Best manual pencil sharpener.The Ultimate Classroom Pencil Sharpener Showdown

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We sharpened every kind of pencil commonly available and rated the machines on their performance. Namely, these were round, hexagonal, and triangular-shaped pencils with lead types of graphite, color, and charcoal.

We rated the machines on the range of diameters they could accommodate as well. Perhaps most importantly, we delved into the convenience features that each machine offered. For example, we timed how long it took to sharpen a standard pencil, how much noise the machine produced, and whether the blade included an auto-stop mechanism to prevent over-sharpening.

Our analysis of pencil sharpeners relies on four metrics to examine all aspects of a good pencil sharpener. Specifically, these are convenience, lead type, pencil diameter, and shape, as well as sharpness and point type. Under each of these broad categories were carefully designed tests to provide a full understanding of each machine and who it will best suit.

For the details of each metric and the machines that performed best, please continue reading. Admittedly, convenience is not a self-explanatory category title. For our purposes, it covers aspects of sharpeners such as the number of hands needed to operate the machine, how noisy it is when sharpening a new pencil, how long it takes to bring a new pencil to a point, and the size of the shavings bin.

Additionally, we looked at whether the machine has an auto-stop to prevent over-sharpening, what kind of blade it uses, and whether replacement parts are available. It has a "fly away" blade that never oversharpens, a large filings bin that limits trips to the wastebasket, and it isn't overly noisy or slow in its work. Moreover, the manufacturer offers replacement parts for purchase if the need arises.

Alternatively, if you need a sharpener on the go, a desktop machine won't be convenient at all. Both units are travel-sized and offer a fair amount of flexibility to sharpen different pencil types. The Toolsand is unique in that it is both manual and battery-powered.

For added convenience, it comes with an extra blade and batteries. As the name implies, the lead type metric looks at the types of pencils that the shaper can reliably bring to a point. Specifically, we tested graphite and color, as well as soft, medium, and hard charcoal pencils for this analysis.

Surprisingly, many of the models in our review have blade systems that do not do well with anything save a standard graphite pencil. Both sharpeners are likely to impress because we saw them effectively sharpen all lead types, including the challenging charcoal pencils.

This classic hand-cranked, wall-mounted machine is a workhorse for bringing graphite to a fine point. If colored pencils are your main concern, the Toolsand is a pro. As for charcoal, the electric AFMAT does very well but be aware that it's hard to tell when the pencil is sharp, making over-sharpening and wasting your pencils a real concern.

There are a lot of different pencil shapes and diameters out there. As such, we looked at the range of shapes and sizes that these machines will accept. Specifically, we looked at round, hexagonal, and triangular shaft pencils. The triangle-shaped pencils posed problems for several sharpeners, as you might imagine. Additionally, many sharpeners are designed for the standard 8-mm pencil type, such as the number two graphite variety made infamous by standardized testing.

There isn't much this machine can't sharpen, except for carpenter pencils. Regardless of point type, a sharp pencil is desired by all. The angle of that point, however, is a matter of intended usage and preference. However, you'll likely want a blunt tip if you are working on a rough medium such as wood. Fortunately for those who want options, the OfficeGoods sharpener has three settings blunt, medium, and sharp so you can make task-specific decisions.

GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves.

No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison. We independently buy, test, and rate all the products we review. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission.

Learn more. Editor's Note: This article was updated on July 25, , with information about an updated version of our favorite pencil sharpener. It also has a nice hinged cover to stop any shavings from spilling out of the holes.

And at just 2. The Prismacolor Premier Pencil Sharpener is specifically designed to work with Prismacolor coloured pencils, and gives them a sharp and robust point, time after time.

It also works well with any other type of coloured pencil, as well as ordinary graphite, charcoal or pastel pencils. This manual pencil sharpener features two separate blades. One is for creating a fine point, for detail work. The other will give you a medium point, for achieving broad coverage in your drawing. It has a removable lid and half of the body is a translucent, so you can see when you need to empty out the shavings, which several reviewers have noted as a useful feature.

The Faber-Castell F Double Hole Sharpener is very cheap, but still does a great job of sharpening pencils thanks to its quality titanium-coated blades.

It features two holes: one for standard pencils, which cuts a degree angle, and another for jumbo ones, which cuts at 24 degrees. We found it works well with both graphite and coloured pencils. Watching the pennies? Just be clear you know what you're ordering.

Some of the listing of this item on Amazon show two or more pencil sharpeners in the photographs that accompany them but you're likely to find in the product listing that you'll only get the one, though that's still very good value.

Sign up below to get the latest from Creative Bloq, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects.

Sign in View Profile Sign out. Powerme Electric Pencil Sharpener. Specifications Made of: Stainless steel. Size: 7 x 8 x 3 inches. Weight: 7. OfficeGoods Electric Pencil Sharpener. Specifications Made of: Plastic. Weight: 8. Reasons to avoid - Batteries not included. To help maintain sharp blades, be sure to empty your sharpener of pencil shavings and use a dry spare toothbrush to keep blades clean and sharp. You can also try cleaning the blades with rubbing alcohol which may do the trick by removing any gunk that is clogging them up.

Electric pencil sharpeners are motorized versions of manual sharpeners that get the job done with minimal effort and lightning speed. When you sharpen a pencil using a manual sharpener, the action of hand-twisting the pencil toward the blades shaves the pencil wood and graphite to a sharp point. With an electric sharpener, an interior motor powers and spins the blades, allowing the pencil to be sharpened more quickly by simply inserting a pencil and holding it in place while the machine does the work.

Some motorized pencil sharpeners are battery-operated for convenience and portability. The invention of the hand held pencil sharpener was first credited to Parisian C. In , French nobleman Thierry des Estivaux invented the hand-held pencil sharpener in its modern form. The first American pencil sharpener patent was taken out in by Walter K. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests.

You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings , which can also be found in the footer of the site. By Camryn Rabideau. Camryn Rabideau. Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer specializing in decorating and design. She covers home products for The Spruce. Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process. Our Top Picks.

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