Sometimes, the most useful survival tools are the most often overlooked. Few of us would see an ordinary pencil sharpener and think it could be used for anything but sharpening pencils—after all, its purpose is right there in the name. However, after seeing this video from SensiblePrepper, we’ll think twice before discarding one of these tiny tools.

Inserting a pencil into a sharpener and twisting produces perfect spirals of tinder material, and it sure beats whittling away wood shavings with a knife. Using the graphite as a lubricant is an added bonus, and when you’re done, you’ve got a fresh writing instrument. Nothing goes to waste—we like that. Maybe the humble pencil sharpener is worth including in a bug-out bag after all.

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Written by Patrick McCarthy