New Fire Steel (Polystriker by Exotac)

[Mistwalker]

Yesterday started out as a rather nasty day by most people’s standards, rainy, foggy, and dreary…my favorite kind of day most of the time, so I headed to a favorite spot to get some work done in peace.

This was the office for the day.

The conditions were nice and atmospheric.

And I MUCH preferred the wooded environment to the scenes in town…I feel much safer in the woods!!

By the time I needed to recharge the laptop battery I was ready to go for a walk and check out some new gear. I had been waiting for a chance to take a new fire starter out to the woods ever since I got to check out the prototype back at Blade. Exotac is producing a couple of new ferro rods called polySTRIKERS, and I really liked the concept as a replacement for my worn and aging LMF Army model because of the larger handle and the striker that stores in the handle. It has a total length of 5-5/16”, and 2” long by 5/16” dia. ferro rod

Here are a couple of comparison pics; the first with a Primus Igniter, and a LMF Scout model, and the other with an Exotac nano XL. The striker is the same design as on the nano models but a good bit larger.

As you can see the striker snaps into and is stored in the handle, rather than dangling on the cord like some others on the market. I just use my thumb to push it out from the back.

I like how both the rod and striker have large handles that are nice and grippy, I think they’ll be great for bad weather.

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[Mistwalker]

Considering it was late afternoon already, the two days of rain and mist had everything soaked, and with the cloud cover it would get dark fast when the sun went behind the mountain, I opted to take the easy way out and just use a piece of the resin rich dead pine laying around.

This stuff is great when speed is a factor because it really doesn’t matter how wet everything is, and even in the rain the ability to start fire is only limited by your ability to split enough of this stuff to get it going. This was the prep. I found a dead tree to use as a splitting block because the ground is so saturated that doing it on the ground would only serve to drive the pieces into the ground. The density of this material is such that it often splits to points at each end or the piece and I find it easier to just stab it on a side or drive the knife through it in chisel fashion. On longer pieces you just drive the knife through then twist the blade and it splits apart.

With the base ready, the resin rich wood split down into smaller pieces, and the fuel gathered, then it’s just a matter of whittling a little pile of shavings, sparking the fire to life, and adding the kindling and fuel to have fire. A small amount of the resin rich pine will catch quickly and produce a lot of heat. The polySTRIKER did really well. It was easy, and comfortable, to keep a nice secure purchase on the handles and direct the sparks right where I needed them. The striker works really well and throws a lot of sparkes, three strikes and I had flames.

The soaking wet wood puts off a lot of steam, but with the high heat it soon dries and once you have a bed of coals going the battle to keep the fire going is a lot easier.

The Poly Striker offers a great positive grip and packs a lot of punch for a fire starter that weighs only 1.4oz. And then this shot just because I like it.

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[Codger_64]

Man, you get all the neat toys! I like your new striker. Maybe I can get one in the spring when business picks back up. I'll certainly bookmark it for later. Thanks for the review. And the view of your office.

 

[jms42687]

Very nice photos, I like the look of this fire steel more than the previous model. This one appears to be more rugged than the smaller keychain style variant.

 

[TheGame]

Your days look like mine have the past few. Aside from hunting today, since it was actually snowing not raining. (Not much on the ground, maybe a half inch, good for hunting though)

Neat firesteel... too bad this review wasn't posted sooner... my brother wants a firesteel for Christmas. Doesn't mean I can't get one for myself though

 

[Bigfattyt]

Great post!

I had some scouts out in the cold the other night teaching them how to built a fire with a striker.

One boy's dad came up to me the next time I saw him and told me his kid relayed how we built a fire out of nothing!

I told the dad, well.......nothing, but seasoned dry wood for shavings, a dry base for building on, some cotton balls with vasoline, and fatwood!

If you call that nothing.

I was teaching them how to make fuzz sticks, and whittle a pile of shavings. Also how to get to the dry center of wood that is damp on the outside.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Your search - polyStrikerXL - did not match any documents.

Struck out with Google.

 

[Codger_64]

Polystriker by Exotac

https://www.google.com/search?q=Pol...F-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GZAB_enUS439

 

[Mistwalker]

Man, you get all the neat toys! I like your new striker. Maybe I can get one in the spring when business picks back up. I'll certainly bookmark it for later. Thanks for the review. And the view of your office.

Well...at least my ferro rod addiction is still cheaper than my knife addiction...

Oh, and sending a PM in a few.

Very nice photos, I like the look of this fire steel more than the previous model. This one appears to be more rugged than the smaller keychain style variant.

Thank you, glad you enjoyed them. Are you talking about the smaller poly striker or the nano striker?

Your days look like mine have the past few. Aside from hunting today, since it was actually snowing not raining. (Not much on the ground, maybe a half inch, good for hunting though)

Neat firesteel... too bad this review wasn't posted sooner... my brother wants a firesteel for Christmas. Doesn't mean I can't get one for myself though

I'm still waiting on some real snow. Yeah, it is a neat one. I like that is has a larger handle than most of the ferro rods like this on the market. It's easy to keep a good grip on.

Great post!

I had some scouts out in the cold the other night teaching them how to built a fire with a striker.

One boy's dad came up to me the next time I saw him and told me his kid relayed how we built a fire out of nothing!

I told the dad, well.......nothing, but seasoned dry wood for shavings, a dry base for building on, some cotton balls with vasoline, and fatwood!

If you call that nothing.

I was teaching them how to make fuzz sticks, and whittle a pile of shavings. Also how to get to the dry center of wood that is damp on the outside.

Thanks! Lol, funny story, kids have the most interesting perceptions.

Polystriker by Exotac

https://www.google.com/search?q=Pol...F-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GZAB_enUS439

You beat me to it, thanks.

 

[PropThePolecat]

My kind of office. No chance of stress there :thumbup:

 

[Mistwalker]

My kind of office. No chance of stress there :thumbup:

Yup, half the reason for going there

 

[fmajor007]

Rock on Mist!!! Great locale for doing all sorts of work and the freedom to choose the *where* part of it!

It's also refreshing to see some good 'ol America innovation and smart-thinking at work!!! Kudo's to Exotac and i hope they have an excellent year!

 

[The Warrior]

Excellent thread. Really nice bit of kit there. I especially like this photo. That NIKON D3000 takes nice photos.

 

[pitdog]

I'll have to add one of those to my wishlist, looks really neat !:thumbup:

A little off topic but I still need to try a flint and steel !!!!!

 

[Mistwalker]

Rock on Mist!!! Great locale for doing all sorts of work and the freedom to choose the *where* part of it!

It's also refreshing to see some good 'ol America innovation and smart-thinking at work!!! Kudo's to Exotac and i hope they have an excellent year!

Thanks man, yeah that's one of my favorite spots and on days like this I almost always find I have the area to myself.

My thoughts too. I like everything I've seen so far, I hope they keep it up.

Excellent thread. Really nice bit of kit there. I especially like this photo. That NIKON D3000 takes nice photos.

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed the post. I really like it. I have been looking at the D5100 and the D7000.

I'll have to add one of those to my wishlist, looks really neat !:thumbup:

A little off topic but I still need to try a flint and steel !!!!!

They are nice, I really like the large handle.

Flint and steel are a lot of fun to use, just more work than a ferro rod

 

[scruffuk]

Great thread. I found these in the UK after your mention of them in you review of the new NanoSTRIKER.

HOPEFULLY my older bro has not crapped out and yet again let me down for a gift.
The standard polySTRIKER should be an ideal addition to my keyring.

Have to agree that a) awesome office and b) that 'drowned leaves' photo is absolutely stunning.

Thanks again and best wishes for the holidays.

scruff

 

[Mistwalker]

Great thread. I found these in the UK after your mention of them in you review of the new NanoSTRIKER.

HOPEFULLY my older bro has not crapped out and yet again let me down for a gift.
The standard polySTRIKER should be an ideal addition to my keyring.

Have to agree that a) awesome office and b) that 'drowned leaves' photo is absolutely stunning.

Thanks again and best wishes for the holidays.

scruff

Thanks Scruff if I recall right the standard is like a LMF mini with a longer handle so should be about right for key ring carry, personally I like the nano and now the nano XL for just that purpose, the poly strikers are going in kits and packs.

Thanks, yeah I have multiple offices all over the woods here, just lucky enough to have a couple with roofs for wet days I like reflection shots and being as it's a rain forest here I get the opportunity a LOT

 

[scruffuk]

Thanks Scruff if I recall right the standard is like a LMF mini with a longer handle so should be about right for key ring carry, personally I like the nano and now the nano XL for just that purpose, the poly strikers are going in kits and packs.

Thanks, yeah I have multiple offices all over the woods here, just lucky enough to have a couple with roofs for wet days I like reflection shots and being as it's a rain forest here I get the opportunity a LOT

In all honesty it was the nano I was after, but I wanted to take it easy on my bro's wallet.
I have no doubt that once I'm aquainted with Exotac's products, it will be the next thing to treat myself to.

Thanks and stay dry!

 

[Mistwalker]

In all honesty it was the nano I was after, but I wanted to take it easy on my bro's wallet.
I have no doubt that once I'm aquainted with Exotac's products, it will be the next thing to treat myself to.

Thanks and stay dry!

Lol, with my job and my location I seldom stay dry I'm sure you'll like it. If you get a nano I suggest the XL the larger striker is easier to use.

 

[upnorth]

Cool, and I like the knife. :thumbup: