Added: 4 years ago
From: upupaepops
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  • We're you serious about it being able to light in water

  • @MrDb4894 I don't think I said it would "light in water", apologies if that's how it sounded. What I was trying to convey was that the Blastmatch itself would still create sparks, even if wet, and the the WetFire "waxy" tinder blocks would burn in a wet environment. Actually, I've seen the Wetfire cubes float on water and continue to burn. So the combination of the two perform well when you've got rainy conditions.

  • @MrDb4894 There have been tests where they dropped a cube of it in a cup of water and it still lit. The cube floats on top of water.

  • that is badass!

  • Great video, I just posted a review on my new BlastMatch. Great tool!

  • Great vid

  • was that only leaves at the fisrt one plz answer back ?

  • @MrAlexandreJuby It's been a while since I did that video, and from what I recollect I say in the video that I grabbed a handful of leaves, but the reality was that I probably grabbed a handful of whatever was nearby and handy in a planter on the porch, which probably had a lot of dry grass / dead plant material, etc that is much easier to light than dry leaves alone. I've crushed dry leaves up by themselves and they never seem to make decent kindling. Thanks for watching!

  • @upupaepops cool thanks bear grylls junior :P

  • don't scratch over the floor with the blade of your knife...

  • @unwhackII In general practice, yes, I agree. However, I had just grabbed an old Gerber throw down knife for the demo. Surprisingly though, through all the punishment I've given that old Gerber, it has retained an amazing edge for such an inexpensive lock blade.

  • How do you start the fire with just leaves? I've tried it so many time but it never works for me?

  • @liljosh609 That blew my mind, especially having just come from a very cold backpacking trip where my magnesium starter did NOT do a very good job.

  • How are you going to keep those shavings sitting there in windy weather...?

  • @Sacrifice117  That's the nice thing about Wetfire, or it's equivalent, Weber Firecubes. If the weather permitted it, you could just shave off an amount you need. However, I've broken off a larger piece or two, or just used the entire cube, when the situation called for it (windy, too wet, etc). For the demo in this video I just wanted to shave off a small pile to demonstrate the amount of flames produced by the small portion. Thanks for watching!

  • Very awesome video. I really liked it. Hadn't heard of the "blast match" before, but it looks like it works great.

  • Good video and demonstrations. I carry this in my bug out bag. I've never had luck with the wet fire though. Any suggestions?

  • @jonlocke83 When you say you've not had luck with the Wetfire, what specifically do you mean? Can you not get it to light? Couple of thoughts: It's hard to light as a solid cube, that's why I'll either crumble it up a little, or "shave" it with my knife into a pile before lighting it. Also, unless they've been sealed really good, the cubes seem to have a very short shelf life after being exposed to air, perhaps only a month or so, and then they turn dry and "chalky" and won't light.

  • you can also light the cube and then smuther the flame out with your hand

  • @shelltech83 You bet. The Wetfire cubes (or even better, the Weber cubes which are the same thing at a fraction of the price) can be lit and put out over and over, making their use pretty flexible.

  • @upupaepops thanks for the info!! I'm gonna order some weber cubes instead

  • @shelltech83 No problem! They're called Weber Firestarter Lighter Cubes. They have 24 cubes in two "ice tray" style packs, and each cube is about 4 times the size of one Wetfire cube. They usually run about $10 -12 total with shipping from various online vendors.

  • Nice Gerber

  • Gig 'em Aggies! Great vid!

  • @nanosteve1 Whoop!

  • I have that knife!

  • @Phuild I have a variety of knives, but I always seem to reach for this old Gerber 625.  It's cheap and simple, with a stainless steel locking blade and a rubberized grip.

  • @upupaepops Agreed. Just a tank, great grip and at least on mine the lock is perfect. Absolutely no play.

  • Nice Demo

  • Dam Pyro's

  • That's pretty sick

  • Whats the price?

  • @Anthony6essful About $15- $20 from various online retailers. A few dollars more in various sporting goods stores.

  • @upupaepops ok and is the blastmatch the best of the best?

  • @Anthony6essful There are no other "one-handed" spring loaded designs like the Blastmatch, so it's one of a kind. I have seen a knockoff, but it was very cheaply made, and I think UST sued them to stop production. If I had to pick between the full size Blastmatch, and it's little brother, the Sparkie, I'd choose the full size. Thanks for watching!

  • BONFIRE :DDDD

  • What I dont under stand is a lighter makes a good fire and is smaller than that why not just carry a lighter ? 

  • @Ralphgtx280 I do carry a lighter, and a lighter is my primary firestarter. But lighters, even good ones, can be notoriously unreliable when you need them most, especially in extreme cold, at higher altitudes and in wet weather. And I've pulled out more than one fuel lighter to find that, for some inexplicable reason, the fuel has leaked out, evaporated, etc. The flint/steel strikers like this one are in my "emergency" or "survival" pouch (seen on my other vids) Thanks for watching!

  • @upupaepops ah ok thanks that clears things up a bit I thaught you all were a tad loopy with all these alternative firestarters :P

  • @Ralphgtx280 :) I hear you..LOL! Many of these "survival" items aren't peoples primary items, and many are never even used, unless for practice or fun. But's if you're going to be out in the wild for any reason, it's better to be prepared. If you are interested, I'd recommend watching my Backpacking Survival Kit videos. Thanks!

  • @Ralphgtx280 It's a good idea to have multiple ways to start a fire. It's good to have backups. My fire kit consists of: 2 bic lighters, a butane torch lighter, storm matches, a fire steel, and a Fresnel lens. I also have some dryer lint and candle wax tinders. I still need to play around with other options for tinder. I also at some point I want to make a fire bow and add that to the kit.

  • @purplemutantas you may wish to add char cotton its made by heating cotton in an oxygen free environment it catches fire even more easily than cotton I have a peice of this folded in some wax paper in my wallet

  • How many strikes do you get with the blast match i never used one but i have no problem starting fires without matches.

  • @WaIkingthunder UST doesn't give a specific number, but many other strikers that have smaller ferrocerium rods are rated at several thousand strikes. Given the larger size of the rod in the BlastMatch, I'd say that you'd probably have it the rest of your life before it wore out.

  • i carry one as a back up as my hands are big enough to use it with my fingers so i can use it on soft ground, but my main ferro rod are bare misch metal rods with a lanyard hole for striker and magnesium rod. as a back it is perfect for me as i can with both my hands(not on ground).

  • To those saying that "gadgets" arent doing you any good in survival skills, you're technically correct but its a mute point. Any good survivalist or outdoorsman will tell you that you regularly prepare & practice for the worst without the gadgets to have the skills, but bring along any tools to aide in survival that you can. Bringing this striker or wetfire in a survival situation could save your life. What if you were injured and only had one hand? Or if it was too wet to start a fire? EXACTLY.

  • @MrMakeveli : You have an excellent point. Too many people snub their noses at devices like this. Using archaic fire starting methods is just ridiculous when you can start a fire in less than a minute one handed using just the tinder you find on the ground and a simple device like this. Knowing how to start a fire without modern tools is amusing and in that 1 in a 1,000 (or more) chance you get stuck in a situation without tools, I guess the skill is useful.

  • @Supernaught00 I think it's a really good idea to know how to make fire old fashioned way. Even if you carry a good fire making kit, feces occurs. If you are stuck without any fire making tools, knowing how to make and use a fire bow can save your life. A good fire can keep you from freezing to death.

  • ive just orderd one from amazon! :D

  • Using a gadget like that isn't doing you any favors as far as having real survival skills, you're dependent on a gizmo for fire, not your own skill. It is cool though, but I personally wouldn't use it.

  • @MaynkorX14 A "gizmo"? It's just a firesteel, one of the most basic items you'd want in a survival situation. The only difference between this and a traditional firesteel is that you can either strike this with one hand, or strike it with a knife like a regular steel. I'm not sure how using this device impedes your ability to have good survival skills.

  • @upupaepops I wouldn't say it's just a firesteel, it's got moving parts and it's spring loaded. The blast match doesn't seam to require any skill, regular firesteels are pretty easy to use, but to be real good with them does require skill and experience, something the blast match doesn't need.

    Not trying to hate on it too hard, it's a cool bit of kit, I just come from more of a bushcrafty perspective where I find it more satisfying to rub sticks together : P

  • @MaynkorX14 LOL! I hear ya. I'll honestly admit that, beyond using a bowstring / stick combo to start a fire, I've never started one using the "two-stick" method. ;)

  • @upupaepops If the BlastMatch were to break, couldn't it be used just like any other striker with a knife?

  • @Tramsootru Absolutely, I think I show that on the Sparky video, where I just use the Blastmatch as a typical firesteel with a knife. Thanks for watching!

  • @MaynkorX14 well after you've been out roughing it surviving for a couple of months and the endorphins wear off you might want something easier, forget the skill and expertise.....lol!

  • Where did you get the blast match?

  • @Maximus6895 I purchased mine online, but I've also seen it at a variety of sporting good retailers like Academy.

  • 2 things the fire starter is ok if you are making a fire on hard ground but what do you do if it is raining ? and the ground is muddy my second thing is i think that you pay too much for wetfire and if you use the blocks that you can buy to light barbi's you can find these have about 24 blocks for a £1 and these could be the same things.

  • @kevinjohnkinsey Two options for soft / muddy ground: First, like its little brother the Sparkie, the blast match can be struck by using your index finger to plunge the rod. It's difficult, and it takes a big hand. Second, you could strike it like a traditional firesteel with a knife on the rod. With regards to the Wetfire, you are correct, you can buy other hexamine based blocks, like Weber Fire Starters, for quite a bit less than Wetfire, though the Wetfires are packaged nicely.

  • This works great for me. it is a good thing to have a BlastMatch. BlastMatch+tnder= rosting marsh mellows...

  • How long does the ferrocerium rod last?

  • @FT86TT UST doesn't give a specific number, but many other strikers that have smaller ferrocerium rods are rated at several thousand strikes. Given the larger size of the rod in the BlastMatch, I'd say that you'd probably have it the rest of your life before it wore out.

  • @FT86TT i would guess at least 10000 strkes

  • I one of these they are nice !

  • You can spread it out and it still continues to burn *fire goes out* XD (not being a troll, it was just kinda funny)

  • @cjoIIProductionz LOL, yeah... I spread it kinda thin. Better if left in a small pile.

  • Great tool

  • i'm so sorry to ask, but how do these work? im guessing the rectangle that you press down on at the end had threded steel, and the inside has some flint?

  • @whycryforher Two basic components: the cylindrical rod is a composite material called ferrocerium, which is a man-made metallic material used in lots of items like cigarette lighters, welding strikers, etc. Inside the plastic housing is small striker made of carbide. When you press on the button on the side, you are holding the carbide striker against the ferrocerium rod, and when you push down and "rub" the striker against the rod, it makes sparks. Thanks for watching!

  • @upupaepops hmmm, thanks!

  • Very nice items!

  • Ever have one of those days where it seems you couldn’t start a fire with a gallon of gas and a flame thrower? Make sure that you have a blastmatch and some wetfire and you won’t have one of those days ever again. These are some don’t leave home without them items that you will never regret buying.

  • helpful video 

  • thats a hexy tab.

  • @Bdiddly1 Hexamine is a probable component of the Wetfire cubes. They've been tight-lipped on what is in them. They're a little lighter, and easier to start with a spark lighter than hex tabs, like Esbit, etc. They seem to be exactly like the Weber Fire Starter cubes (that are larger and MUCH less expensive) sold for starting BBQ pits. If I had to guess, The Wetfires and Webers probably have a hexy type base, with more parafin for easier lighting.

  • informative. to the point. and the demonstrations were impressive. thanks!

  • very nice

  • Are you chef Tony?

  • Nice video man gj Contiune the good work :)

  • >doesn't ship outside America

    Why.jpg

  • @DeepFriedDoom To where? Which vendor? Most all of the online vendors who carry it ship outside the US.

  • @upupaepops Oh, I was going to order it through your link. Looks like Amazon has it too. Well whoop dee doo!

  • @DeepFriedDoom Great! I hadn't looked at who shipped internationally, or if there were restrictions. Thanks for the update!

  • Why hit the stone floor with the edge of the knife? and allso scratch the burning stuff with the edge? use the back of your knife and it will stay sharp for a long time!

  • @poelsemads Good points all around on the proper use! Thanks!

  • its an magnesium stick not an flint sricker.

  • @weswes666 No, actually not. Most all of these types of strkers, which are traditionally called "flint and steel" strikers, use a rod made of ferrocerium, which is a man-made composite material.  These types of rods can be scraped or struck with metallic objects to produce the sparks. You may be thinking of a magnesium rod or magnesium stick, which you scrape off the magnesium into a small pile, and then light it with a spark-producing striker.

  • i love ur kinfe give it to me :)

  • can you put a link to the blast match in the discription thank you :)

  • @sparky9278 You bet. I put the link to the Camping and Survival page which has a variety of the products like the Blast Match, Sparkie, Wetfire, etc. Thanks for watching!

  • @upupaepops thks

  • I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter.

  • @JohnFortman thats what lead me here actually,i clicked on it just out of randomness after watching that video

  • where did u get that? how muck was it/

  • i have the same knife 

  • @nonstopraid Can't beat the Gerber knives. :)

  • @upupaepops Umm yeah you can! they go by the name of Spyderco and Case.

  • @upupaepops Baby knife because it has gerber haha jk

  • theres the same thing on deal extreem cost 6.89

  • @poor500 While it looks the same, it's a very cheap knockoff. The real version is now running about $18 at stores like Academy. Why risk something that will probably fall apart to save $10? Your call.

  • very nice

  • You pay something from 3.95 to 6.95 Euro (plus shipping) in Germany for the exact same thing. As for wetfire tinder white BBQ lighter cubes like the Weber charcoal lighters are the same stuff all are made of soft paraffin wax (N-paraffin) and only cost a fraction of wetfire And yes they float too, not that there ever would be a need of. UST just cashes in big on survivalists, but a pretty good marketing one has to admit.

  • @tulius01 There is one or two very inexpensive copies of the Blastmatch, but I'd be very cautious of their quality. However, you are absolutely right about the Weber cubes. They appear to look and function exactly like Wetfire, but at a fraction of the Wetfire price. Caution however... if you buy the Webers and they come in a big "tray" style packaging, and you take one out to carry, you must use it fairly soon or reseal it someway, as they degrade quickly in air.

  • how much did it cost

  • @caleb5665  It runs $20 - $25 from a wide variety of online retailers (Campmor, REI, UST, etc).

  • does it wear out

  • @celerber The composite firesteel is larger than most of the traditional firesteels, which many are rated for several thousand strikes, and the striker is tungsten carbide which theoretically won't ever wear out. So plan on years and years of reliable striking.

  • @upupaepops thnx i was looking for fire starting tools for my hunting class we need a survival bag and another question is it water proof?

  • @celerber Fire steels in general (either in the traditional two-handed versions or in this one-handed version) are probably your best bet for having a waterproof fire starter. The key, regardless of your fire ignition method (fire steel, matches, etc) will be your tinder, which is why it's a good idea to include some form of tinder in your waterproof survival pack.

  • awesome video man keep it up very useful information

  • question is it light fuel inside the blast match fire starter? or just push in n push out n fire come out?

  • @NoXAdmiral It's just like any fire steel.  The striker scrapes the steel and makes sparks. So, fire doesn't "come out", it makes sparks, which (hopefully) makes fire.

  • Comment removed

  • LOL, i recognized you're ring, my brother has one. gig em.

  • @wdp11683 Gig'em !

  • @upupaepops The Non-Lethal from the movie 'Men who stare at goats'

    Looks real enough, you should get one :D

  • Do You Have The Non-lethal?

  • @588Board Not quite sure what you're asking?

  • this is probably the best firesteel out there. the only thing i dont like about it is the quarter inch of the fire steel that the striker doesnt reach

  • @joeratti Good point, does seem a waste of striking area. But I guess in the long run I'd compare the amount of sparks produced by this device versus a "traditional" firesteel, and for the most part, they're pretty equal. So the tradeoff/benefit is that you only need one hand. I wondered myself about uneven wear (with that last quarter inch not being used), but so far all seems well after using it for a couple of years.

  • I saw this on ebay half the price, I bought the other one, strike and flint, cost 2.99 including tax.

    I am very impressed with this video

  • at 1:48 did the spark get your thumb?

  • @bustyboy123 The sparks don't really hurt. They burn so small and for so very short of a time, which is why you need good tinder.

  • What's the weight on that device, sir?

  • @wwhermit 2.7 ounces. 

  • can you make an anotation to send us to a link where we can get these?

  • @skyking168 Good idea. I'm going back and updating the annotions with more info.

  • how much is this magic device of which you use?

  • @skyking168 $20 - $25 for the device, the magic is free... ;)

  • Great video and excellent demonstration of this very useful item. Cheers

  • ALRIGHT I AM SOLD!! im getting one

  • @zealiscool you can buy this for 6 bucks at dealextreme

  • @n3mke Do you have a direct link? I scanned through the DealExtreme site and couldn't find it. They do have a lot of traditional "two-handed" fire steels. But neither their search engine or paging through turned up a Blast Match. Thanks.

  • @upupaepops / details.dx /sku.33799 with the Dealextreame crap infront of it

  • @Surge047 Ahhhhh. I see.  A knockoff. I'd worry like hell about that. For something that should last you a lifetime, I wouldn't sweat the extra $15 bucks for the real thing. Your call.

  • @upupaepops Well, i got it becuse it was so cheap. it's nice to try things, i'll prolly be buying a "real" one sooner or later.

  • @zealiscool I'd imagine that you'd have to find a used one for that price. Pretty much the cheapest I've seen is about $18 at places like Cheaper than Dirt online, but figure shipping as well. I've seen it at local retailers like REI for about $25.

  • @upupaepops qou can buy this at dealextreme for 6 bucks .

  • @zealiscool The composite firesteel is larger than most of the traditional firesteels, which many are rated for several thousand strikes, and the striker is tungsten carbide which theoretically won't ever wear out. So plan on years and years of reliable striking.

  • u should keep doing videos u have very good video quality

  • @etekballer14  Many thanks!

  • sorta like ... napalm... the wetfire... burns on water?

  • @tomek123kotek Ultimate Survival Technologies has been pretty tight-lipped about the chemical makeup of WetFire, but the primary binder seems to be a light paraffin body, with the accelerant mixed in. So, sort of like wax with fuel in it, so it floats and burns.

  • seems kinda cool...but if im goin out in the wild in a situation where i might need a fire ill just bring a cheap 1 dollar bic lighter

  • @TheLoneWolf1124 Agreed, as I've noted in past posts. I always have a couple of "bic" type lighters thrown in the pack, in addition to my wind/waterproof torch lighter. However, two situations can really hamper, or even preclude, the use of a lighter: Extreme cold and high altitudes (or worse, both). Plus, I've had the strikers or ignitors fail on the fuel lighters. Thus, my Blastmatch lives in my survival pouch that's always with me on a trip.

  • @upupaepops true, didnt really think about the altitude factor, guess thats why im not a hiker haha

  • seems pretty neat.

  • the chances of getting lost in the wild are very slim and if u do get lost in the wild the chances of having these are also very slim

  • @iamledge1 I think the focus here is that you want to be as prepared as possible if you plan on being out, as you put it, "in the wild". If you know that you are going to be placing yourself in a situation where the possibility exists that any variety of things can go wrong, then a wise person will have endeavored to mitigate those problems as much as possible.

  • Watching these YouTube videos on the BlastMatch encouraged me to purchase one off the Internet. I tested my new BlastMatch on dryer lint, an excellent tinder and best of all, free! I can report to everyone here as I have elsewhere that the BlastMatch does work as quickly, effectively, and easily as shown. It's actually fun to use. I like my plain ferrocerium rods for simplicity. Yet the BM removes all guesswork on striking the ferro rod at the proper angle and force. Highly recommended.

  • i had one and the stupid thing broke after about 60 strikes

  • @survivalist678 Could you be more specific? I'm curious as to what exactly broke. Specific feedback is always useful when engineering product improvements. Thanks.

  • gerber Rock on

  • There's an easier way to get fire! If you want something that floats, is windproof and lightweight, get Instafire. They now have matches that are windproof, light while wet and stay lit even when dipped in a river! Check out their website. Instafire com

    The YouTube name is Instafire1

  • @Instafire1 Interesting. It's kind of like Wetfire mixed with wood shavings and volcanic rock. Can you light it with a spark, or does it require a flame to ignite?

  • uhh how much is it at REI

  • does walmart sell this if yes howmuch?

  • @0mGItzAnINjA I've not seen them there, usually at the "higher" end retailers like Gander Mountain, REI, Cabelas, etc.

  • nice, i would love to have one!

  • thats pretty kool me and a few friends messed wit htwo of those but they were both hands on and a bit harder to use but urs is just flawless one strike fire 5/5

  • awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!1

  • ugh, i hate seeing a knife blade be scratched on concrete like that lol

  • @cossatotfalls LOL, but you know what? It's still sharp. ;) Gotta love Gerber.

  • @cossatotfalls

    i cringed :( at 1:24

  • @cossatotfalls Me to, but if you have a good set of sharpening stones it rely doesn't matter quite as much.

  • he's slowly making a bonfire lol

  • nice ring ;)

  • @pinselplins Gig'em !

  • awesome vid man !

  • u got your self a gerber knife there i think

  • Yep. My general "go to" knife, a Gerber 625.

  • @upupaepops how thick is the ferro rod

  • @idoanythingforyou96  It's 7/16ths of an inch, so just a hair under a half inch thick. It's thicker than most of the "standard" type ferro rods on two-handed strikers.

  • I almost bought this today but I went with the Light My Fire Scout model instead. Wasn't sure how this worked and it looked a little on the larger side which is why I went with the one I bought. If anyone has heard of L.L. Bean and is looking to buy one of these that's where I was today and they had them in stock