MarkG, I have both the Swedish Fire Steel and the Armegeddon I mentioned. Both -- for me, at least -- throw a tremendous ball of sparks and I've used them both in rainy conditions and snow. I can't tell the difference.
Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.
L.W.
"Always go straight forward, and if you meet the devil, cut him in two and go between the pieces." (William Sturgis, clipper ship captain, 1830s.)