How to Sharpen Carbon Pencils

There are several ways to sharpen carbon pencils.

Carbon pencils are different from regular pencils because they create lines that are more black and matte without the mess of charcoal. Made of a mixture of charcoal and graphite, the pencils follow the same hardness scale as regular pencils. They range from the hardest, "B" to the softest, "6B." These pencils are used within the art community because of their smoothness. Sharpening these pencils is a lot like sharpening regular drawing pencils.

Things You'll Need

• Hand sharpener
• Knife
• Sandpaper, medium-grade

Instructions

1. Sharpen a carbon pencil with a hand sharpener so you have more control over the pencil. If you have a softer-grade carbon pencil, don't use too much pressure when sharpening. Apply a bit more pressure if you have a harder-grade pencil.

2. Take a sharp knife and chisel away pieces of the pencil by shaving off pieces of the wood casing until you sharpen the carbon down to a point.

3. Rub some medium-grade sandpaper around the point of your carbon pencil to make it sharp again. Sand down some of the wooden area around the tip of the pencil as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Always move the knife away from your body when you sharpen a carbon pencil.

References

• True Art: Carbon Based: Carbon Pencils
• "Matthew James Taylor"; The Art of Sharpening Pencils; Methods of Sharpening; Matthew James Taylor; Oct. 2007
• Dick Blick: Products: Wolff's Carbon Pencil