Make a charcoal pencil

You’ll need

30cm ruler
Straight wooden stick about 7-8cm in diameter
Swiss army knife/ any other craft knife
Metal tin suitable for use on fire
Reamer/ sharp object to make hole
Coals/logs
Fire blanket
Bucket of water
Heatproof gloves
Fire pit
Charcoal pencil pdf

Charcoal Pencils

PDF – 589.9KB

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Before you begin

Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Take a look at our guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.

Planning and setting up this activity

You must be aware of UK knife law before buying, using, or carrying a knife.
Take the time to read and understand the Scout knife safety guidance.
Knives are an important tool for a survival situation and can be versatile if you know how to use them safely and properly.
A small folding knife that has a blade fewer than three inches long is suitable for a lot of different survival uses. You may need to use a knife with a larger (or fixed) blade for some activities. You should follow the law, only use them when needed, never carry them in a public place, and always store them securely and out of view.
Young people must be closely supervised by adults when knives are used.

Top tips

Don’t feel pressured to jump straight into making the pencil. You could get some clear pine from a timber merchant and make shavings for fuel to get people practising for the first time.
If you want to make a pencil, you’ll need a soft wood, such as green hazel, ash, or willow.
It’s best to practise before you show young people to make sure you understand.
People should only do what they’re confident and comfortable with – some people may want to just try a few techniques, while others will be ready to take on a project.

Keep safe

It’s important to keep the people around you safe when you’re using a knife. You’ll need to create a ‘safe zone’ around the person using the knife. A safe zone is free from people and obstacles. The person leading the activity should remind everyone of the basics of using a knife safely:

Learn how to safely remove a knife from a sheath without cutting yourself.
You should hold a knife firmly but not too tightly.
Your hand shouldn’t be too far back or too far forward.
You should grip the knife, so that you can see some of the handle where it meets the blade.
If you’re making small cuts or carvings, you can place your thumb on the back of the blade to give you more control.
It’s best to cut down towards the ground, with a wooden block or base to make it more stable.
Make sure you’re always cutting away from your body and keeping clear of your hands.

Running this activity

Cut a straight stick about 2 cm in diameter into pieces roughly 7–8 cm long.
Use the blade on your Swiss Army Knife™ to carve a pointed tip on one end of each piece.
Place the sticks inside a small metal tin suitable for use on a fire.
Use the reamer to make a small hole in the lid so gases can escape safely.
Set the tin on the edge of hot coals, not directly in the flames.
Leave the tin on the coals for about 10–15 minutes. Thick smoke will appear at first.
When the smoke becomes thin and wispy, remove the tin from the heat.
If flames appear, briefly block the hole and move the tin slightly away from the fire.
Allow the tin to cool completely before opening.
Shape the charcoal with the blade. Sharpen for fine lines or flatten slightly for shading.

To watch in full screen, double click the video

Reflection

Making the charcoal pencil helped everyone with their bushcraft skills, working around campfire and using a knife safely. After we finished making the pencil, everyone used it to draw a picture.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.

Carbon Monoxide: Carbon monoxide (CO) is a serious risk, so make sure you cook or use appliances in a properly ventilated area. If you need a sheltered cooking area, consider an open sided gazebo, dining shelter or a marquee that has sufficient air circulation and ventilation. Take a look at our further guidance on carbon monoxide.
Fires and stoves: Make sure anyone using fires and stoves is doing so safely. Check that the equipment and area are suitable and have plenty of ventilation. Follow the gas safety guidance. Have a safe way to extinguish the fire in an emergency.
Flammable items: Always take care when using flammable items, especially if you’re near fire. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidelines.
Hot items and hot water: Kettles, cookers and microwave ovens produce a lot of heat by the very nature of them. Caution is needed when in contact with items that have been heated and young people should use them under adult supervision. Use on a suitable surface, protecting it if necessary. Never leave hot items unattended and make sure there’s a nearby first aid kit, with items to treat burns/scalds.
Sharp objects: Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.