I haven't used anything besides flint and steel to start a fire for years. I keep a magnesium/flint bar on my keychain so it's with me at all times, because ya just never know. For tinder we use pitch wood because it's so prevalent in the area, but still have to be careful of the wind blowing the shavings away.
For quite a while there, a group of us from the area would go out into the woods for some fire/coffee/knife time. Hopefully we can get that started again, soon (with new Scrap blades!). It was always a great time and was a great way to practice our basic skills. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />