Point of clarification: Hold the knife steady, close to the tinder, and move the fire steel away from the tinder against the knife, keeping the knife still.

Everyone forgot to mention charcloth. Pretty much take some cotton (ie, old t-shirt), wrap tightly in tin foil, throw on some coals for a few minutes (BBQ, campfire, whatever). When it starts smoking it's done. Let it cool. The cotton should be singed - should take a spark easily.

Also, birch is great. Youtube it, but you take the bark, flip it over (so the outer surface is on the ground) and use your knife to scrape it and make a pile of powder. Those shavings go up in a heartbeat. It then catches the rest of the bark on fire, which you move to your already-set-up fire.

Pretty much like everyone else, has to be dry, has to be fine. I can't get cattails or grasses, and only a few types of bark to go up. Using any vaseline is cheating, but works.

Personal opinion, but ditch the magnesium block. It's a POS, and I've NEVER gotten mag shavings to be helpful. Using a file to get shavings is better than chewing up your blade, but still ... the return is so low it's almost laughable.

I carry several PJ cottonballs in a small metal (o-ring sealed) containers. I made up several a number (5+) years ago. They still work fine. The containers are very small, estimated 3/8 diam by about 1.5". I stuff them in tight and screw on the lid. Then put them is the corners of my gear where they ride well for years.

Never failed to work when needed.

Oh, forgot to add that you don't want too much PJ on the cotton balls. Try them till you get the mix right. Too much and they don't light well.

Nomad

If you're not cheating, you're not being smart! Anyway, petroleum jelly predates modern ferro rods. So, petroleum jelly is more primitive than a modern ferro rod, and a modern ferro rod is already squarely within the cheating zone.

Wannabe's rub two sticks together.
Professionals carry a lighter.

No, they will last for years

Personally, I have used "Boy Scout Firestarter" (white gas) when available. Don't sprinkle too much and cap the container

I prefer the Firesteel.com 'steels to the LMF, personally. FWIW I can't get my head around why anyone is bothered by the fact that they sell an enormous 'steel! So what if it's bigger than you'd use- it would still be very useful! I'd love to have that steel. The largest one I have is the "Bunker", and you'd probably find that too large, too. For the record, though, my favorite model is the GobSpark Armageddon.

I completely agree though that if you start a lot of fires and are technically proficient at firecraft you may as well use a lighter. It's hard to beat a BIC in conditions favorable towards its use. However I do think it's a great idea to use other methods frequently enough to retain the ability to do so. The time that your lighter fails will probably be the time that you need it most. In that instance it's good to have other options.

Few ways of making fire are more reliable than a firesteel. They work in any weather, at any elevation and at any temperature. They're completely unaffected by being doused with water. They do of course require tinder, same as every other method. PJ cotton is great. ESBIT is outstanding, too; it can serve dual roles as tinder and fuel.

Has anyone yet mentioned that not all cotton balls are "cotton", some are poly fluff and will not catch a spark worth a damn I 'm told.

Very true. Nes sure the cotton balls are actually cotton.

Someone said that ferro rods, or commonly called firesteels are waterproof. That is true but if around saltwater for very long they erode to nothing. Most will erode to dust in a week or so, if the protective coating has been scraped. Even in a pocket around saltwater, like in sea kayaking, they will erode.