Swedish fire-steel, curly birch

An approximately 8cm rod (6cm exposed length) of a steel magnesium alloy set into a figured masur birch handle. Originally developed by the Swedish department of defence as a reliable firelighting aid for army use in often arctic conditions — when struck with a steel blade, or the back of a knife (once the protective black coating has worn off) the steel generates showers of sparks of over 3000°c, to easily ignite gas flames, camping stoves, fine dry kindling, or wood shavings.