# Are there any good pencil sharpeners left on the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 6, 2012, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169 "2012-12-06T11:32:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/1 "2012-12-06T11:32:37Z")
I swear I cannot find a good, reliable pencil sharpener any more. We run through them so quickly at work that the secretary has to order a new one almost as soon as we purchase one to plan for the quick demise of the new one we just bought. We have lots of those little hand sharpeners to cover for the time between the demise of the current sharpener and the receipt of a new one (it takes about a week from order to receipt) and, of course, the hand helps are crappy, too. We have gone through several plug in types this past year- perhaps four. I thought the sharpeners were just victims of public use and abuse at first. But now I’m watching my kids trying to sharpen pencils for school this morning. At home, I have two wall mounted sharpeners. Both just chew pencils to pointless, fuzzy nubs. The electrical one is such a delicate flower that it won’t sharpen a pencil unless you hold everything from the pencil to the desk to your left foot in perfect balance. This may be my third electric sharpener in a little over a year. So both kids are using the little hand held sharpeners this morning and leaving piles of shavings everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/2 "2012-12-06T12:51:01Z")
Moebius and Ruppert make [superb brass hand-held pencil sharpeners](http://www.moebius-ruppert.com/spitzer/sp_messing.html). So their [mechanical](http://www.moebius-ruppert.com/spitzer/sp_maschine.html) ones might be worth a try. ---
**Author:** ![dataguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eada6e/32.png) [@dataguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dataguy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/3 "2012-12-06T13:51:16Z")
Have you tried [this one](http://www.classroomfriendlysupplies.com/products/midnight-black)? It gets rave reviews from teachers. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/4 "2012-12-06T14:15:32Z")
[This book](http://www.amazon.com/How-Sharpen-Pencils-Theoretical-Contractors/dp/1612190405/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354803246&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+sharpen+pencils) may have some recommendations on sharpening devices and techniques. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/5 "2012-12-06T14:44:06Z")
[This one, perhaps](http://boingboing.net/2011/03/10/clive-thompson-on-th.html). (Palomino-KUM Long Point Pencil Sharpener). ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/6 "2012-12-06T14:53:37Z")
> [@dataguy](#): > > Have you tried [this one](http://www.classroomfriendlysupplies.com/products/midnight-black)? > It gets rave reviews from teachers. Wow. That takes me back about 40 years to real chalk chalkboards, wooden desks with lids and an inkwell, and those heavenly-smelling photocopied worksheets with the purple ink (what were they called, Gestetner???) On topic though, I do remember that they worked really well. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/7 "2012-12-06T15:22:51Z")
> [@Panurge](#): > > [This one, perhaps](http://boingboing.net/2011/03/10/clive-thompson-on-th.html). (Palomino-KUM Long Point Pencil Sharpener). Yep. I have [that](http://www.amazon.com/Long-Point-Pencil-Sharpener-Pointer/dp/B0038RA6KG) and it is great. Goes great with my Blackwing 602s. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/8 "2012-12-06T16:08:00Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > Wow. That takes me back about 40 years to real chalk chalkboards, wooden desks with lids and an inkwell, and those heavenly-smelling photocopied worksheets with the purple ink (what were they called, Gestetner???) You bring back fond memories. Those purple copies were made with a [spirit duplicator](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_duplicator). I have only known Gestetner as the name of a manufacturer of office paraphernalia, but when I checked things I noted that a duplicator they made was nicknamed Gestetner as well. It’s not the same method, though. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/9 "2012-12-06T16:11:16Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > You bring back fond memories. Those purple copies were made with a [spirit duplicator](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_duplicator). I have only known Gestetner as the name of a manufacturer of office paraphernalia, but when I checked things I noted that a duplicator they made was nicknamed Gestetner as well. It’s not the same method, though. Ah, excellent, thank you. That link jogged my memory… _ **Roneo** _. No idea where I got Gestetner from. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/10 "2012-12-06T18:27:33Z")
I got this one: [http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/cat\_sku.asp?CatIds=&webid=628442&affixedcode=WW](http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?CatIds=&webid=628442&affixedcode=WW) And it’s been pretty good. Those brass ones linked to upthread are sure cool-lookin’ ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/11 "2012-12-07T09:22:04Z")
I have a 60+ year old metal crank model that still works great. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/12 "2012-12-07T21:27:38Z")
This is a big part of the reason, about ten years ago, I simply punted and now only use mechanical pencils. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/13 "2012-12-07T23:04:26Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > [This book](http://www.amazon.com/How-Sharpen-Pencils-Theoretical-Contractors/dp/1612190405/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354803246&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+sharpen+pencils) may have some recommendations on sharpening devices and techniques. If I am not mistaken, the guy who wrote that book has a, no kidding, mail order pencil sharpening service. Artisan, hand sharpened pencils… ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/14 "2012-12-08T01:05:53Z")
I bought the X-Acto School Pro Heavy-Duty Electric [Sharpener](http://www.amazon.com/X-Acto-School-Heavy-Duty-Electric-Sharpener/dp/B00006IEI4) for my workplace and it has held up well for years. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/15 "2012-12-08T02:26:57Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > If I am not mistaken, the guy who wrote that book has a, no kidding, mail order pencil sharpening service. Artisan, hand sharpened pencils… [Apparently not a joke.](http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com/about.html) “Shavings are bagged and returned with your pencil.” Just the latest addition to the long list Things I Don’t Understand [sup]TM[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/16 "2012-12-08T14:33:45Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > [Apparently not a joke.](http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com/about.html) Is it a joke, or at least started as one. The guy was one of the performers on last year’s Jonathan Coulton fan cruise (nerd entertainment on a cruise ship, pretty great stuff), and he read from his book and [demonstrated fancy sharpening techniques](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AlvPD3m1VY) on stage (the video isn’t great but you can see/hear what’s happening). It was pretty funny, and it was obvious the whole thing is tongue-in-cheek, making fun of how there’s an expert for everything. I’m not sure how it got so far as to become a lucrative pencil sharpening business. I follow him on Twitter, and he’s already got more orders than he can handle for Christmas and is making a decent amount of money. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-pencil-sharpeners-left-on-the-world/643169/17 "2012-12-30T17:59:13Z")
So I spazzed and bought the brass sharpener **Surok** recommended, the mechanical one **dataguy** recommended (but from Amazon- it’s a Carl brand there) and some Blackwing 602 pencils **Little Bird** recommended. All are very nice items and I got a couple of each and spread the pencil joy this Christmas. I’m not entirely clear on the operation of the mechanical pencil sharpener- it came without directions and I’m pretty sure I’m wasting quite a bit of pencil when using it, but it does produce one beautifully sharpened pencil- as does the brass hand-operated one. Now I have sharpened pencils! Thanks, ya’ll.