UST Sparkie Fire Starter

If you do it right. Its hard to mess this system up. Its simple and does the trick.

This thing showers sparks! Way more sparks than I was ever able to achieve with other flint and steel fire starters. Easy to use, even for my 10 year old.

This item should come with better instructions. I bought this for our 11 year old daughter, as she was having trouble getting sparks from traditional magnesium or ferro rods, due to her small hands, as a lot of friction is usually necessary. I started to return this, as it wasn't working but about 1 out of 10 strikes. Then, we discovered what the directions don't tell you.... What they do tell you is to strike it a few times to remove the black coating. Easy. They tell you to hold at at 70-90 degree angle. Easy. They tell you to squeeze the pieces together. Pretty easy. But it still doesn't work but 1 out of 10 times. What they don't tell you is that you cannot get the proper leverage by testing it in the air at arm level, nor on a counter top nor even a chair type height from the ground. It has to be used at or very near the ground. Only then do you get the proper leverage by bending over it, holding it with a straight arm and "punching" onto the ground and your tinder, which creates a lot of sparks and starts most tinders. Our daughter loves it now and finds it easy to use. A little bit better directions would have been helpful. It also wear down faster than most ferro rods, IMO, so hence the 4 stars and not 5, but you'll still get over 100 uses.

This is an excellent fire starter. Very easy to use, and produces sparks that easily ignite anything that is a viable fuel, such as cotton balls, tampons, or dry brush. It also very easily lit commercial fuel such as compressed Trioxane. I used it to light the various fuels listed above, and it lit all of them easily. It is super easy to use, anyone could use it. It has not malfunctioned once after over a hundred used. It is very compact, and small enough to fit in any survival or camping kit, yet has enough power to create a fire with ease. It is truly the best of both worlds. This is an amazing fire starter that you should just have to have. It is inexpensive, but for what it does it can be invaluable. I personally have one in my emergency supplies bag, and will be getting another one for my camping kit. It is so easy to use, you just push where it says push, and depress the rod and instant shower of sparks. I would get this if you are here for your first one.

Pretty good one handed fire starter. Hold kindling in off hand a smack the striker into it and it works pretty good. Only hangup here is the construction. Its flimsy and will fall apart if you are too rough with it.

Started one fire, then literally fell apart. Doesn't really work and fell apart after about 6 uses. The rod fell out of the plastic handle. It’s also kind of hard to get it to strike…the angles of the rod and scraper are wrong. Not a good product would never rely on it. A failed item I would look for another product to fit this need this one is a failed item!

Nice pocket-sized fire starter

Good product

It is impressive, sparks come out readily. The latch machanism holding the rod inside the housing won't stand a slight impact, when I carry it around my neck, it comes out everytime when it swings to hit any solid object. Keep it in your pocket would be fine.

Fair enough

Amazing thanks

Hallo ich finde den Firesteel gut er ist anfangs etwas schwierig in der Handhabung aber letztlich reine Übungssache deshalb nehme ich lieber meinen herkömmlichen zum Feuer machen ist aber übungssache

Really cool little flint fire starters that can be used with one hand. Very efficient. Bought 98 to give away at an event!