How to Sharpen a Pencil

Just as there are many ways to skin a cat, there are also many ways to sharpen a pencil.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pencils
• Mechanical Pencils
• Pencil Sharpeners
• Pencils
• Pocket Knives
• Pencils

1. 
    

   Use an electric pencil sharpener - the easiest method.

2. Slide the business end of the pencil in the sharpening hole and apply slight pressure until you hear and feel the motor running.

3. Stop when you don't feel grinding anymore.

4. Or hold your pencil with your right hand and insert the end into a small, hand sharpener.

5. Twist the sharpener with your left hand - over a trash can to catch the shavings.

6. 
    

   Continue twisting until your pencil is sufficiently sharpened.

7. Or hold the pencil in place in the appropriate opening of a wall-mounted, manual sharpener.

8. Turn the handle of the sharpener in the direction away from you using your other hand.

9. Continue twisting until your pencil is sufficiently sharpened.

10. 
     

    Or use a pocket knife to whittle your pencil into shape.

11. Hold the pencil in your left hand with the writing end pointing away from you.

12. Skin the wood off with the blade, lessening pressure as you get to the lead.

13. Be sure to whittle away from yourself.

Tips & Warnings

• If the pencil is not sharpening, make sure you don't have the eraser end in the sharpener.
• Try twisting a manual sharpener the other direction if it's not working.
• Should you find you just can't get the hang of it, go out and get yourself a nice mechanical pencil.

[boxof100rocks]

on 8/21/2009 My timing, in terms of finding this article, could not have been better. I was planning on spending the weekend at a two day workshop at the Holiday Inn for people who aspire to become Notary Publics (a dream of mine I've had since I was a child). Sadly, however, the people who I paid close to $300 for the workshop seemed to have left town, and the Holiday Inn has no record of them registering there to conduct a workshop.

So...the weekend is wide open and I can't wait to dedicate it to maybe giving this pencil sharpening thing a whirl.

Articles such as these are immensely valuable to me, in terms of improving my quality of life - and I believe it is incumbent upon me to post postive comments on each.

on 2/21/2006 This would not work in most schools. Unfortunately pocket knives can be used for other purposes. As a teacher, I find students are a tad obsessed with sharp pencils, as if they are delaying the inevitable need to do something with them.

on 11/22/2005 Don't even think of using a plastic pencil sharpener. I once sharpened my pencil over 20 times with a cheap plastic one, and the stupid graphite stick inside kept on breaking!

Another time I was using a plastic sharpener, I began to sharpen the pencil, and snapped the sharpener, before I could sharpen the pencil! Use a metal sharpener.

on 11/22/2005 My father was a carpenter, and he always sharpened pencils using his pocket knife. I do not have a pencil sharpener, so I sharpen my pencils the same way. My 2 grandchildren (age 11) were just amazed and thrilled that their grandmother could sharpen pencils this way, too. Now, they think that it is the very best way. I just love it. The tradition goes on.

on 11/22/2005 If you cannot sharpen a pencil after many tries, start at the beginning and make sure you are smart enough to do anything that involves the handling of a pencil.