About Us

 

The Doan Magnesium Firestarter was invented by our company founder Mr.Sol Levenson in 1973. As an avid outdoorsman, Sol saw the need for a reliable, durable and easy-to-use firestarter while on a business trip in South America with his friend Rocky Marciano, the legendary heavyweight boxing champion. The Doan Magnesium Firestarter was soon adopted by the US Armed Forces. Sol would always proudly state that our tool was standard issue in the survival pack of F16 fighter pilots.

Over the years, a whole mini industry of magnesium firestarters have evolved, with the Doan Firestarter being the benchmark.

 

Sol Levenson passed in 2000 and the company was then run by his Daughter Marilyn and wife Marguerite. With Marilyn passing in 2005, the company was run by Marguerite and her son-in-law Steve Brazier. Following the passing of Marguerite in 2014, the company is now run by Steve Brazier who now proudly carries on the tradition of the family-owned business today.

 

Steve says, “We have been through a lot. The loss of family/CEOS and changes in the industry, but we are in the survival business, and because Sol invented such a great product, we have survived and will continue to do so.”

 

The spirit of Survival lives on.