Zippo Mag Strike

I am a Spark Reviewer for Walmart and was sent a free Zippo Mag Strike to review. I have been a Zippo customer for years with their lighters and was really looking forward to testing this product. I really like how heavy duty this felt in my hands and it was easy to hold both the striker and the strike rod. The directions were very clear with pictures making it easy to learn how to use as I have never used anything like this before. It happens to be about 34 degrees out with a light wind today. We had snow in the last two days, so much of what I could find to burn was cold and or damp. I borrowed my neighbors fire pit and as you can see from the pictures used some crumpled-up paper to try to start the fire. I quickly realized that I would need something more burnable to get a fire started and found some dried cut grass that I put on the paper along with a few dead tree leaves. There is a coating along the strike rod and sparks did not really happen until that black coating was rubbed off by the striker. My husband, pre-teen grandson and I worked at this for quite sometime (around 10 minutes), but once the black coating was off and we ran the striker along the strike rod, sparks really flew. I was really surprised at how each strike produced sparks that flew down into the fire pit. My twelve-year-old grandson said we had to hold the striker much closer to what we wanted to start on fire, so I handed it to him and once he did the sparks landed in the dried grass clippings and we soon had a small fire going. Once we had it going, we slowly fed it a little more dried clippings until it was able to catch the paper on fire. I think that if we knew what we were doing in the first place, the fire would have been going in under 10 minutes without any real exertion. To produce the sparks a quick movement of the striker to the strike rod with a firm grip is all it takes to get the shower of sparks. I have to say that I was really impressed with this Zippo and it really did what it said it would do, even for beginners like we are. This will make a nice addition to any campers' gear, a great gift for the outdoors person, or a real necessity for that emergency pack you should have for just in case.

The Zippo Mag Strike is a solid tool to help start a fire and very well constructed. It is portable enough to carry in a pocket. I would just put it in your bag since it has some weight to it or use one of the two lanyard holes to attach to a backpack. You will need some light tinder to catch fire from the sparks. I also recommend having kindling and wood to start building the fire once the tinder ignites. You hold the 2 inch rod about 4 inches above the tinder at an angle and then push the blade away from you to get sparks. After the fire starts you can then slide the rod in the chamber for convenient storage. I was happy with the sparks the Zippo Mag Strike produces. This is just the kind of product that you should have when hiking in case you need to make a fire to stay warm or cook. After you are done with your fire make sure to cover it with dirt and water so it is cold when you leave. No one wants to be responsible for a wildfire.

This is a nice and very effective product to have camping or on hand for a crisis. Its large and solid and easy to grip and produces tons of sparks that last long. The steel is high quality and part of the body which means your other gear or backpack material is protected from tearing. It can be a little stiff to open so you should work on it before using.

This Mag Strike lives up to the fine Zippo reputation. It is compact, sturdy, intuitively easy to use and it works like, well it works like a ball of fire. I'm getting several of these to give as Christmas stocking stuffers for all my buddies who camp, hunt, fish, and just plain enjoy having a reliable and serviceable fire starter. The literal ball of sparks which engulfs tinder is most impressive.

I got this because I thought it was a interesting device. I have a fire pit in my back yard. I thought the mag strike Would help light the fire quicker. I was not wrong. I love the mag strike. Yes! I does take time to get used to how you use it. However once you learn it easy to use. You can use it for camping or for emergencies. I plan On buying another to put in my car. You never no when it might come in handy. Plus it's made from Zippo. You can't go wrong with this product.

My husband keeps this gadget in his truck at all times. Not only for camping trips but you just never know when you might be in a survival situation and need it. It puts off quite the spark! It stays dry in the enclosure, so you don't have to worry about it getting wet if you drop it in water or something. It gives a solid spark, not something weak. Sometimes you'll get a real good one that stays orange for several seconds. My husband says it would be nice if the slanted edge on the striker was not only on the front tip but also along the sides since it's easier to him to use the sides to strike. The way things are going in our world today you never know when you might be with out the comforts of life and need to make a fire with out matches or boy scout skills. This little thing will come in handy for sure in a situation like that!

I tried this to start our log fire pit. Gathered some dry twigs and leaves and tried out my new toy. I like the size and how you can hang it from a clip. I personally couldn't start anything but my nephew was a pro. He showed me I wasn't doing anything right lol. A couple strikes and he had a fire going.

Zippo Mag Strike is a reusable rod that creates sparks when struck with a striking tool. Comes with instructions (see pic). It takes practice to figure out how to use effectively. Zippo also has some very helpful instructional videos posted on YouTube. 1" wide x 1" deep x 4.30" tall. Reusable Rod: Uses a 5/16" ferrocerium rod and striker to create sparks. Blade is pointed and sharp to strike with precision. Striking rod slides into case for protection. When new, the rod is coated in a black, thin layer (see pic) that must be scratched off prior to use. It took me about 8 minutes to scratch off the coating with an emery board file. The slanted edge on the striker is only on the front, not on the sides(see pic). Just keep scraping the rod to create sparks. Case: Textured grip, triangular shape allows a firm grip even when damp or fingers are cold. Initially the case is really, really, really hard to open - I used a small standard screwdriver to lift open the metal above the red ball to open it for the first time (see pic). Having a tight fit is a good thing, but this takes practice to open, in my opinion. Case fits snuggly to keep the rod dry in all sorts of rain or water events. Two loops for a lanyard or tie for easy access, secure storage, key chain, carabineer, or side of bag. Striking: When striking, be prepared to start a fire - there will be a shower of hot sparks. The two pieces lock together when you are done (the magnesium rod fits inside the striker bar piece - see pic), so this tucks away into a single package. Zippo Mag Strike is a thoughtful addition for a bug out bag or emergency bag in a car or home. Handier than a lighter that you have to make sure is filled with fluid. Because it's so difficult to open and time consuming to remove the layer of coating on the rod - I give this 4 stars.

Pros: - Perfect for camping, emergencies - Small enough to fit and hang anywhere - Very easy to use Cons: - Has two lanyard holes to hook on anything but I wish there were hooks like carabiners included - Hard to open, I suggest to hook a paper clip in case of emergencies when you don't have much strength to open it

Received this Zippo Mag Strike as Spark Reviewer. I have multiple product of Zippo fighter for different use also as past smoker pipes, cigars, as earlier than 60 years ago heavy cigarettes smoker. I still own more than 4 Zippo's lighters and I always keep them ready for trip fare from the home, for emergency with candle light worm including some foods for surviving. But this Mag strike are useful more for country walk hiker, hunter, natural camper fans who may like, because it light, small and stay dry. I try it was remembering my Scouts period and lessons to make fire with rock or stone or wood to wood scratching. I admitted I am more attracted by old Zippo lighter for me compared to this product. Remember it is the two pieces by scratching to make a spark to get light fire on.