why a peanut over pen?

[thawk]

I got tasked with unravelling about 6,000 firecrackers for my sons.

They were pulling out the most fuses trying to unravel them. The strings of firecrackers are wound securely, and impossible to unravel by hand. They want you to light the whole pack. :grumpy:

We found that with a sharp pen blade (I used a 6220), you could lay the whole string of firecrackers on the ground, and run a pen blade down the whole spine, severing the tough threads, and get them all separated and keep the fuses intact in just a few minutes.

Perfect task for the pen blade.

Peanut or Pen?
Are we not supposed to collect the whole set? *yep*

Yes, and then some!

 

[Bob W]

What is the difference between a Pen and a Senator?

I think "pen" is the generic term for a small pocketknife containing a pen blade, perhaps named that because they were used to sharpen pen quills?

Senator is a more specific term, referring to an "equal end pen knife", being symmetric on each end. A Senator usually contains a spear point blade and a smaller "pen" blade.

 

[sm2]

Re: Quills

Yes, thank you for adding that very important aspect to the discussion.
I forgot to...

Re: Firecrackers.
There is a "art & science" in unraveling those.
I cannot type the description, and it does vary. Still if looks there is one end, that is the "finish" end. Just unravel that one.

Cheat, ask the fireworks employee how different ones are assembled.
(kids think this is so cool, knowing how they were wrapped, thus being unwrapped.

Re: Safety.

Besides the kids using eye protection ...
Your kids do have kids sized shooting glasses- don't they?

Take a stick, and use the thin sharp blade from a Peanut, or Peanut and cut a fine "slit", to make a fire starter longer .
The end of the fire starter fits into slit.
The kid does not have to get as close to light the fuse.

Some kids are a bit nervous , especially younger ones.

The other fun deal is to make a "extension" with a pocket knife.
Get a stick (make this a fun learning experience) and cut a shallow groove with a pen knife.

<picture of kids and adults sitting side by side>

Take some Dental Floss, or small gauge binding wire , heck even strands of copper from a old lamp cord.

End of fire starter inserts into shallow groove and stays in place with the wire...snug fit, if you will.

Dumb, sentimental stuff with kids, that is safety related.

It might take 10 years before a kid says "'member that time we made extensions for the the fire starters that 4th of July?"

Most likely the brat is wanting a knife like the one you used that time...

*wink*