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| Hunter Fire Piston |
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| Written by Tony Bristow | |
 In the UK it seems that the fire piston is little known, unlike our cousins across the pond which is where they are made by a chap called Jeff Wagner.
 As you can imagine this bit of kit made its way around the bcuk team, so we though a couple of independant reviews would be useful. In the UK it seems that the fire piston is little known, unlike our cousins across the pond which is where they are made by a chap called Jeff Wagner. For me, the fact that they are unknown here is the main problem, we are used to our firesteels, bowdrills, lighters etc and because we get on so well with these we find it hard to replace them with something new - rather a case of: 'if it ain't broke don't fix it!' I like the fire piston, the one we were sent is the Hunter. It is comfortable to use, unless you're struggling and have struck the end of the piston with your palm one time too many, which can get sore. But I have to say that like most things it is practice that counts and after a while the technique becomes more refined and the whole procedure becomes more natural and it becomes easier. The pistons are very robust and other than the gasket needing to be replaced I cannot see anything going wrong with them. When it comes to quality they get top marks. In use I found that the piston was not as reliable as my firesteel for fire lighting. Maybe this is because I am used to the firesteel and know how to get the best from it. I even found it easier to light the ember with the steel, one swipe and away you go, char cloth lit. This could then be placed in a tinder bundle and coaxed into life. The act of getting the ember from the fire piston to the tinder seemed a little clumsy but once again I think this is an experience thing. I know that some people swear by them and can get an ember and then flame very reliably. I am unsure about how our climate makes a difference, I suspect it does as we really do suffer from the damp here in the UK. I think I would be safe in saying that using the fire piston in winter at -20°c is easier than on a typical autumn day in the north west of England. Conclusion For those of you that like to try new things you will enjoy the satisfaction of using a fire piston. I know that I am looking forward to becoming more familiar with it, as it really is a nice self contained ember creator. I can't say that I will be hanging up my firesteel any time soon though. So for me the fire piston is not a replacement for my present kit. I should also say that the fire steel has a large cost advantage, with the fire pistons costing £45 and up. Over all I think the Fire piston deserves a 6/10. TB In this review we mention Jeff Wagner, who is the authority on fire pistons. He has written an article on the fire pistons that explains about them in more detail. We would like to thank him for his time. Copyright ©2003-2007 BushcraftUk.com Comments
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