| | |  | Aurora Military Waterproof Fire Starter - USA Made | Home » » Aurora Military Waterproof Fire Starter - USA Made | | | | | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 10.25 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.5 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.0 inches | | Package Width:
| 1.3 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.75 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.05 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 12 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 12 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
64 of 64 found the following review helpful:
Well conceived firesteel product. Could have been better executed.Sep 04, 2009
By Saint Richard
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 and getting a fire-steel wet isn't much of a problem anyway.)
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.
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Overpriced and Not as expectedSep 24, 2011
By J.
This does create a spark. I purchased it based on the product i saw the guy use in the video. This is not the same product. This could not create a spark like I saw. I have an old boy scout one that's worth about $2. It works at least as well as this. However, this one is almost difficult to hold based on the shortness of the "handle" of the firesteel. Getting normal firesteel a little wet from falling in a river or rain during your outing does not cause any problems anyway. This products like normal firesteel, but it's not worth $20. I would suggest something less expensive, or something better.
The rating is more for the high price for such an average product.
 Durable, Compact FiresteelMay 18, 2012
By Max
Great design and execution of this product, gives you a firesteel in a very durable steel 'case' so you don't need to worry about a dog tag, and rod dangling by a thread. Lanyard loop on top fits 550 Paracord fairly easily. I would suggest putting a lanyard on it (with a knot pattern, not just a loop) so you can fit 4 fingers on it instead of two. Makes it a lot easier to strike. Case has an o-ring and is waterproof. Well worth the money in my opinion.
 Way way too high a priceMay 15, 2012
By Reallybigmonkey1
The Aurora fire starter is a pretty well built piece of gear. It is akward to strike and throw sparks, it has very sharp edges all over it that were not deburred at the factory and you will get cut using it. If the price was cheaper it would be o.k. Its way way overpriced for an average fire starter. It bothers me to have to write this review because Ive bought hundreds of fantastic products with the name Rothco on it before and this is the first disappointment.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Works well but not like the videosMay 22, 2011
By P. Yee
"TheOCDude"
This is a great one to have if you want something w/o the old magnesium style. Sparks are created easily, but you need to have good tinder as you can't start a fire in the first spark unless you have really good tinder. So I would only get this for a last resort type of deal.
See all 12 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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