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KackyK
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 7:29am | IP Logged Quote KackyK
Anyone have a no-fail works-great-every-time pencil sharpener to recommend? This sounds like a pathetic question, but I can't even tell you how many of these things we have laid to rest...electrics, hand crankeds, the little tiny 10cent plastic ones...they drive me and my kids crazy!!! Everyday this is the challenge we face, finding a pencil to begin with (another post ) and then making it have a tip that is somewhat sharp and won't fall off.

I'm hoping one of you have a beautiful sharpener that has worked for years for you!!! Hope, hope....

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hylabrook1
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 7:54am | IP Logged Quote hylabrook1
We use a Panasonic electric sharpener that has worked well for a number of years (can't remember how many, but it's been at least 4 or 5). Sometimes, though, the problem with pencil sharpeners seeming not to work well is actually the pencil,not the sharpener. Most of those give-away advertisement pencils and the *fancy* ones with pictures along the sides just seem to be made of lower quality wood; they splinter along the edge of the point, no matter what kind of sharpener you use. I am partial to Mirado pencils. They rarely split like that and the lead seems to hold a point longer, so sharpening is less frequent.

Hope that helps.

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mom2mpr
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 8:00am | IP Logged Quote mom2mpr
So glad to hear we are not the only ones who made the poor quality pencil deduction.
Anne
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KackyK
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 8:30am | IP Logged Quote KackyK
You are so right about those pathetic pencils. What a waste of trees! If I can only get my kids to stop using them...I try to trash them when I can...but a few get by.

I don't know if I have heard of that pencil brand you mentioned Nancy, I'll have to look for those too. I have had some good luck with Ticonderogas.

I figured I needed another electric, just the type is so confusing. Thanks for the Panasonic recommendation!

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lapazfarm
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 8:50am | IP Logged Quote lapazfarm
I once had a little hand-held pencil sharpener that we all LOVED. I cannot for the life of me remember the brand, but it came free with my Prismacolor order from Timberdoodle years ago. It was round and had 2 sides, a regular and a colored pencil side. We lost it when we moved and we miss it terribly. Nothing else, even our electric seems to work as well.
This wasn't helpful at all, was it? Just commiserating, I guess.

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marihalojen
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 9:16am | IP Logged Quote marihalojen
We use mechanical pencils for everything that does not need a splash of color and avoid sharpeners like the plague that way. Look for the thicker lead in the mechanical pencils (0.9) and they will last a very long time with little or no breakage.
Dick Blick offers tons, we buy ours locally though, just keep your eyes peeled for that 0.9 size!

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Barbara C.
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 10:04am | IP Logged Quote Barbara C.
In my experience, if you're going to use a crank sharpener, it really needs to be mounted. When I was growing up we had one mounted on a shelf in a hall closet; when we moved we had one mounted to a wall in the basement. We had the kind with the adjustable rim for various sizes, and I don't remember ever having a problem with pencils breaking.

Then again, that's been quite a while, and I wouldn't be surprised if the quality of pencils has gone down quite a bit in the past 15 years.

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Mackfam
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 10:10am | IP Logged Quote Mackfam
We use a Panasonic electric pencil sharpener. We've had it for a couple of years. I never buy one with the expectation that it will last a really long time, but they're handy enough for a few years, and I appreciate the convenience of an electric sharpener.

I agree about the quality of pencil observation! I HATE cheap pencils - they don't write or sharpen nicely.

I have recently discovered a no-fail, quality handheld pencil sharpener that I'll share! It has been just lovely, and I'm thinking of adding several more just to have around. The Lyra 2 hole pencil sharpener has been a joy to use! I like them because they hold a fat pencil, skinny pencil, will sharpen round or triangular Lyra color pencils. Great for bringing in the bag for "school in the car/on the road" or just having at the kid's desks. I bought 2 originally and we use one for graphite/regular lead pencils, and one for color pencils. HTH!

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KackyK
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 10:10am | IP Logged Quote KackyK
We have tried a mounted one and that didn't work either. Well I take that back, it sharpened okay really, but the actual contraption itself cracked! I paid $40 for that sucker too! Who thought kids could be that hard on it!?!




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folklaur
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 12:08pm | IP Logged Quote folklaur
My pencil sharper is old. It was actually one my parents had when I was growing up, it is this big old Panasonic electric one. I have been using this pencil sharpener for 30 years now - literally. It is ugly, but it sharpens great and still works fine.
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JenniferS
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 3:36pm | IP Logged Quote JenniferS
We have the Lyra sharpener(hand held) with two holes. It works quite well. In fact the kids fight over who gets to sharpen the pencils!!

Jen
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juststartn
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 5:34pm | IP Logged Quote juststartn
DH has one he got when his office was getting ready to discard it. And it works SO well!!!!

Electric. Not sure of the brand. I'll have to go look at it.

Rachel

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 6:45pm | IP Logged Quote JodieLyn
Heavy duty, wall mount, hand crack, ALL METAL construction pencil sharpener

It's been wonderful so far. We've had it for 3 months.. that's when my dh got fed up with the cheapie hand pencil sharpeners (because I was tired of not finding one that would work long enough to justify the cost) and found me this one   

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SuzanneG
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Posted: Jan 08 2008 at 7:42pm | IP Logged Quote SuzanneG
I third the Lyra 2-hole pencil sharpener that Mackfam linked above.

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