Sharpened end of a matchstick-sized bamboo barbeque skewer
Matchsticks have frequent uses in crafts and model making. They can still be readily purchased, but there is not so much need for them, nowadays, for lighting fires or cigarettes. A good substitute is a thin dowel, readily available as bamboo sticks. They are hard and tough, and so last longer, and are more useful, than matchsticks in many ways.
Rounded bamboo sticks are sold as barbecue skewers in supermarkets everywhere, especially during the Summer season. Probably costing around £1 for about 100 sticks.
A bundle such as that shewn above will be lifetime supply for the hobbyist ~ depending on the how many different jobs they are used for. We share some examples of small tasks for which we have used them [124761].
They come, ready sharpened at one end, in lengths of about 20cm.
I find the easiest way of cutting off a short length is to roll the dowel under the blade of a sharp knife. After a while it will snap with finger pressure. Without the knife marks, which are unlikely to cut right through, fingers-only will tend to make a fibrous mess, and hurt the fingers.
You will need a sharp knife to cut the bamboo to a needle point ~ chisel point ~ or half round and half flat ~ asabove. The hardness of bamboo makes cutting difficult, but enables the shape to remain useful ~ even for several weeks, if not lost when not in use.
