FROM CORROSION.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Well conceived firesteel product. Could have been better executed.
I like a good fire-steel. Though there is a learning curve involved in using them, they are the most reliable means of starting a “campfire” in adverse weather conditions. So I was excited to see this new “Aurora” model and figured I’d grab one (local convenience store - Solo Scientific manufacture.)
This is a good fire-steel and a well conceived product. Having a built in striker is a good idea, just in case you get caught without a knife (bad plan). The anodized aluminum casing looks classy and keeps the flint dry. (This might or might not be an issue for you. If I want to keep something dry I pack it accordingly.)
The execution of the plan isn’t so hot though.
I don’t mind the rough feel of the cross-hatching so much. It might actually enhance your grip. But right out of the package there are sharp (and I mean cut your fingers sharp) edges alongside of where the striker is attached and I needed to spend several minutes with a file getting them smoothed to the point where there is no danger of them cutting through a pants pocket.
Same problem exists with the lanyard hole. I threaded some 550 parachute cord through there, pleased to see that the hole was exactly the right size. But I then immediately noticed that the cord was catching and fraying. It needed some emery paper through there to clean it up.
It is nice to have a built in striker “just in case”. But the striker’s alignment and the manner in which it is to be used is awkward. Caution is needed to make sure those hot sparks aren’t hitting your knuckles en route to your tinder. I have attached the usual shortened chunk of old hacksaw blade that I use with my other fire-steels. (Hack saw blades are made of high carbon steel - which for some reason sparks best. The smooth side works fine. You don’t need to tear up the flint with the cutting edge, though you can get more sparks that way if you need them.)
This is a good enough product that I am giving it a 4 star rating but I am a little annoyed that it has been marketed by some people (though not this distributor - thank-you) as a revolutionary product and “the world’s best” fire-starter.
- The finish work on the “world’s best” anything should be done at the factory, not by the end-user.
- The “world’s best” fire steel ought to have a “flint” of at least 3/8″ diameter (larger flints = more sparks) and since competitive fire-steels come with a lanyard the “world’s best” might have one included too.
- And - no - the “built in magnesium” does not seem to make any difference. Maybe all of the fire-steels have some magnesium built in. Or maybe not. But the bottom line is that either of my “Light My Fire” steels (in two different sizes) work just as well.
Having grouched about the hyperbolic marketing, I have to say that if you are in the market for a fire-steel this is a pretty decent one. But if you already have a good fire-steel this is probably not going to be an upgrade. And DON’T count on that built in striker.
Filed under: Paintballgun Package Reviews