Anyone use a pencil sharpener for making tinder?

L

Loosearrow

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Apr 14, 2008
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In the past, I have had one in my pack to make some tinder out of dry wood. Makes a nice ball of shavings.
 
I always have one on me for that very thing.. Makes it a lot easier and safer than using a knife.. You can hike along and do it if you have one of those enclosed ones and just pop it in a bag for later..

Used to get razzed hard for carrying one when I hike with my buds until we got caught out during a pretty nasty rain storm.. Made enough tinder with 8 twigs to get a fire going and dry out a good bit larger twigs to help keep it going with no problem until larger stuff was dry enough to burn..

Just about all my fire kits have atleast one in them... Saves your knife for other things...

Tux
 
This is a great idea. It is one of those things that is so simple that I would have never thought of it!

There are alot of household things that can do double duty in the field. Good job on thinking ouside of the box!!
 
I threw one in my kit a while back but I haven't tried it yet. It seems like a foolproof way to get some tinder fast.
 
Better yet, keep a couple of pencils in your pack with your sharpener. That way you have some multi-use gear :D This one seems to come up about every 6 mo or so in W&SS. Its a good tip.
 
Even though I wish we could do away with most of the stickies we have right now, it'd be cool if we had one full of 'good general tips and tricks'. These don't work when everyone just starts spouting off random stuff, so it'd have to be a best-of or something.
 
SpookyPistolero said:
Even though I wish we could do away with most of the stickies we have right now, it'd be cool if we had one full of 'good general tips and tricks'. These don't work when everyone just starts spouting off random stuff, so it'd have to be a best-of or something.
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Hmmm sort of a primer. I like the idea. It would be like going to class online! I keep reminding myself to pick up some sharpeners...great tip.
 
I tried a pencil sharpener made for carpenter pencils to make shavings of fatwood.
It did not work very well. I do better with the squared off spine of a knife.

What kind of wood have you guys had success with?
 
I carry one all the time in the pack... If you see it starting to rain, Just pick up a few dry sticks while walking and drop them in your pocket. I had some that were semi wet and just putting them in the pocket while walking dryed them up... You can also find some metal sharpeners in the cosmtics isle at some stores. Now you never have to worry about breaking them.

Sasha
 
Have used one for a while, I am thinking however of getting one of these.

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Sorry for being a buzzkill, but why? We all carry more knives than necessary into the wilds, wouldn't it be easier just to shave your wood with one? I think that making tinder with a knife would be a better skill to practice.
 
Yup!

Ever since I saw the idea on a Forum, I got one with a transparent storage box for the shavings built in, makes a convenient tool even more convenient!

Here's a tip, when you buy your cup of coffee, grab a handful of those long thin wooden stirrers, they also make great tinder!
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Yeah, it's just another cool little idea that people come up with in here. I know over the last few years I have snagged about a half dozen to a dozen really good pieces of information in here. Pencil sharpeners...jute twine...just all sorts of cool stuff from the minds in here.
 
CWL said:
Sorry for being a buzzkill, but why? We all carry more knives than necessary into the wilds, wouldn't it be easier just to shave your wood with one? I think that making tinder with a knife would be a better skill to practice.
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To take your idea further, do you really have to "practice" making tinder with a knife? I mean, isn't tinder production the by-product of just about everything you do with a knife and a piece of wood? You whittle, you produce tinder, etc.

I think the guys talking about walking down the trail with one of these things that cost about a buck and just grinding down twigs as they walk are on to something. Safer than be-bopping down the trail whittling...and you get a lot of tinder that is incredibly thin.
 
When I teach survival classes I advocate the use of carpenter's pencil sharpeners (they're larger and more durable than the regular ones) for children who aren't proficient with knives yet, or if you are nervous about their ability to safely use a knife. I also keep one in my car kit. It can be handy and like anything it's another tool in the arsenal.
 
CWL said:
Sorry for being a buzzkill, but why? We all carry more knives than necessary into the wilds, wouldn't it be easier just to shave your wood with one? I think that making tinder with a knife would be a better skill to practice.
Click to expand...

I look at it a different way.. Sure you can make tinder with your knife but wouldn't rather save your knife for other things if possible, other than making tinder.. Now no I wouldn't try shaving fatwood with it, but as far as shaving down a nice big pile of tinder so its ready to use, at the next camp spot or in case of where you need to make a fire quickly in some sudden bad weather.

I made up a few kits for some young ones with pencil sharpeners for the very reason safety... Gotta keep the little ones digits attached so they wanna go out again hiking or camping...:D
 
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