[Chas]

Tongue depressors only depress tongues...and their owners.

Many, many common "tools" can be "MacGyver'd" into service to serve another purpose. I also use the T.D. whittled a bit to apply wood filler in difficult places. One end sharpened to a point it becomes a marker in the flower bed...

To suggest the use of a pencil to poke a circuit has some risk, I could suggest a Delrin or Teflon rod but not many have a such laying about. A wooden dowel, fine, even the "Popsicle" stick, after consuming the quiescently frozen confection and drying the said stick.

Chas