Pencil Sharpener

[Jerry Thompson]

My little plastic pencil sharpen is dull. I am taking the little blade out to hone. How much micro-bevel is recommened?:)

[Don Dorn]

You could do what Paul Sellers does and use a chisel.;)

[Jim Neeley]

Or you could do as Rob Cosman has done in several episodes of his online video hand tool workshop and use a readily available hand plane to put a chisel tip on the pencil. In one episode, when that handy plane happened to be a L-N #8, he commented jokingly that it was his $475 pencil sharpener!! ;)

[James Taglienti]

I think IBC has A2 Cryo replacement blades for your pencil sharpener. They are 50% thicker. I think theyre around 60 bucks. :D

[Jim Belair]

I'm holding out for Rob's PM-V11 version. Should be right behind the chisels in the roll out.

[Jim Koepke]

My little plastic pencil sharpen is dull. I am taking the little blade out to hone. How much micro-bevel is recommened?

I bought a DUX brass pencil sharpener back in the 1970s. It gets a lot of use. I also bought a replacement blade at the time. It hasn't needed it. The replacement went into another sharpener.

I did sharpen the blade once, without a micro bevel. Amazingly enough, in the past, people were able to get work done and sharpen pencils without a micro bevel.

jtk

[Paul Saffold]

And he will probably offer a video too, to show the proper technique...

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Maybe next years miniature (http://www.leevalley.com/US/images/item/Woodworking/Planes/05p0210s2.jpg) from Lee Valley will be a tiny MKII honing jig so we can get that consistent microbevel . . .

[Chris Vandiver]

My little plastic pencil sharpen is dull. I am taking the little blade out to hone. How much micro-bevel is recommened?:)

Depends on the lead hardness...

[Jeff Wittrock]

I'd re-bed the thing for a york pitch.

[Tony Joyce]

This one doesn't seem to require a micro bevel http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=68746&cat=1,42936,42452

[James Taglienti]

I'd re-bed the thing for a york pitch.
Sweet!!!:D

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Where are you getting pencils made out of wood that needs york pitch?

Maybe there should be a proper bevel down pencil sharpener, so we can just move the chipbreaker closer.

[Pat Barry]

OMG - this is a great question.

[paul cottingham]

If you are going to go bevel up, make sure the bed of the sharpener holds the blade flat.

[Derek Cohen]

My little plastic pencil sharpen is dull. I am taking the little blade out to hone. How much micro-bevel is recommened?:)

The answer is likely to be found in here: http://mhpbooks.com/books/how-to-sharpen-pencils/

http://mhpbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/How-to-Sharpen-Pencils-320x336.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[harry hood]

This is an excellent book. Seriously. http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com/

[Joel Goodman]

Is it an infill? Does it have a cap iron?

[Bill White]

A BOOK on pencil sharpening? I guess that everybody has to be somewhere, but that one slid my feet.
Oh, I'm modifying my 5 1/2C for use on carpenter's pencils. Have to change the camber now.
Bill

[James Taglienti]

This is an excellent book. Seriously. http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com/

Whats next?! A book solely devoted to sharpening planes and chisels?
oh... Wait...

[Mark Dorman]

Rees has been running a small pencil-sharpening business out of his home in Beacon, New York. Clients send him fifteen dollars and a blunt pencil, which he then sharpens by hand before sending it back to them complete with bagged shavings and a signed certificate of sharpening. (If fifteen dollars a pop seems a little steep, here’s how Rees explained his prices in an interview (http://www.details.com/blogs/daily-details/2010/06/three-questions-for-david-rees-about-his-new-artisanal-pencil-sharpening-project.html) with Details magazine: “I’m sure there’s somebody in India who could sharpen your pencil for $8, but if you want authentic American craftsmanship … that’s how much quality costs these days.”)

This is hilarious!

[Brian Kent]

I need a sharpener for my mechanical pencil.

[Jim Koepke]

I need a sharpener for my mechanical pencil.

I have a few of these from my drafting days. My Staedler (sp?) pencils came with removable tops so they could be color coded for lead hardness. The original tops had sharpeners in them.

There is also one on my electric eraser. The switch died so it had to be taken apart and fixed. It wasn't made to be taken apart, but that never stops me.

jtk

[Deane Allinson]

One of the finist tools I own is a Pentel P207 mechanical (7mm) pencil. Always works perfectly, never jams. I was given a Mont Blanc pencil many years ago that was no better than the inexpensive Pentel. I spend too much time sharpening other stuff.
Deane

[daniel lane]

I need a sharpener for my mechanical pencil.

Try one of these, worked for me during my drafting days:

http://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-Rotary-Action-Pointer-502BKA6/dp/B002EL9J50



daniel

[Tom Stenzel]

One of the finist tools I own is a Pentel P207 mechanical (7mm) pencil. Always works perfectly, never jams. I was given a Mont Blanc pencil many years ago that was no better than the inexpensive Pentel. I spend too much time sharpening other stuff.
Deane

+1 on the Pentel. I use the P209 (.9mm) myself.

In drafting class during my misspent youth we used sandpaper pad to point the mechanical pencils. Anyone else remember those?

-Tom Stenzel

[Derek Cohen]

About a year ago I wrote this on pencils and sharpening: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/Anotsohumblepencil.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Matt Hankins]

My little plastic pencil sharpen is dull.

Sounds like you need a bigger sharpener:
234043234044

[Kent A Bathurst]

+1 on the Pentel. I use the P209 (.9mm) myself.

In drafting class during my misspent youth we used sandpaper pad to point the mechanical pencils. Anyone else remember those?

-Tom Stenzel

You bet I remember that.

Today, I buy a few dozen of these at a time, and let them populate the shop wherever they land. Quick rub on a piece of paper, or wood, or MDF, or whatever is handy makes a good point.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51f2FLdeBfL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[harry hood]

Of course. I still have my Ames lettering guide and eraser shield too. My daughter likes to draw with lettering guide.

[daniel lane]

Ha! I still have a Leroy lettering set. :P

[daniel lane]

+1 on the Pentel. I use the P209 (.9mm) myself.

In drafting class during my misspent youth we used sandpaper pad to point the mechanical pencils. Anyone else remember those?

-Tom Stenzel

P205 man here. As for sandpaper pads, wow, what a flashback! Yeah, I remember those...I liked the round lead sharpeners better, but I've gone through plenty of those pads. Thanks for the memory! :)


daniel

[Jim Neeley]

P205 man here too, for work and shop and people I run into comment all of the time on how they use them too. I buy them by the dozen online myself.

I've been looking for a pen-turner who'd take on making a wooden body (ebony, teak, bloodwood) for me. I've talked to 3 or 4 but haven't yet found one who was up for the task since the tolerances around the collet are pretty tight.

There's a huge market of penmakers who compete selling (often) cheap pens. For the right pseudo-hobbiest penturner I'd see this as a potentially lucrative niche market (made to order) market since the co-workers I've talked to seemed willing to pay $60-$100 for one made from exotics. They've indicated it'd be a pencil that's uniquely theirs and a good conversation piece. Figure $5 for the pen parts and a couple bucks for the wood and there's a fair chunk of cash left to buy more tools and supplies!!

Jim

P.S. On the outside chance anyone here is interested, give me a PM. I'd provide the pencil so there's no upfront investment.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Apparently there's a guy online who makes (or made) a "wooden P205" - interestingly enough, the link showed up when I was searching google for "p205 pencil" to confirm I was thinking of the right pencil. This (http://davesmechanicalpencils.blogspot.com/2008/09/wooden-p205.html) is the link that showed up on Google, with links to the turner's home page.

Man, I'd like a wooden version of my Staedtler clutch pencil and click eraser - get 'em to match my marking knife and that'd be handy.