Optimus 8018913 Sparky Handheld Piezo

For lighting a gas-fueled camp stove, or touching off the weed burner, this is better than a match or a lighter. Small, easy to carry, and reliable in all weather, this little gadget lets you ignite a gas-fueled appliance quickly and consistently. You don't run out, like with matches, and it won't run out of fuel, like a lighter. Great product, price, and service.

It works great with a good spark. It’s built decent and it easily lights a camp stove. It’s a little shorter than I would like.

This little thing works. Is it pricey for what it is? Yes. Does it mean I can light my camp stove without matches? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes - for me it is. It's a simple little gadget and it takes up very little space. It's a single purpose tool. You can't light tinder with this. It's just for lighting a little gas stove. It works for its intended purpose.

Works first time, every time to light my alcohol stoves. You can drop it in the river, shake it off, and then it will still light your stove. Makes carrying extra lighters, flint & steel, and waterproof matches obsolete. The Optimus Sparky works much better than the MSR version because it's electrode is insulated all the way to the tip where the MSR is missing this insulation and tends to spark internally. Remember to just dip the tip, bring it up six inches or more while holding it down, and then click. You then have an instant match in which to light your alcohol stove. (Dipping it and then holding it upright is not recommended.) I fully recommend this product. It works great.

If you are a Scout leader trying to teach kids about backpacking stoves, this Piezo Lighter is an indispensable tool. Somehow, kids today seem to be unable to light a match anymore. This is a much better substitute for a match than a small disposable lighter. It has a longer reach. It can never accidently get emptied of fuel in your pack. It cannot be used to ignite random objects around camp. And, lastly, it is really simple to use. Yes, I know, we should be teaching various more traditional methods of lighting a stove, but you have to start someplace. And with kids coming into our program earlier and with less experience nowadays, this is a good place to start. Once we get dinner cooked and eaten, we can work on fire by friction.

This worked OK to light the pilot flame on my wok burner, although it would have been better if it were a little longer. I'd have given it four stars. However, after only three months (about 200 uses) it stopped working. The internal mechanism that strikes the piezo apparent wore out. The button can be depressed, but it no longer clicks or makes a spark. The seller, 21st-Century-Goods, says it is too late to return it and did not offer an exchange. I have purchased a different item and hope to have better results.

I really like Optimus products in general. I took this igniter for daily use on the Arizona Trail, and it worked great for 5 weeks. [I appreciate not having burned fingers!]A couple months later it started to fail--and then finally quit. I called Optimus, and they are sending me a replacement no charge. You can't beat customer service like that! Bottom Line: This is a fun little "Sparky" but take another source of ignition as a back up. Check out the "Mini-Bic" if you are hyper weight conscious. The standard Bic lighter is hard to beat for cost and reliability.

What more to say? It works, it's not affected by wind, barely by rain. It's small and easy to pack. I wouldn't call it inexpensive but given the functionality I think it does provide value for the cost.