Fire Making

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The Firesteel Challenge

"Are all firesteels created equally?"

Seems like a simple question, but I'm surprised how often I get asked just that.  Spend time with someone who is into the great outdoors or bushcraft and you will undoubtedly find out that they have an use a firesteel.  They are known by many different names, such as ferro rods (short for ferrocerium rod) or artificial flints, and come in many shapes and sizes.

Until recently, if anyone had asked me what the best firesteel to have was, I would have probably said it was the Light My Fire Military model firesteel.  This is a big, chunky firesteel that comes with a striker that is commonly seen in outdoor books and TV shows.  Using the striker (or the back of a knife or a small piece of hacksaw blade) you can scrape off hot sparks that can be used to light tinder.  No matches or lighters required.

But are these still the best firesteels to carry?  Well, I decided to find out.  So, for the test I chose two different firesteels:

• A standard Military model Light My Fire firesteel, commonly known as a "Swedish" firesteel (http://www.light-my-fire.com/) 
• An Ultimate Survival BlastMatch (from http://www.woodlandorganics.com)

Parameters of the test

The parameters of the test are quite unscientific but nonetheless real-world.  

• I took both firesteels out one summer's evening along with some Tindercard tinder (supplied by http://www.bearclawbushcraft.co.uk). This is an excellent tinder and I chose it because while it catches light quite easily it doesn't burn up as fast and furiously as cotton wool or similar fluffy material.  It also enabled us to carry out a more objective test between the steels.
• The tests were carried out on a pine log.  
• Photographs and video were taken of the tests.

The Test

The object of the tests was simple - to see which ferro rod could light a 2 x 2 cm square of Tindercard split in half with the least strikes.  Each rod was used to light two small squares of Tindercard.

The results

The results were spectacular to say the least!  The Ultimate Survival BlastMatch ignited the Tindercard both times on the first attempt.  Not only that, but the shower of sparks it gave off was amazing.  The hot particles were seen to rest on the surface of the log and burn brightly for several seconds before dying out.  

The performance of the Light My Fire Military firesteel, while in itself a good firesteel, paled in comparison.  It took multiple attempts to get the Tindercard lit, on average, four strikes.  The shower of sparks given off was much smaller and the individual sparks extinguished much quicker.  The Light My Fire firesteel gave a much better shower of sparks when scraped with the back of a high carbon steel blade than using either the striker provided or a bit of hacksaw blade.

Another advantage of the BlastMatch is that it is much easier to control where the sparks fall.  This undoubtedly contributed to me being able to light the Tindercard first time each time using it.

Take a look at the videos:

 

One Hand or Two?

One complaint that people have of the BlastMatch is that, while it's an excellent firesteel, some feel that it's really hard to use it without having a solid surface to work on.  This leads them to think that in a survival situation where you might be injured or not able to find a solid surface to work on it could be difficult to use. This is unlikely as the ground can be used or even the sole of a book.   I've found it's even possible to strike the BlastMatch into my hand!

The sparks are a little warm and it  prickles a little bit - but not much more than a sparkler.  It's important to get the sparks to fall onto the tinder and then pick it  up quickly and move it to the  fireplace.  I wouldn't use any sticky tinder (cotton wool impregnated with Vaseline for instance) because it would be hard to handle. NOTE:  This trick isn't out of the manual.  If in doubt, don't do it.  Proceed with caution and at your own risk!

The other important thing to consider is the survival situation where you've only got one usable hand!  The BlastMatch solves this problem nicely!

Conclusion

The Ultimate Survival BlastMatch is no gimmick piece of kit.  It's a solid, robust and well engineered product that does exactly what it is supposed to - casting a shower of hot sparks!  And it does this well.  It's ideally suited to being either a firesteel you use regularly when outdoors or as an emergency backup survival tool.  I doubt that the BlastMatch will replace the Light My Fire firesteel as the de facto outdoor firelighter simple because of how deep the "firesteel that you scrape with the back of your knife" has penetrated into books and the media.  However, don't be fooled by such things - if you want a powerful firesteel, the BlastMatch is by far the best option.

Despite having moving parts and plastic parts, the BlastMatch is extremely robust and well built and is capable of withstanding a lot or hard abuse (I've stood on mine and dropped it on the floor and it hasn't suffered any damage).   The BlastMatch also carries a lifetime warranty which means that you are entitled to a replacement in the event that you damage or wear out your BlastMatch!

So, while the Light My Fire firesteels are good ... I would indeed class the BlastMatch  as the ultimate firesteel!

Kathie Kingsley-Hughes
Last updated: August 27th 2004
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• Firesteel Challenge
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