Editorial Product Review:Item 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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Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
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Gets the Job Done
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.
Customer Rating: -
Very reliable if used properly
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.
Customer Rating: 
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TERRIBLE!! DO NOT GET THIS IT WILL NOT WORK!!
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!!!!
Customer Rating: -
This was the hands down best in the Boy Scouts
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
