I’ve been moderately aware of Outdoor Element for a while, but hadn’t really checked out their product line. Recently, one of the company founders asked me to try out a couple of their products. A few days later, a package arrived with their Scout Feather knife and Fiber Light fire starter. So far, color me impressed.
Scout Feather
The Scout Feather is one of Outdoor Element’s most popular knives. It’s small enough to qualify as an EDC option, but large enough to do actual work. It’s 6.58 inches long with a 2.65-inch blade. The handle is slim and contoured, so it really locks into your grip. The full tang construction is VG10 steel and features a ¼-inch hex driver at the end of the handle. An attached lanyard has a small signal whistle, which is a nice touch.
Outdoor Element didn’t skimp on the sheath. It is a hard plastic construction, and the knife locks in tight, with no wiggle at all. A steel clip will keep the sheath in place wherever you carry it. There is a small V-notch sharpener to touch up the blade in the field. Along the other side of the sheath is an attached ferrocerium rod.
The Scout Feather’s spine is sharp enough to scrape sparks from that ferro rod, and it does so incredibly well. I took a few quick swipes at the rod to remove paint, then it started spraying sparks in earnest.
Fiber Light
Fiber Light is Outdoor Element’s all-natural fire starter. It consists of finely ground wood fiber and wax. The round tin I received is about 3.25 inches across and an inch deep. It comes with a ranger band covering the seam, keeping the contents secure and dry, even when submerged in water.
To use, you simply pull out a pinch or two, fluff it up a bit, and then light it. While flicking a Bic will certainly get the job done, it seems more appropriate to use that whiz-bang awesome ferro rod on the Scout Feather sheath. The Outdoor Element Fiber Light ignites with even the smallest spark. Burn time is dependent upon the amount of material used, but is enough to cover a quarter burned for a few minutes.
What’s nice is that while it is very easy to light, this isn’t a flash-type tinder. It burns slow and steady, giving it time to ignite kindling. The wax content is sufficient to essentially waterproof the wood. I took a pinch of the Fiber Light and held it under a running faucet for several seconds, then squeezed out the excess water. It lit right up at the first spark and burned steadily. It’s pretty cool stuff.
Outdoor Element
Mike Mojica is one of the founders of Outdoor Element. He’s a proud member of the Pueblo Nation, Laguna Tribe. His native American name is Bodaway, which means Fire Maker. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that a fair number of Outdoor Element products are fire-centric. In addition to the Scout Feather and Fiber Light, they offer all sorts of gear designed to get your fire going fast.
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