Universal Blast Match fire starters

GlockMeister · 02-23-2008, 11:45 PM

In the many people asking for ideas or that have expressed what's in their survival gear, I have yet to see one of these. And they work great. I say that because I have one. Maybe someone has posted something about them. I haven't seen anything though and as usual, nothing came up when I searched it. Anyhow, here you all go.

GunBroker.com guns: Ultimate Survival BlastMatch™ fire starter (item: 93030359 ends: Feb-24-08 05:29:59 PM)

The_Patriot · 02-24-2008, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlockMeister

In the many people asking for ideas or that have expressed what's in their survival gear, I have yet to see one of these. And they work great. I say that because I have one. Maybe someone has posted something about them. I haven't seen anything though and as usual, nothing came up when I searched it. Anyhow, here you all go.

GunBroker.com guns: Ultimate Survival BlastMatch™ fire starter (item: 93030359 ends: Feb-24-08 05:29:59 PM)

I scanned the ad and didn't see how many strikes it's good for. Do you have a ballpark figure of how many times you could use it?

AKHunter · 02-24-2008, 01:33 PM

That looks like a nifty device. The ad did say lifetime warrranty, free replacement if you wear it out, but if the SHTF what are the chances one can take advantage of the warranty. It looks to be a substantial piece of flint though. I still favor petroleum jelly saturated cotton balls and a magnesium stick/flint striker set up. Once a fire is started one can always keep an ember/smudgepot going to restart.

I bet a kid could wear it out though. A scary thought !

SwedeSteve · 02-24-2008, 02:40 PM

Looks good. Wonder about the machanism wearing out?

GlockMeister · 02-24-2008, 10:54 PM

I just broke mine out to answer some of the questions. As for the mechanism swede, it's pretty simple, don't see it wearing out that easily. It doesn't take much force at all to get a large hot spark.

Patriot, I couldn't tell you exactly how many strikes one could get from it, but if I had to guess, based on how thick it is, I'd say at the very least 500 uses, and quite honestly, probably more. I suppose the less it takes to get a fire going, that much more you will have, duh, obviously right. lol
I can also say this, the flint rod, is 1/2" in diameter and about 2 or 3" in length. Pretty solid to.

I've only used mine a few times, to get the feel for it and to check it out. Hundreds if not thousands of strikes left. Trust me, anyone that gets one won't be disappointed. Just something else to take camping, fishing or to just keep in that survival kit. Of course, it shouldn't be the only thing to keep in there for fire starting. Things get broken, lost or simply quit working.

perdidochas · 03-26-2008, 11:11 AM

The Boy Scouts sell a pretty good firestarter for only $2.50.
These work well (especially after they have been washed in a pocket).

Hot Spark Fire Starter

josh55 · 03-31-2008, 10:41 AM

We got these for our artci servival school and well I cant say anything bad about them. mix it thit this and you should be good to go. I have a set in my personal hunting kit and in my flight servival kit

Rex in OTZ · 04-30-2008, 01:10 PM

Work issued one of these in my equipment and they are great but if looking to pare down weight and space, the cheapy magnesium fire starter "striker side" works great with a 3"long doubled over hacksaw blade wrap one end with duct tape & rubberbaned to the striker lot less space and workd just as great,the blade teeth work great throwing sparks
also easy to replace as they are prevalant in hardware stores.

SwedeSteve · 04-30-2008, 01:14 PM

Good idea OTZ!

stompk · 05-28-2008, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlockMeister

GunBroker.com guns: Ultimate Survival BlastMatch™ fire starter (item: 93030359 ends: Feb-24-08 05:29:59 PM)

I've got one of these in every bag. I've tried LOTS of types of firestarters and this one is the best. it seems to have some magnesium in it, as it kicks off little pieces that burn and burn HOT. you can light a flat sheet of paper by sparking this on top of it. it's so simple my 8 year old can do it without help, and if it was completely crushed into pieces, you'd still be able to use the pieces to start a fire. aside from the price, what more could you ask for ?

Rex in OTZ · 06-17-2008, 06:04 PM

a small film canister of cottin balls saturated with vasiline petro jelly, pick out a pinch of cottin and loft it up some and zap it with the spark thrower, even my propane torch striker worked on this stuff, a baseball size hunk of dead grass (like straw) some dry toothpic/machstick size twiggs, Kids love starting & tending fires, gotta watch them as they all want there own fire, next thing you know there 3 little fires all around the camp.

02-23-2008, 11:45 PM	#1
GlockMeister Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northern Illinois Posts: 5,556	Universal Blast Match fire starters In the many people asking for ideas or that have expressed what's in their survival gear, I have yet to see one of these. And they work great. I say that because I have one. Maybe someone has posted something about them. I haven't seen anything though and as usual, nothing came up when I searched it. Anyhow, here you all go. GunBroker.com guns: Ultimate Survival BlastMatch™ fire starter (item: 93030359 ends: Feb-24-08 05:29:59 PM) __________________ I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6!

02-24-2008, 02:40 PM	#4
SwedeSteve Thor's Hammer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alaska Posts: 10,449 Images: 1	Looks good. Wonder about the machanism wearing out? __________________ Thank God we don't get as much Government as we pay for! -Will Rogers

02-24-2008, 10:54 PM	#5
GlockMeister Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northern Illinois Posts: 5,556	I just broke mine out to answer some of the questions. As for the mechanism swede, it's pretty simple, don't see it wearing out that easily. It doesn't take much force at all to get a large hot spark. Patriot, I couldn't tell you exactly how many strikes one could get from it, but if I had to guess, based on how thick it is, I'd say at the very least 500 uses, and quite honestly, probably more. I suppose the less it takes to get a fire going, that much more you will have, duh, obviously right. lol I can also say this, the flint rod, is 1/2" in diameter and about 2 or 3" in length. Pretty solid to. I've only used mine a few times, to get the feel for it and to check it out. Hundreds if not thousands of strikes left. Trust me, anyone that gets one won't be disappointed. Just something else to take camping, fishing or to just keep in that survival kit. Of course, it shouldn't be the only thing to keep in there for fire starting. Things get broken, lost or simply quit working. __________________ I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6!

04-30-2008, 01:10 PM	#8
Rex in OTZ Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kotzebue, Alaska Posts: 441	what you carry on you space is a premium Work issued one of these in my equipment and they are great but if looking to pare down weight and space, the cheapy magnesium fire starter "striker side" works great with a 3"long doubled over hacksaw blade wrap one end with duct tape & rubberbaned to the striker lot less space and workd just as great,the blade teeth work great throwing sparks also easy to replace as they are prevalant in hardware stores.

04-30-2008, 01:14 PM	#9
SwedeSteve Thor's Hammer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alaska Posts: 10,449 Images: 1	Good idea OTZ! __________________ Thank God we don't get as much Government as we pay for! -Will Rogers

02-24-2008, 01:33 PM	#3
AKHunter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 899	That looks like a nifty device. The ad did say lifetime warrranty, free replacement if you wear it out, but if the SHTF what are the chances one can take advantage of the warranty. It looks to be a substantial piece of flint though. I still favor petroleum jelly saturated cotton balls and a magnesium stick/flint striker set up. Once a fire is started one can always keep an ember/smudgepot going to restart. I bet a kid could wear it out though. A scary thought !

03-26-2008, 11:11 AM	#6
perdidochas Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 51	The Boy Scouts sell a pretty good firestarter for only $2.50. These work well (especially after they have been washed in a pocket). Hot Spark Fire Starter

03-31-2008, 10:41 AM	#7
josh55 Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 19	We got these for our artci servival school and well I cant say anything bad about them. mix it thit this and you should be good to go. I have a set in my personal hunting kit and in my flight servival kit

06-17-2008, 06:04 PM	#11
Rex in OTZ Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kotzebue, Alaska Posts: 441	a small film canister of cottin balls saturated with vasiline petro jelly, pick out a pinch of cottin and loft it up some and zap it with the spark thrower, even my propane torch striker worked on this stuff, a baseball size hunk of dead grass (like straw) some dry toothpic/machstick size twiggs, Kids love starting & tending fires, gotta watch them as they all want there own fire, next thing you know there 3 little fires all around the camp.