Something I don't think anyone mentioned yet. Make sure your tender is very fine. You can just pull out long blades of dead grass, weeds and start a fire, but I make my tender balls with that material pretty shredded up AND able to be transferred to actual fire area.

I can't stand Magnesium shavings. Its like a 1 outta 10 deal for me unless I have it on some paper first. Sparks never land on it.

Again hold the striker, pull the firesteel back towards you, with a lot of friction applied.