Pencil sharpener as a firelighting tool

[Stanleythecat]

A friend of mine told me how when he was at school they used to turn the bunsen burner on to their metal style pencil sharpeners and after a few minutes they would combust with an impressive reaction.

I also read this morning in a thread on another site that one person suggested a pencil sharpener as a fine addition to his survival kit as it would always produce good tinder for him.

Coupling those two bits on info together I wonder if it is more use than first thought. At lunchtime I nipped off to the workshop and shaved some burrs off my pencil sharpener and tried to ignite them, sure enough with a little bit of hit and miss they flared up like magnesium to leave the furry oxide you would expect. That coupled with its ability to make fine wood shavings there might be merit in what he says.

Maybe nothing more than a party trick I suppose but I thought I would share.

Leo

 

[Toddy]

A lot of those sharpeners are made from Mazac or mazak, a zinc based casting alloy sometimes called pot metal. It's commonly used for toy cars, car components and the like.
The usual alloy is zinc, aluminium, magnesium and copper.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[fishfish]

what we used to call pig ali! its antresting idea to carry one too!

 

[Mang]

Carrying also gives you 'pencil' shavings to ignite with your burrs if you stick a pencil sized twig in it.

 

[Intertidal]

Yep, me and several mates got detention in the 70's for torching pencil sharpeners during chemistry. They were great when they went up - a great eruption of smoke and blinding light. All you were left with was a bit of ash, a blued blade and the wee screw that held it all together.
I may sacrifice one tonite, just for old times sake!

 

[Melonfish]

worth taking anyway by the sounds, either sharpen a stick for use as a spit or use the shavings for tinder, or if its really wet shave the pencil sharpner and light!
wicked.