last I heard "firesteel" is the catchy marketing name for ferromagnesium, but this looks more like a box for stick spinning embers. So what is it?.

as others have said, this is made from high carbon steel, however when struck with rocks such as chert or flint (a shard of glass will work as well) the sparks come off of the steel not the rock as some answers seemed to allude to... the main difference between this & the alloy with magnesium & high carbon steel known as ferrocerium is that the ferrocerium material produces sparks that range from 3000 to 4500 degrees fahrenheit, whereas the high carbon steel alone will only produce sparks that are about 800 degrees fahrenheit, that is why you need charred material which has been carbonized & will catch the spark to create an ember that can then be placed with flash tinders such as a birdsnest to be blown into fire... a lot of folks like to use cotton cloth like denim or terry cloth to char, i have found the best material is charred punkwood, which is readily available in the forest & will save you from having to cut up all your bandanas, pants, towels, or whatever to make char from cloth... actually lots of forageable materials will work to char & create embers from flint & steel sparks...the words "firesteel" & "flint & steel" have been used by many sellers & manufacturers way too liberally & very often incorrectly

Does flint come with it?

This item does not include flint. If you're looking for true flint, I can't help you. If you're looking for a ferrocerium rod flint, I can tell you that rods manufactured by Jiangxi Metals in China are softer and produce gobs of sparks. Rods manufactured by Treibacher in Austria are harder (and longer-lasting), and produce a really nice spray of sparks when used with a carbon steel striker like this one. Hope that helps!

does the ferro rod come with it? Can you use the back of you knife blade to create sparks?

No a ferro rod does not come with the ESEE firesteel. Also the ESEE firesteel is Not a ferro rod. It is made from 1095 high carbon steel. The steel is the same as what is used in knives but of course has a different heat treat. I have never struck 1095 and 1095 together to create a spark.

Can it also open a beer bottle?

Any hard object can open a beer bottle, but the esee striker shouldn't be used with the cap inside. Use can use a lighter, a screwdriver, etc. - as a lever. Try it by putting the striker, a lighter or screwdriver on the knuckle of your index finger closest to your hand. Have your knuckle just below the lip of the cap, and the lighter or whatever touching the bottom of the lip of the cap. then push down on the object at the end to lift the end below the cap lip to remove the cap - the longer the better that is why screw drivers work best.

UPC	811328021987
Color	Multicolor
Size	One Size
Weight	0.2 Pounds
Material Type	1095 Carbon Steel
Number of Items	1
Number of Pieces	1
Included Components	ESEE Fire Steel 3.25 in Overall Length
Batteries Included?	No
Department	unisex-adult
Manufacturer	ESEE
Item model number	ESEE-FIRE-STEEL
Product Dimensions	22.86 x 2.54 x 5.08 cm; 45.36 g
ASIN	B00IOC7HZC

Fire Steel 3.25 in Overall Length

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