Has anyone on the planet ever started a fire with a Harbor Freight Magnesium Fire Starter Kit?

Nope
In high school, the chemistry teacher, on a cold winter’s day (15* F the night before) made a hole in the soccer field and poured a mixture of a kilo of rust and a half kilo of aluminum powder, he used a ribbon of magnesium that he lit with a Zippo lighter, It thawed the ground for ten inches around the hole, and the flame was over 2 foot high.

Dude! This question is so YOU! lol
No, I must say, never even heard of it, but I have been to Harbor Freight many times.
You’d hate the way I make a fire, recklessly and with much waste. Loads of crumpled paper, about 3 slabs of compressed fire starter squares, broken on the diagonal in sticks, about 12 pieces of kindling, 3–4 small logs and then, after ignition the big log.

I have trouble with my fires collapsing and going out so I make damn sure there is enough fuel to roast a small hog before the big log goes on. haha

I’ve started fires with their catalogs and ads, if that helps any.

You get what you pay for.

I have one I got from thinkgeek that does what it says it does.

I was at Harbor Feight the first time last weekend and almost bought the firestarter. Guess my instincts were right.

I did buy some woodworking handscrew clamps. I figured they can’t go too wrong.

Whaddya expect it’s from horrible freight. I have found some gems there though. I picked up one of the “survival knives” using one of the coupons and the fishooks did not even have eyes to string line through. The knife it self was a beast though once a proper edge was put on it. If it is what I am thinking it is a magneium block with a metal match on one side? You can get one that actually works at Walmart for next to nothing. I have started fires with those. I tend to geek out making fires when camping. I even use a home made a fire piston when I want a real challenge.

The review are totally bogus! Not surprising it is 100% Made in China crap.
At least the metal is Magnesium. (I checked the density.)

As received there is no way that thing can work! The striker, serrated blade, is a piece of a hack-saw blade. Then they painted it with a heavy duty coating: either powder coating or an enamel that must be ground off to expose the metal . The “flint” is also coated and painted black , Worthless. The “flint” was slightly magnetic by the way.
It looks cool but is as useful as a key fob.

I’ll try the one @johnpowell suggested.

Horrible Freight indeed!

@Are_you_kidding_me Fire Piston! Nice! Did you make yours from an old Maglite, too?

@LuckyGuy I used to have free access to a machine shop so it was a product of lathe and drill press.