Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Lanyard is plenty long and it makes lots of sparks (after a couple of scrapes to remove the paint).If lanyard was not long enough one could exercise ingenuity and put on a longer cord.
It would easily light propane, but if you try to ignite a piece of sheet paper you will have trouble.Sheet paper is not fine enough and is not proper tinder (though you could shred and rumple it to make good tinder).You need a finer tinder bundle. Paper towel was also unsuccessful.I had easy success with toilet paper and dryer lint.It sparks more if you slow down and increase pressure a little.If the woods are wet and you can find no dry tinder you are in trouble, which is why most people carry tinder or fire starter or pick it up on the trail when they can.
I think it is easier to use the magnesium fire starter with a basic metal jigsaw blade as the magnesium shavings will ignite paper towel easily, and can also ignite paper if you make a dime sized pile of shavings (when igniting paper don't set the end of the magnesium fire starter on the paper as when you scrape the flint the vibrations will jiggle the shavings all around).Even better than a jigsaw blade may be a short hacksaw blade because it has a good hole you can put the cord through.
In summary: if you carry or can find/make good tinder the Swedish firesteel is tough, simple, and a good product.For normal people who want a firestarter that is somewhat easier to use carry the magnesium.That is what I will carry, in addition to good tinder (cotton balls with vaseline mushed in), and a very good lighter (more lights/space than matches).
P.S. Just watched Bear G. in Man vs. Wild (Discovery channel) use this after a major rainstorm starting a fire on the first strike BECAUSE he had previously harvested and protected some very good tinder.He did not use a magnesium firestarter.It does produce a 5,500
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