# The best 50 cents you'll invest in prepping.



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

A simple, cheap fire kit.
A manual pencil sharpener!
It creates thin, dry [when it gets deeper.] shavings from dead twigs that ignite with minimal effort.
K I'm done.


----------



## Balls004 (Feb 28, 2015)

Simple, cheap and something I hadn't thought of. Nice tip!


----------



## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

I carry a pocket knife. Actually two, but one uses disposable utility blades.


----------



## Balls004 (Feb 28, 2015)

If I've got pants on, I've got a pocket knife. It's still a great idea. Save the knife for heavier tasks.


----------



## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

here's what i use,in which,i've already saved some shavings with it


----------



## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

I have several of those compact pencil sharpeners. Never thought about the shavings as a fire starter. 

Good one!


----------



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Boom! Pencil Sharpener...


----------



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

*BOWS* It came to me in a dream.


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

A pencil sharpener is a lot easier than cutting feather sticks with a knife, I thought about the kind with the cover like JimLE posted when I first read this thread, but before I read this thread I never clued in that one would be a good fire starting aid 

Magus, Thank you for another quick and inexpensive tip


----------



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

If one packed cedar sticks or if they still make them cedar shafted pencils [to make maps and notes]cedar erupts into flame pretty easily. just an added thought.


----------



## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

i was keeping the shavings in a 4oz cup..then i remembered some small containers with lids,that i had bought the other day.and of course.i now keep the shavings and pencil sharpener together..


----------



## Tactic12 (Dec 16, 2012)

Magus said:


> A simple, cheap fire kit.
> A manual pencil sharpener!
> It creates thin, dry [when it gets deeper.] shavings from dead twigs that ignite with minimal effort.
> K I'm done.


Thanks for the post, so simple, yet very overlooked! I went to store and got a great deal with the back to school specials lol. Cheers!


----------



## Idaholady (Apr 24, 2010)

That's a great idea; I'll pick up a couple and throw them in my bag. In fact I'll take the idea to the next prep class and let others know too.


----------



## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

these are what i've been working on time to time since my first post in this thread..pencil on left.and a wooden dowel on the right..


----------



## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

here's something that'll help things go faster.just put pencil or what ever into a drill.and you'll get a lot of shavings real fast..


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Jim,
I think is more for a "Backwoods" kind of tip. 

If you have an electric drill handy, you'll MOST LIKELY not need pencil shavings to start a fire.


----------



## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

country all the way here..


----------



## neil-v1 (Jan 22, 2010)

Like it. Good thinking.


----------



## offgridcooker (Mar 5, 2012)

Had not thought of using a pencil sharpener for fire starter, 
thanks


----------



## Kodeman (Jul 25, 2013)

Magus, so glad you posted this. I did this in the mid-60's, preparing for my first deer hunt, as a teenager. Info on survival was pretty much only found in military manuals and prepping was only considered for bomb shelters. I read of a simple but effective solution to waterproof the shavings. This may seem obsolete, now, but back then this was very effective. You fill an empty 16ga.shell with the shavings and put this in an empty 12ga. shell. I still have this in my daypack with a second one containing wooden matches. I enjoy all your post.
Kodeman


----------



## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

On cheap fire starters - swing by the local casino and grab a handful of the free book matches. 
Everyone is down on book matches for prepping but you do not always need a wooden strike anywhere match. For 99% of the time a single book match is all you need. They take up very little room and you can often get them for FREE. Even Walmart has large boxes of book matches at about $4 or $5. I have many books of matches sealed in jars. Good barter item too.


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I have seen this on U-TUBE, but I am a lent man myself. 
The sharpener will last longer the a pillow case of lint.


----------



## JustCliff (May 21, 2011)

I keep a pencil sharpener in a medicine bottle with some of those "free" lottery pencils. I will always need to write something down. I buy the big bales of wood chips for chicken bedding. I spread some on a cookie sheet and dry it even more, then put them in Large medicine bottles (1000 count) 
I will use the pencil shavings just in case I run out.


----------



## Norse (Jan 30, 2010)

What if you lose your pencil sharpener?

Any sharp object can produce wisp thin wood shavings with a little practice. The best advise is to be able to have a minimal # of tools that have maximum uses.


----------



## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

yeah,many items will get you what you need and want.pin knife,folding knife,utility knife,Straight Razor.my multi tool plier has a knife saw blade on it.and im wondering if i can get any shaveings from useing it...but yet.it pays to have a back plan for a plan.and back up plans for the back up plan..


----------



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Anybody here ever make "fuzz sticks?" easy normally, BUT they're a pain in the butt when your hands are cold, hence the pencil sharpener idea.


----------



## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

i got me 2 more pencil sharpeners for 50 cents each,the other day...i love my back plans.


----------



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

I wonder if it would be worth it to pack some kid's sparklers in my fire pack?


----------



## Gians (Nov 8, 2012)

Was just warning a guy today about using Gorrilla Hair in his landscape, it can catch fire really easy(pine needles are even worse)...but could be useful if you actually wanted to start one. Fuzz sticks work good too, just more effort...can use a knife or an axe.


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Another use for the sharpener is to use it to make straps out of plastic bottles.
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Plastic-String-from-a-PET-Bottle/

The video did not come up.
Instructables.com is a site where you can show your ideals & projects.
This guy dismantled a pencil sharpener to make a CUTTER that turns used plastic bottle into straps that can hold 200 pounds.


----------



## ajfkdem1 (May 8, 2014)

I NEVER thought of THAT! Great info, thanks!


----------



## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Those straps made out of a plastic bottle can be heated and they will shrink. Works like using wet rawhide where it tightens as it dries. Makes things really tight!!!


----------



## webeable (Aug 29, 2012)

Magus said:


> I wonder if it would be worth it to pack some kid's sparklers in my fire pack?


They work well, to save space break off wire with hammer, put in baggies will start fire quickly.


----------



## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

LincTex said:


> Jim,
> I think is more for a "Backwoods" kind of tip.
> 
> If you have an electric drill handy, you'll MOST LIKELY not need pencil shavings to start a fire.


good idea about using the drill.in which i used my cordless drill.and i did try it with the pencil shavings,in which i did see smoke after,i guess about 1 minute of running it.i hope the pic's aint to large.using a diff pc and i don't have the needed program on it yet.


----------



## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

While any tool is better than nothing I honestly don`t see a $.50 cent pencil sharpener doing me any good in the woods, for one thing it would be difficult to fine twigs nice and round and uniform to cut with the little tool and unless you have boxes full of pencil shavings, another thing to carry around, I see nothing better than a good pocket knife and a water sharpening stone or a plain rock for that matter, while in the woods you must used the woods. I try my sharpener in my back yard with several twigs, didn't` work too good.


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

readytogo said:


> While any tool is better than nothing I honestly don`t see a $.50 cent pencil sharpener doing me any good in the woods, for one thing it would be difficult to fine twigs nice and round and uniform to cut with the little tool and unless you have boxes full of pencil shavings, another thing to carry around, I see nothing better than a good pocket knife and a water sharpening stone or a plain rock for that matter, while in the woods you must used the woods. I try my sharpener in my back yard with several twigs, didn't` work too good.


I see your point, but a sharpener is cheap, small & light weight, so why not.
I is as useful as pre-made char cloth.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

This can go along with your shavings.


----------

