soloscientific

[Rodion]

Got an Aurora fire starter from these guys some six months ago. Looks great, their customer support swears it will outlive me and my grandchildren, and this planet. It was new at the time, with no reviews to be found.



Well, it sucks. The soft blade got completely dull after maybe 30 strikes and produced no sparks since. I turned it around as instructed, with minimal improvement. The design only allows for two of the blade's four edges to be used, "encouraging" purchase of additional blades from the company (sold separately, of course). There was no box and no key attached for the hex bolt.

A query as to the origin of the problem produced a "thank you" note for letting them know.

I eventually had another groove made (doubling the blade's life) and inserted a new blade made from a kitchen knife (works about a thousand times better and won't get dull any time soon), but am still very dissappointed with both product and service, considering my alternative was a Blast Match from Ultimate Survival. 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Sorry to hear there a bit crap, thanks for letting the rest of us know

BTW both the Blast Match and the Ultimate Survival match striker thing (sorry can't remember it's name) are extremely reliable

[Tarrodemierda]

its a shame since the looks of Aurora fire starter promise more than they give then.good to know its not good since  i would have choosed the same gadget u did if id take it just by the looks.

[Rodion]

both the Blast Match and the Ultimate Survival match striker thing (sorry can't remember it's name) are extremely reliable

Oh look, some salt! Let me pour that all over this wound here. 

its a shame since the looks of Aurora fire starter promise more than they give then.good to know its not good since  i would have choosed the same gadget u did if id take it just by the looks.

If you like it so much, I can send you mine for a real firesteel (or enough green to buy me a Blast Match). The rod has seen use, but my custom striker works great. Needs some force to insert it, though.

[Tarrodemierda]

no no 

i think it looks better than those other fire makers,due to metallic construction of it but if i understood your writing correct,it doesnt function that well.where/how is the scraper in it?

that wouldnt be hard to do all by my self,it seems its quite simple construction.
does it use some lathe bladebit for making sparks or some really odd shaped?

[Rodion]

Hopefully, will satisfy your curiosity.

[Tarrodemierda]

yep it did,thank u sir.

[Rodion]

Well what do you know, it seems The Man cares what us little people have to say. 

Here's what SS had to say on the matter (you can find the comment linked above):

The Aurora that you have is an older model. The new Aurora Fire Starters (ship the end of this month) have been dramatically improved. The knurl is much cleaner, o-ring mounting has been redesigned, the upper & lower ends of the unit are chamfered, the threading is smoother, and the keyring/lanyard hole is larger than the original units

Thank You,
Solo Scientific
Manufacturer of the Aurora Fire Starter