Hate losing flashlights. I lost mine for about two months. Found it again in my buddy's side by side, it was one that had a piece of netting instead of a door, and the netting caught the clip and stripped the light right out of my pocket. And there it hung until the next time I was over there.

There are two general types. The more standard kind is very easy to strike and throws a shower of sparks about a quarter to half inch from the rod.

Then there's a softer type that's sometimes called misch metal, and it throws off fairly large globs of red hot metal that can travel a couple feet before they burn out. But they require a sharper striker and more force to work well.

Which is better really depends on your technique. Regular ferro rods are more controllable so likely preferable for a beginner. Misch metal is a bit more difficult to strike and requires a little more practice to aim where the fire is going.