Starting a Fire with a Flint Striker

I picked up a Coghlan's Flint Striker recently for my bush bag and had the chance to test it in my backyard before I need to use it in the woods, always a good idea to test things BEFORE it really matters I think.  For the price, I picked mine up locally for less than $10, this turned out to be a pretty reasonable tool to have and fairly easy to use.
Having no real life experience with using a flint striker I found myself quite surprised by just how easy it can be to get a fire started.  In my backyard test I decided to try 3 different materials to catch the spark: newsprint, paper towel and cotton pads.  Of the three I tested I will from this point on be carrying cotton pads in my bushbag as they took the spark on the first strike quite consistently.  The newsprint did eventually light, as did the paper towel, but taking spark and providing flame on one strike sold me 100% on the cotton pads.
It seemed logical to try a pad that had been sprayed with 70% rubbing alcohol a few times and that turned out to be a fantastic idea.  With the alcohol using the cotton pad as a wick, it produced a stronger, broader flame that consumed the pad more slowly than when they were sparked without it!  Excellent news!
Both of these items can be purchased at most dollar stores and as such are easily available to anyone, anywhere.
There are a few things about this item that are worth mentioning, but for the price you can't really argue.  First off, the paint on the flint striker needs to be removed before it will produce a decent spark but that's not a difficult task.  Secondly I would recommend removing the little bit of cord that holds on the steel bit, and tossing them both away.  The cord is too short and complicates the stroke in my opinion and that little piece of metal is just something else to poke a hole in your pack.  Besides, you have a good steel knife right?  Right?  The last thing I would mention is that I have heard there is some issue with the rod coming 'unglued' from the plastic handle that attaches the cord.  Easy enough to fix with a little super glue or whatever you prefer.
There are a huge variety of strikers on the market so find one that you like but for me, this Coghlan's Flint Striker is good to go!  If you want to watch the video where I check this out, Click Here!