It's a challenge to light paper with a ferro rod. You really do have to shred the edges pretty fine to catch a spark, and the first time you try it can be surprisingly difficult. The cottonball, on the other hand, is amazingly easy. Provided it's not compacted tightly the cotton will almost always go up in a large amount of flame on the first strike of the steel. It's amazingly flammable. Tinder-Quik catches almost, but not quite, as easily. Jute catches pretty well but not as effortlessly as cottong (and then only when it's prepared well).