Electric Sharpeners can use either a blade or helical sharpening mechanism, but the whole process is powered by electricity. These sharpeners require very little in the way of manual work – all you need to do is insert your pencil and let the machine do the rest. These heavy duty sharpeners are perfect for artists who use pencils daily, or for those who just don’t want to waste time manually sharpening their pencils. It’s pretty easy to sharpen a high volume of pencils with these sharpeners.

In the photo, you can see Count Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell with a giant triangular shaped Faber-Castell Grip 2001 pencil. The pencil’s wood case is made from Weymouth Pine and it was photographed with the count in front of the family castle at Stein near Nuremberg. On the face of it sharpening a pencil couldn’t be easier. Just insert the pencil into the hole and rotate the pencil in your hand. Making sure the pencil and sharpener are inline – not at an angle – will ensure the cleanest possible sharpening. It’s also important not to apply too much pressure or your pencil lead may break. If you’re finding sharpening your pencils frustrating try some of these tips. Make Sure Your Sharpener isn’t BluntIf there are signs the blade isn’t sharp enough then it means it’s probably time to replace your sharpener or just replace the blade if there are replacements available for your model. You’re Using the Wrong Type of Sharpener The wood around the point of your pencil should be smooth. If it is smooth then the blade in your sharpener is sharp enough. If the wood looks a little rough or furry then that’s a sign that the blade on your sharpener is dull. Read below to see a comparison of all our sharpeners and it should help you find the perfect sharpener for you. What are the different types of pencil sharpener? Our other sharpening tools include sharpeners and accessories suitable for non-standard pencils or specialist sharpening techniques.

Like with most other sharpeners, you’ll begin sharpening your pencil by placing it in the aperture at the front. With a crank sharpener the pencil is held in the hole using a clip mechanism that releases from the front of the machine. You can usually activate this via a pincer grip that protrudes slightly from the top of the sharpener. As you turn the crank the pencil will feed into the sharpener. In some models the feeding mechanism will stop automatically once the pencil is sharp. Detail of the point adjustment tool on a manual crank sharpener.Pencil Shavings should be long and continuous from a sharpener with a good blade. If you find that your sharpenings are breaking off into small, jagged shards then your blade will probably need replacing. The world’s largest coloring pencil is located in the UK at the Derwent Pencil Museum which opened in 1981. Their star attraction the giant yellow coloring pencil was made by the Derwent Pencil factory for the museum in 2oo1. Some crank sharpeners also include a tool to adjust the length of the point on your pencil – so you can choose anything from a super sharp, long point to a short, more blunt point. This mechanism is usually controlled through an adjustable screw at the base of the handle.