Doan Magnesium Firestarter

TAH

TAH

Joined
Jul 3, 2001
Messages
6,138
What are your thoughts on these? Any good? Hard to use? I've heard the magnesium lights easy and goes out quickly.


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They work well enough; they just don't have that bushcraft/bushlore look to them like a flint/steel, ferro rod with a nice handle, or a wooden fire piston.

I carry one around and have used it a few times. It's my back up back up fire starter.
 
they work fine but they have some flaws. you have to shave a good amount off to make a decent size pile,it burns up very quick and they arent very good in windy conditions since the shavings get blown all over. the plus side is they will help you light course or stubborn tinder.
 
They work well, it's all in the tinder preparation, I keep one in my pack for backup purposes.

If it's windy it helps to collect the shavings on a piece of duct tape .
 
TAH said:
What have you found to be the best tinder for it since the magnesium burns up so quickly?
Click to expand...

I've used nature's ready made tinder in the past: a bird's nest

If you don't have that you need to collect absolutely dry materials including twigs, leaves, grass, bark shavings, preferably birch, and make up a fluffy bundle.
 
+1 on shaving the mag onto a bit of duct tape. It keeps it in place and serves as a tinder. Then just add your secondary tinder and you've got fire!
 
KuRUpTD said:
I've used nature's ready made tinder in the past: a bird's nest

If you don't have that you need to collect absolutely dry materials including twigs, leaves, grass, bark shavings, preferably birch, and make up a fluffy bundle.
Click to expand...

Is it best to put the magnesium shavings inside the bundle and strike or place the bundle on the shavings after it is lit? In other words, does the magnesium go out before you can get the bundle in place?
 
I've had good results using the file on my Leatherman Wave to get shavings. Duct tape is a great idea to keep it all together. Looks like I'll be playing with fire again tonight!!
 
I’ve had one for several years. I agree that it burns up super fast. People think you just need to have a few shavings, and it will work, but you really need to have a good pile of shavings because it burns so fast. Make a good tinder bundle or nest, shave a good amount of magnesium in the nest and let her rip. I like the option of magnesium, but I’m leaning toward mischmetal rods that I’m currently using. I’ll test them some more and time will tell.
 
As with just about everything in Bushcraft
Practise
practise
practise.
Have cut Doan blocks down the middle to save space ( there is a lot of magnesium there)
The other trick is if you live in a wet or marine area paint your doan with nail polish ( hey if Pink is all you've got who am I to judge) It seals it from the air stops corrosion and scrapes off as you scrape for the mag.
Carl
 
Here is my take on them. The mag shavings suck. As stated, you get heat out of them but it flares up in a second or so and never really seems worth the amount of time required to generate magnesium curls.

That said, the ferro rods on them are great. I also find them very easy to strike, because the mag block part produces a good hand hold. So, I use mine, but I basically use it as I would a normal fire steel, with normal firesteel tinder e.g. fatwood or PJCB or jute or charcloth/jute etc.

On the plus side. They are cheap and more easy to find in brick and mortar stores than firesteels. I can usually find them for about $5. Unlike a firesteel they don't require a handle. I find them more easy to grab the body of the block and strike compared to a firesteel. In fact, I prefer to strike a mag-block firesteel compared to a firesteel itself. I just find it intuitively easier. The little firesteel rods on the ones I've used spark great, as good as LMF rods. Also, their square shape and relative compactness makes them really easy to stow in pouch pockets like those found on sheaths.

Bads. The little rod obviously doesn't last as long as a real firesteel. However, a new mag block firesteel will last many 100's if not low 1000's of strikes if you are careful in how you strike. I'm also told that the rod will sometimes pop off the mag block due to the glue letting go. I've tried to pull the little firesteel of the magblock and couldn't do it so I don't know what to say about the last critique.

If I had my druthers, I'd have a bunch of firesteel blanks stowed away. However, magblocks are easy to find and cheap and thus I have a few of them stowed away.
 
Hey warrigal, why do I get the impression that yours is pink? :confused: :D

I've used mag blocks for years and they work just fine for me.

Doc
 
I actually prefer the magblock to the firerods. If patient and skilled enough, one can make fire quickly and effectively.
I stopped using firerods once I bought my first magblock.
+1 on the duct tape trick. I've used it successfully plenty of times.
 
I've had magnesium blocks for years. They've always worked really well for me. Having said that, I rarely use them. It's a lot more fun for me to use other methods (bow drill, fire steel, etc.). But, since I know that I can get a fire with a mag block, I always have one with me.
 
The shavings also stick pretty good to a cotton ball with Vaseline on. Great tinder as well.
 
I think there's a major imbalance between the size of the ferro rod and mag block.
The block should last for years, the rod is small and wears down quickly.
 
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