Instructions

• Step 1: Dismantle pen Dismantle the pen and remove and discard the ballpoint tip and the ink. Set aside the empty tube and cap.
• Step 2: Cut match strip Cut a small square from the strike pad on the matchbox and contour it inside the cap, strike side out.
• Step 3: Cut matches Cut the ends from the matches so they fit inside the tip of the pen tube, match heads facing out. Let them stick out about ¼- to ½-inch.
• Step 4: Fill tube with water Fill the tube with water before reassembling as a safety precaution. Replace the end with the matches in the tube and carefully replace the cap.
• TIP: This gag won’t harm your victim or cause a fire. The water inside will extinguish the fire almost immediately.
• Step 5: Watch Watch in amusement as your unwitting victim removes the cap, causing the matches to light and the pen tip to burst into flames.
• FACT: French Baron Marcel Bich founded the BIC Company in 1945 after developing popular gravity-flow inks. In 1958, BIC introduced its pens to the American market.

You Will Need

• A ballpoint pen with a cap
• Scissors
• Two matches and a match box
• An unwitting victim