Yeah, i find that my striker oxidizes a bit but a few strikes will rub it off no problem. As for the wet fatwood, Sharp and I were unable to ignite the fatwood that we collected recently. After It had been setting in my pack for a week or so, I retested it and it worked like a charm. Thus, I suspect moisture must have been the issue. Still, this is far from conclusive. Sharp and I will be in the woods this Friday (celebrating the 4th in our special style: with lots of knives) and we'll be sure to test fatwood in various states of dampness.