First sharpening thread

[FlyingRon]

OK, since nobody has gotten the ball rolling yet, I'll post a link to a page I just found on a very important sharpening issue.
I can't design a project or start my layout without a good sharp pencil:

http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com

 

[red]

For real? For $20 bucks I'll come to your house and sharpen your pencil and clean up the shavings!

Red

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I've pretty much switched to 0.5 mm mechanical pencils. Always sharp, and pretty cheap.

Bill

 

[Mike Davis]

I never did find the ultimate mechanical pencil sharpener.

Settled for a cheap one for now.

 

[deano055]

Many moons ago in a drafting class, we learned to use 150 grit sandpaper to sharpen drafting pencil leads... we just held the pencil about 25-30 degrees to the paper and created a "completely across the lead" scarf. I do similarly with carpenter pencils, putting the bevel on one flat side, then flipping it over to get the other.... then doing the same to the edges... after the first sharpen hogs all the wood away, it's just touchup after that

 

[bluedawg76]

As I always seem to have a bunch of pencils w/ broken tips, i've a become a real fan of the mechanical pencils. I did notice this pencil sharpener in the recent lee valley catalog.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,42936,42452&p=68746

 

[tryingtokeepmyfingers]

I've pretty much switched to 0.5 mm mechanical pencils. Always sharp, and pretty cheap.

Bill

I use .7mm mechanical's cause they fit better in the holes of the woodpeckers rulers without breaking like the .5mm ones do

 

[Dutchman]

As I always seem to have a bunch of pencils w/ broken tips, i've a become a real fan of the mechanical pencils. I did notice this pencil sharpener in the recent lee valley catalog.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,42936,42452&p=68746

This one's got your name on it mike. You could charge $10 per pencil, half the guy above. All you need is a nice web site and a clientele willing to spend $10 bucks for someone to sharpen their pencil.

 

[Mike Davis]

Nah, I have used my pocket knife to sharpen pencils since I was about 12 YO. I don't think that is much improvement.

I was hoping to find a very solid stainless steel mechanical sharpener that would cost around $100 and last a lifetime.

There are none to be found, nearly every one I have tried is the same unit in different flimsy skin. And i have looked at thirty something different brands and models. Even the couple I bought from ebay, and returned, were not the quality i remembered from elementary school. I'll keep looking but don't expect to find anything.

 

[MikeCSmith]

I just can't believe that somebody would pay $40 for a Lee Valley pencil sharpening tool. Better to be spend on a good pocket knife. I just wonder who it is that buys such tools? What's your guess on how many Lee Valley sells a year? Two maybe.

 

[Mike Davis]

Pretty optimistic there aren't you? Must not be in retail presently...