Pencil users always are obsessed with how to sharpen pencils ideally. Thus, it is quite challenging to find a sharpening tool which can perform nicely. There were 38 hours spent identifying the most popular and the best sharpeners nowadays. Thus, this allowed making up an independent review with the products’ pros and cons. Go on reading to find out which are the best of the best and how they each perform.
Review of Good Manual Pencil Sharpeners
| Rank | Review | Product Name | Material | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Alvin Brass Bullet View Details | Brass | 9.8 |
| 2 | | SharpTank View Details | Metal | 9.7 |
| 3 | | Integra Aluminum View Details | Aluminum | 9.6 |
| 4 | | Kutsuwa Stad T’Gaal View Details | Plastic | 9.4 |
| 5 | | Staedtler 510 20 View Details | Metal | 9.3 |
| 6 | | Staedtler 511 View Details | Plastic | 9.2 |
| 7 | | X-ACTO KS View Details | Stainless Steel | 9.1 |
| 8 | | Prismacolor Premier View Details | Plastic | 8.9 |
| 9 | | Prismacolor Scholar View Details | Plastic | 8.8 |
| 10 | | Derwent Super Point View Details | Metal | 8.7 |
| 11 | | Bostitch Twist-n-Sharp View Details | Plastic | 8.6 |
Alvin Brass Bullet: Top Metal Sharpener
Alvin Brass Bullet draws attention through its look and color which is really unusual for stationery. This sharpener is heavy-duty and has a bronze tone, which is probably achieved by the metal properties that the sharpener consists of. The Bullet is easy to hold because of its rough edges – they play the role of a grip, so you can be sure that you won’t lose it while sharpening.
The sharpening process produces wooden shavings, and those are unbroken, which is just ideal – a good sign. Furthermore, the Bullet handles all the shapes of pencils: round, triangular, or hexagonal barrels. Thus, it’s safe to say that the Alvin Brass Bullet can be called the best manual pencil sharpener.
- It works very quickly without excess moves
- It is heavy which is credible
- It works durably
- It has replacement blades
- It produces fewer shavings
- Can’t get an acute angle of a tip, it always snaps off
- Contains lead
- Doesn’t have a container for shavings
SharpTank Portable Pencil Sharpener
This is a very durable and sturdy sharpener designed by SharpTank. It has a solid, all-metal body and a strong handle. Its sharp rotary tool can withstand up to 5,000 uses. The helical blade makes very sharp points and is easily dismantled for cleanup.
The unit can be used as a portable machine or mounted on the table (on a flat surface). It comes with a transparent waste reservoir, which is easily removed.
This model has been tested in offices and classrooms and was acknowledged as a very quiet machine.
- Available in assorted colors
- A heavy-duty device
- Ensures evenly sharpened and fine points
- Very low noise levels
- Works with colored pencils and other media with soft leads
- The mount accessories come in the set
- Heavyweight
- The pencil body may look chewed because of the springs that draw the medium into the sharpener
Integra Aluminum: Great Pocket Sharpener
The Integra Aluminum is a nice option for those who are looking for a great sharpener – it is a proven tool which will make your life much easier. The Integra can handle any pencil, and it recesses on both sides so the tempered blade can make the sharpening process more enjoyable.
The Integra is made of aluminum, it has convex spots on its body and a standard size hole which works well with round, hexagonal, and triangular barrels, and it delicately cares about the point of the lead.
It is handheld and can be easily transported in any type of bag, case, and even pocket since it’s tiny and won’t disturb you.
Thus, you’ll get the top pocket sharpener for a reasonable price.
- Sharpens lead to a necessary angle, even if the lead is off-centered of the barrel
- Perfect for any type of pencil
- Doesn’t break wooden barrel
- It doesn’t have a container for shavings
- It’s 80% plastic
Kutsuwa Stad T’Gaal: Best for Colored Pencils
Can you imagine that you can control the angle of a pencil’s point? It is real! The Kutsuwa Stad T’Gaal performs wonderful sharpening with an adjustable angle, as by the way, there are 5 grades: grade 1 does short lead, while grade 5 reveals a sharp and longer lead. This allows the user to enjoy using colored pencils to work with graphite pencils simultaneously and share with friends or family members while having just one sharpener.
There is a tiny adorable addition that especially might interest girls: these tools come in a variety of colors. However, first of all, T’Gaal will be a perfect finding for artists or whoever works with tools that need to be sharpened.
- It makes nicely sharpened lead
- It doesn’t require much pressure
- Delicate with soft leads of colored pencils
- Ability to adjust grade of sharpened point
- It’s bigger than regular sharpeners
- The shutter doesn’t close shaving container tightly
Staedtler 510 20: Dual Blade Choice
The Staedtler brand always stands for the quality of its products, and the Staedtler 510 20 is no exception. The distinguishing feature of this, which is obvious, is that this tool has a dual blade. This means that it goes on well with any numerous types of barrels and performs it decently.
There are some pleasing additions: this tool is affordable, it’s small to transport, and it is easy to grip, thanks to its ribbed edges.
The Staedtler 510 20 must be nice for school.
- It’s small and portable
- It has 2 different sized holes
- It works well with colored and graphite pencils
- It doesn’t have a container for shavings
- It’s not made in Germany, unlike the other types of stationery from Staedtler
Best Tub Sharpener: Staedtler 511
This is another top rated Staedtler product which received very positive feedback from lots of users. For sure, its ability to produce an acute angle is wonderful, but being confident that this tool won’t screw up at the wrong time means a lot.
Its plastic container will definitely save your time from throwing or looking for a temporary container for shavings. Especially, this advantage is irreplaceable for students or for kids in the classroom – there is no need to interrupt anyone when you need to get rid of annoying filings.
- It has a container
- It sharpens nicely, with less barrel breakage
- It’s autonomous, doesn’t require power
- Snaps off pencil’s soft lead
X-ACTO KS: Top Hand Crank Sharpener
The X-ACTO KS is definitely worth a user’s attention, first of all, just by its look. Secondly, it is special by its features: it’s quite heavy, which probably says a lot about its quality, as it can sharpen any type of pencil since it has 8 adjustable modes.
Between, it has dual helical blades, which perform both fast and perfect sharpening. In addition, this tool is a wall mount, thanks to its solid leg, which a hand crank sharpener can be installed with.
- Fast sharpening process
- It sharpens to an acute angle
- It can be mounted to either a horizontal or vertical surface
- Sharpener eats a lot of product
- The base is quite small, thus, the mounting process is quite challenging
- The barrel tip is not straight, sharpening causes cutting the wood obliquely
Since this tool resists durable and multiple usings, it is highly recommended to install the X-ACTO KS in places where the usage of pencils is really high. It would ideally match for the classroom, office, kindergarten, etc.
Prismacolor Premier: Great for Sharp Point
What can be better than matching two products of one brand? Usually, they match each other perfectly, and Prismacolor is no exception. The Prismacolor Premier is a wonderful option for any wooden tool which is ground. It also requires constant tracking since the user might not get what he wants otherwise.
By the way, it accepts 2 sizes of wooden tools thanks to its 2 types of holes under the flipping plastic cover. Besides, this cover also serves as a protection from accidental throwing shavings about.
- It has a transparent plastic container which eases overloading
- Lead comes out very sharp
- Opening the lid is challenging
Prismacolor Scholar: Best for Students
The Prismacolor Scholar is another product which also draws the user’s attention. First of all, the manufacturer did his best with the shape of this tool. Secondly, it comes in a variety of colors, thus, it would be an attractive option for students.
In addition, users shouldn’t worry about lead damage since this sharpener produces a very decent point, not an extremely sharp one, which usually crumbles even after light pressure on it.
- It has reasonably big and transparent container for shavings
- Comfortable for holding in the hand
- Quite small for transportation
- It snaps off the top of the lead
- Doesn’t reveal much lead after sharpening
Derwent Super Point: Good for Artists
The Derwent Super Point has an old-fashioned rotary tool, which eases the sharpening process. It can handle pencils up to 0.8 cm in diameter, thus the variety of products that can be sharpened is quite wide.
One of the pleasant features of the Derwent Super Point is that it grinds the wooden barrel rather than the lead, thus the lead stays long. However, depending on how many circlings you do influences how much lead is revealing outside the barrel.
There is one more nice feature: it has a stopping mechanism which prevents long lead from accidental breakage inside the sharpener body. This would be an irreplaceable thing for artists since lead is almost precious for them.
- It has a built-in auto-stop
- Container for shavings is quite big and easy to use
- There is a brush for cleaning blades
- It eats too much of the wooden tools
- Not durable
Bostitch Twist-n-Sharp: Excellent for Kids
No surprise, the Bostitch Twist-n-Sharp is a plastic tool, thus it’s lightweight. It comes in a variety of colors and it has a really unusual shape of body. Another distinguishing feature is that the way of sharpening is totally different from the classic way: you need to twist the pencil back and forth! Thus it would be a nice thing for kids! But here is a thing — they need to stop twisting on time, otherwise they will get just a tiny piece of wood.
- Adjustable level of acuteness
- Fun way of sharpening process
- Shavings get stuck behind the mechanism, and it’s quite challenging to get them out of there
- Tip saver doesn’t work (at least it doesn’t stop the sharpening process)
Guide
Surely, everyone wants to get the best tool ever. And when it’s high time, an unprofessional might lose all his courage and forget all the features he wanted in his tool. So there is a list of tips which might save you from unpleasantly wasting money and time.
These tips surely had to help you with searching for the best tool ever according to your requirements. If you still have questions, then go on reading and find answers to your questions.
FAQs
There are always lots of unanswered questions, for example: what is the sharpener, what are the types of sharpeners, and how do you use them. There are some widely spread questions concerning only the sharpener and its performance. If you still have questions, maybe these answers will help you to figure them out.
Types of Manual Pencil 🖍 Sharpeners
There are 2 common types of sharpening tools. The first one sharpens with a built-in blade, thus it is a blade sharpener. The second one is a helix, let’s say, mechanism. Literally, it grinds the inserted tool with helix blades. They also have derivatives, such as sharpeners with a built-in container for shavings.
How to Use Hand Crank Pencil Sharpener?
It’s very easy to use a hand 🖐 crank sharpener and get the expected result: just insert the wooden tool into the hole, then turn the crank. Depending on the expected angle, continue turning the crank. Then pull the pencil out. That’s it!
How to Sharpen Manual Pencil Sharpeners?
A regular sharpener sharpen regular graphite pencils – yes, it’s true 👍! Graphite has an abrasive texture which is required for blades. However, there is always an alternative option – just replace the current blade with a new one. Another thing is helix blades: first of all, you should dismantle it, then take a triangular file, and, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, grind the helix blades.
How to Fix 🔧 Manual Pencil Sharpener with Handle?
First of all, you have to ensure that blades are stable and they can’t turn – this will allow you to pull the handle back. And if you turn it counterclockwise – you can release the handle.
How to Get Lead Out of Rotary Manual Pencil?
The most common reason for sharpeners to stop working is that the previously broken lead sticks in the mechanism and breaks all the lead inserted after. It’s easy to fix it with by dismantling the sharpener and then restoring it again.
The Most Interesting Facts
As usual things which surround us every day and we don’t even pay attention, sharpening tools have some interesting facts which might surprise you. Some of these facts will describe its history of creation, and some will prompt secret tricks. However, there are a few questions you might have never thought about but they might be curious to you. So, come on! Let’s find out!
Who Invented Manual Pencil Sharpener?
There are no common answers on who invented the pencil sharpener. The first patent for author’s rights was applied for by French mathematician Bernard Lassimone in 1828. However, the modern shape of the well-known sharpening tool was given by Thierry Des Estivaux in 1847. And finally, Walter K. Foster received a patent in the USA in 1855, but John Lee Love made it transportable and more comfortable to use.
How Does Manual Pencil Sharpener Work?
Despite lots of common thoughts, it is not the pencil that should be twisted inside the sharpener, but the sharpener should be twisted around the pencil. Thus, the pencil should stay immovable in order to avoid accidental breakage.
Who Has the Largest Collection of Pencil Sharpeners?
The largest collection of sharpeners is in Greece and belongs to Demetra Koutsouridou. In 2003, the amount of sharpeners exceeded 8,500 pieces.
Real Museum of Sharpeners
Paul A. Johnson had a collection of 3,400 pieces of sharpeners. After his death in 2010, his wife decided to found a museum with all the sharpeners from Paul’s collection. This museum is based in Logan, Ohio.
What Do Mean Codes on the Back of Pencil Sharpeners?
The bar codes indicate the batch and date when the tools were produced. It is done in order to track issues if they appear.
Main Conclusions
All the sharpening stationery and items may appear to be a nightmare for people for some reason. This article allows you to get acquainted with the most popular and top-rated tools, to find out its advantages and disadvantages. Here you can also find some hints which can be useful whether you have stuck with the variety of products. Stay connected, and WoWPencils will always provide you with relevant information.
References
- Manual and Electric Pencil Sharpeners: a Guide – https://www.jacksonsart.com/
- Pencil Sharpener – https://en.wikipedia.org/
- History of Pencil Sharpener – Types and Facts – http://www.historyofpencils.com/
- Recommend a Great Pencil Sharpener – https://www.reddit.com/
- Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum – https://www.atlasobscura.com/
I don’t like tricky sharpeners such as electric devices, thus, I bought Bullet sharpener and I’m happy with it – I haven’t had any issues with it since I bought in 2015
I have Kutsuwa Stad T’Gaal, and I don’t use it for colored pencils as it is mentioned in this article. But I found pretty good for regular wooden pencils which I like to be very sharp. Love it, and highly recommend it!
Did you try with colored pencils? How does it work with them?
Yes, I tried with these pencils https://wowpencils.com/best-colored-pencils/#sargent-art-premium-good-for-illustrations, because my daughter uses them. It works, I can say nothing more about it
Kutsuwa Stad T’Gaal is my favourite sharpener which I use everytime and everywhere where I go. I wouldn’t say it’s big, but it is enough comfortable
The Kutsuwa Stad T’Gaal performs wonderful sharpening. I used this color pencil so I regularly used because it is comfortable for me, so love it.
Thank you for writing about your experience.
I bought Bostitch Twist’n’Sharp for my children. They do love the way of sharpening, they always enjoy this process so I have to buy more colored pencils now:)) ha-ha I didn’t think about it