Those who have been watching new multi-tools, from electronic survival torches to multipurpose shovels, may be wondering why their trusty Swiss Army knives can't start a fire like some others. Victorinox did have a butane lighter option for a while, and there are some hacks out there for adding fire-starting capabilities, but the average Swiss Army knife won't be of much use in creating a blaze. Tortoise Gear offers an easy solution. Its fire steel swaps in for the possibly never-used Swiss Army toothpick and works with various traditional implements to spark a flame.
Tortoise Gear's idea is extremely simple but rather ingenious: dump the toothpick that will never save your backside, and may very well see little to no use at all, and add something much more useful for wilderness survival. Assuming its Firefly works as easily in novice hands as it does in the videos, it seems like an upgrade that every Swiss Army knife should have.
The Firefly is a basic fire steel designed to fit snugly in the toothpick slot of knives and other Swiss Army tools. It comes in two sizes to fit both traditional-size knives and small/keychain-size knives. The green-yellow thumbnail grip glows in the dark, making it easier to find when you find yourself searching in complete darkness. A variety of traditional, sharp-edge Swiss Army implements will work as the striker, including the knife blade, saw, file and can opener.
Tortoise Gear claims the material blend it uses makes starting a fire easy by creating large, long-lasting sparks. The Firefly is designed to fit snugly into the Swiss Army toothpick slot even after many uses, and we reckon if and when it doesn't, you'll want to replace it anyway. Based on Kickstarter pricing, you won't have to break the bank to do so.
The Firefly has been in the works since 2009, and after testing production samples and lining up manufacturing partners, Tortoise Gear is hosting a Kickstarter in hopes of getting it into pockets and onto store shelves. A Firefly three-pack can be secured at the US$14 pledge level, with discounts for larger quantities. Deliveries will start early next year if everything runs as planned. The campaign has raised just over $23,000 of its $28K goal, with more than a month left to go.
Watch the Firefly light all kinds of stuff below.
Source: Tortoise Gear