I didn't have a lot of expectations for this sharpener. I bought it because the shavings bin from my electric sharpener had wandered off, rendering it unusable, and I didn't want to spend a whole lot on what I hoped would be a temporary replacement.
The first thing I did was sharpen twelve new #2 Berol Eagle pencils. They are polygon shaped, but the sharpener held them firmly and brought then to a nice, even, very fine point. I did find that if I didn't empty the bin after four pencils the sharpener would begin to shave unevenly -- while the bin would look like it had plenty of room, shavings were starting to kick back against the cutter, impeding it a little.( If you're going to use this as a for-the-kids sharpener, you're going to need to make sure that somebody's making sure it's emptied.) I was impressed that the sharpener handled the succession of twelve pencils with out getting hot or choking -- I've see electric pencil sharpeners that couldn't do that.
The next thing I tried were a couple of round pencils-- the kind that are commonly handed out as giveaways (one of mine was from Savers, one was the Seaport Hotel -- while the logos reflect widely different price points, they likely share a single manufacturer!). They were slightly larger that the Berols, and they had machine embossed lettering. The sharpener handled one better than the other. It left an lip on one side of the Savers pencil -- I can't figure out why as it hasn't hit the lettering yet ( I wondered if the sharpener might have trouble with the embossing, but it will be a while before I come to the lettering on either pencil.) It's possible that the pencil is ever-so-slightly warped,preventing it from making full contact with the cutter.
They next thing I tried was one of those kid's pencils that was wrapped with a plastic Snoopy design. The sharpener protested, but got the job done -- it shredded part of the coating and peeled back the rest, but it brought the tip to a fine point. I'm not sure if it was worth the risk though -- those kind of pencils may be better left to one of those small manual sharpeners that come from the Five and Dime.
The final thing I tried was a Sargent colored pencil. The tip had broken off and fallen out, which meant the sharpener would have to grind off the empty casing before it even reached the lead. The sharpener made quick work of the excess, and brought the pencil to a fine, even point. Sharpening colored pencils can be tricky -- sharpeners can break or weaken the lead, or they leave blunt tips. But this sharpener gave me a fine, strong tip -- beautiful to draw a straight line with, or to shade.
I'm one of those people who believes I think better if my pencils are really sharp -- and this sharpener is really upping my game. But while this sharpener far surpassed my initially low performance expectations, the thing I completely failed to anticipate is how much I love *holding* this sharpener. It's sized just right to comfortably carry in one hand -- and I never would have imagined how much more I enjoy just reaching out, grabbing the sharpener and sharpening a pencil where I sit, instead of the old ritual of getting up and walking across the room the the electric sharpener. I'm tempted to give one to everyone I know(and if I still had young children, I'd stock up so they could give these as birthday presents!)
Sharp pencils are a small but wonderful pleasure. For small money so is this is this sharpener.
| Manufacturer | Colore Art |
|---|---|
| Brand | Pencil Sharpener |
| Item Weight | 6.9 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 5 x 3 x 2 inches |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Material Type | Stainless Steel |
| Size | 1 Pack |
| Manufacturer Part Number | ElectricPencilSharpener-White-01 |
