20 Best Hand Crank Pencil Sharpener (2023 Updated)

Once long ago I decided I had to have an old fashioned pencil sharpener in my studio. I bought one of those things that clamps to your desk and tweezes the pencil in place while you sharpen. it was expensive and a total disaster.

I forget the brand, but I ended up tossing it out when I moved my studio. In absence of a pencil sharpener, but in desperate need, I bought an electric, battery run pencil sharpener. I have put up with that piece of crap for 17 years.

It hasn’t died yet, but you know, I just want a good old fashioned work horse. one crank, two cranks, and the pencil is sharpno noise, no oversharpening. and no batteries! The X-Acto does the job! It’s attractive, old-fashioned looking but somehow outr and chic in my studio.

It looks like a tool to do work and it does the job. I am so happy I finally got one of these. It is my daily pleasure to sharpen pencilswhereas (no kidding) before I used to dread and even avoid it.

You will need to bolt it down with the screws that it comes with. Actually, I haven’t bolted mine down yet, and with a little trickiness I can sharpen a pencil in only a crank and a half. Blades are great, it’s heavy duty, but not as heavy as a rock, just heavy enough.

All metal with the exception of the little plastic ending on the crankanotherplus for those of us who are fed up with the overuse of breakable, unattractive and anti-eco plastic. Yech, no more plastic.

Way to go X-Acto!.

If you are reading this you are probably like me and HATE electric pencil sharpeners. For a while I didn’t think you could get manual sharpeners anymore. The tips are never as sharp and they generally do not accommodate larger sized pencils.

Well, after reading about a bunch of them here on Home Essentials Direct I decided on this little beauty. As an adult I decided to go to community college and start studying a foreign language. As an engineer I always used mechanical pencils, but for some reason language study seemed to lend its self to wooden pencils for me.

I’ve had this sharpener for at least 3 years now and use it several times a week. It is a joy every time I get to sharpen a handful of pencils to take notes with. The blades are super sharp so the turning of the crank is very smooth.

You definitely want a nice sturdy surface to mount it to. I had it on a slightly wobbly table at first. It sharpened just fine, but the experience was ruined for me. I now have it mounted to the top of a wooden book case in my study.

I bought this sharpener after asking Blick for a recommendation of what sharpener would work well on pastel pencils without breakage. This is the one that was recommended. First, yes, it does sharpen soft wood – soft lead pencils to a fine point smoothly and without breakage.

However, there are two issues which make it less than ideal. 1. It is a long skinny point, and it will continue to sharpen, ie. oversharpen any pencil. I did not notice that the sharpener doesn’t have a setting for broad/blunt vs long style, so I’m calling this out here to bring that to your attention.

If that is what you prefer on all your pencils, this might be the sharpener for you. If not, to use effectively you’ll have to be careful that you check it after every few turns to make sure it doesn’t sharpen too much and cost you lead.

2. On a more minor note, harder woods / harder leads, like prismacolor color pencils, it leaves an awkward ridge, and has very slight resistance to removal. These are likely related, and may annoy some people.

Finally a general recommendation. I did have a few prismacolor leads break inside the sharpener. I think if they have imperfections or cracks due to shipping they will still break, and those leads can get stuck inside the sharpener.

Make sure to familiarize yourself with how to disassemble it, and have something like a narrow point pallet knife handy to knock the lead loose from the blade.

This has been one of my biggest disappointments with Derwent. The long point that you get is superb, and I have not seen a point like that in any other sharpener. BUT, it damages the pencil where the teeth brace the barrel.

I have nicknamed this sharpener “Jaws the Sharpener,” and I am still mad it ruined a Prismacolor pensil and a Blackwing–which are inexpensive compared to the Lightfast and Luminance. If you don’t mind the damage, go for it.

If you care for your materials, stay away. Blick was super responsive and all is set now. but I’m still sad I will never get a point like I did the two times I tried it. Bye bye SuperPoint. #sweepstakes.

I got this sharpener from another store (reputable USA art supply store). I had a refund. I sent pictures and they SAW the problem. WHY does Derwent make and sell a product that will ruin your pencils? It leaves HORRIBLE marks on the barrel.

The sharpener braces the pencil with some sort of teeth that look like a saw and reminds me of Jaws. Stay away from this sharpener if you want to keep your pencils looking decently. My main disappointment is that now I can’t have the luxury of a Derwent long point.

I tried with cheap pencils. So glad I didn’t ruin the pricey ones.

I’ve tried so many different sharpeners both manual and electric. This sharpener has two separate options for the top of the pencil. When using it to sharpen my 3 year olds colored pencils I put it to the flat tip setting and when I use it for my pencils I put it to the pointed setting to get precision when I’m writing.

Works great never clogs only bought another one because my 7 year old wanted to use mine over the electric one she has. My first one still works after the 5 years I’ve had it.

This is an excellent pencil sharpener. I’ve been consistently pleased with its sharpening, and it’s held up so far (a couple of months) to my kids using it regularly. I’d give it 5 stars if not for how difficult it is to empty, as shavings become trapped between the blade and side of the container, and it takes some doing to get them out.

My latest trick is to use the pencil to rotate the blade toward the side that opens before sharpening, and emptying the sharpener when it’s half full.

Let me first state that I love manual pencil sharpeners. It is really satisfying to do it yourself instead of relying on an electric-operated sharpener. This Bostitch is easy to use and has a friendly grip.

However, it does not, as the product description suggests, prevent over-sharpening. I sharpened 2/3 of a pencil and it never resisted my movement. Now, I am using this in a classroom with 3, 4, and 5 year olds, so I doubt they will use the same strength/force as I did, but that was a sad discovery for me to come to terms with, that it doesn’t stop for you.

I will still recommend this product, however! Just know that it won’t stop you :).

Somehow during our move to our current home, our manual pencil sharpener disappeared. It was an old fashioned model that did its job better than any other, including the expensive electric models. After years of poorly sharpened pencils, I bought this one for an unbelievable price.

It sharpens better than the original! Throw out all the others and go with this one. Your kids will be happier, too!.

If you are purchasing this sharpener for a classroom setting, you’ll be happy. However, if like me, you are purchasing this sharpener for an artistic setting, prepare to be disappointed. This sharpener will absolutely inhale any pencil put into it.

On top of that, it gives more one-sided points than any sharpener I’ve ever used. The sharpening blades seem to be lose right out of the box which may play a part in that. Hard, medium, or soft-cored pencils; it makes no difference.

If you’re planning on sharpening a premium-grade colored pencil, like a Prismacolor or Caran d’Ache Pablo, plan on watching your money get tossed in the trash. Also, before you say “Any artist should know that hand-sharpening is the best way to save yourself from this kind of disappointment”; try it.

Sharpening by hand is a nightmare. That’s the ONLY reason I gave this sharpener two stars. Again, if you only plan on using this sharpener for #2 pencils or some cheap Crayolas or RoseArts, you’ll probably be satisfied with your purchase.

I’m not sure about durability as, again, the sharpening blades seem to be rather loose by design. Lastly, the seller plays no role in this review, so please do not judge them based on my dissatisfaction.

Hope this review helps!.

Loved the new pencil sharpener by Bosttch it took me back to the old days when we had pencil sharpers in the class rooms. All you do is place it down on any smooth solid surface and secure it down with a turn of the hand crank Bostitch Multi-Mount Manual Pencil Sharpener, comes in Black.

And is perfect for home or school use, this fun, stylish, manual Bostitch Pencil sharpener provides ultimate 2-in-1 mounting flexibility while delivering reliable, lasting performance. Designed for dependability in shared or personal work spaces, the sharpener boasts multiple features to increase ease of use.

For portable usage going from room to room, temporarily mount the sharpener using the vacuum base, or for permanent placement, mount it to a surface using the included screws. For lasting sharpening, the heavy duty steel cutter blade is in a die-cast metal holder for increased cutter durability.

The translucent shavings bin ensures you can instantly identify a full bin while its large size can store an impressive quantity and be easily removed for quick waste disposal. For comfort, the handle is an ergonomic kid grip handle.

The best thing is it sharpens evenlyand very little lost of lead with a continuous grinding. I recommend these for your kids.

I have a traditional permanently mounted pencil sharpener that works quite well, but of course, you always have to go into the same room to use it. I really like the idea of the Uni sharpener, which is like a traditional full sized one, but because it grips the pencil itself, doesn’t need to be permanently mounted, and can be moved to any room you’re working in.

It does an excellent job of sharpening for pencils within a normal range of sizes. It will not hold a pencil that’s significantly thicker than normal, such as a couple of Ticonderoga Laddies that I have.

And I wonder about some extra thin wooden pencils that I’ve seen, although I don’t have any around to test. But for any regular pencil that you’re likely to be using, it’s just fine. Jet Pens has filled in the instruction gap with a video showing it in use.

And as I think another reviewer noted, the orange button at the end can be pushed in for a duller tip, or left out for a sharper one. Removing the entire sharpening mechanism to shake out the shavings seems slightly awkward, but then, if they had a door you could open, it might come open unexpectedly.

Perhaps it’s best the way it is.

Best sharpener ever!! It gets such nice points, and doesn’t break leads, even on colored pencils! It can get Abit dirty around the blades which gets onto the pencils, but that’s hardly an issue. I like having the two options too, since I keep some pencils rounded for loose sketching.

Sad I can’t keep a mini version on hand!!.

The best sharpener I own, love this thing. I can sharpen any pencil regardless of how delicate the lead my be, no break. Beautiful point every time, oh and if the wood is hard to sharpen that’s fine too.

This will sharpen that with ease, color pencils like this sharpener too. Color pencils have binders in them that ruin this type of sharpener, just a disclaimer. I has a clamp, its rubber so it won’t ruin your pencil.

I wish I could mount this to a desk.

A fabulous sharpener! It is beautifully made and should last for years. It does a great job and looks good too. Highly recommended.

This sharpener is great for all ages. The kids love using it and outperform regular sharpeners. Highly recommend for any home or office.

This is a great value and does an excellent job on colored pencils. Well made! I am very pleased with the product.

I recently started drawing and found that my pencils dulled quickly. I used small handheld sharpeners but could never get a fine point. The leads would break and it hurt my hands after a while. I looked online for the best drawing pencil sharpener and came across an art teacher’s review of this sharpener.

She praised it highly so I bought one for myself. It was AMAZING!!!!! It sharpens to a beautifully fine point with very little effort. I love the way the sharpener holds the pencil for me. I show it off to friends who come to my home and even if they aren’t artists, they’re also impressed.

I love this sharpener so much! Do yourself a favor and buy this sharpener!!!!!!!!!!.

The kids love using this sharpener! It makes a nice long point on most any pencil. We have only found one pencil that it did not work on, but the pencil was a cheap holiday pencil with offset lead. The point is nice because it is good enough to sketch and draw with, but just enough angle to keep kids from breaking it all the time.

I recommend this product to anyone frustrated with pencil sharpeners–thank you Carl!.

I use this sharpener constantly, it is easy to disassemble when lead gets stuck so cleaning it is a breeze. The thicker pencils, like the skin tone ones by mont marte don’t fit into the holder , and some soft pastel pencils don’t like it either but generally most pencils are fine in it and sharpen to a fine point.

Very happy with it.

I’m not a big fan of mechanical pencils and have been looking for a replacement to my late, beloved electric pencil sharpener. I’ve gone through a few, but this is by far the BEST non-electric/battery powered one I’ve come across.

It only takes a few, level twists and you’re good to go! Very quick and very pointy and an excellent value. I would definitely recommend.

I went to design school and we always sharpened our pencils by hand. Simple but effective. This sharpens my pencils to a nice sharp point without the noise and expense. And in my opinion easier to empty.

I tested 5 mechanical pencil sharpeners. The Dahle went straight into the trash – poor sharpening, clumsy in use, and the partially plastic cutting mechanism gave miserable results. The Caran d’Ache ranked a disappointing 4th – short point and strongly faceted lead – best used as a paper weight.

The Jakar came in 3rd, the Mitsubishi Uni KH-20 2nd, and without question the best of the lot was the Carl Ein sharpener. The point adjustment worked well, the exposed lead was ground into a long smooth conical shape with no facets, and the surrounding wood was shaped smoothly and uniformly.

The Misubishi also worked well with only slight faceting of the exposed lead. The Jakar was good except that the exposed lead was fairly strongly faceted, and the exposed wood not as smoothly finished as the Mitsubishi Uni KH-20 and Carl Ein.

Choose the Carl Ein, forget all the rest.

I telephoned my order in, it was very straight forward as well as the sales person being very polite and helpful. I received my order the very next morning,absolutely brilliant service. My desk top pencil sharpener is brilliant just like we had at school.

Wanted a sharpener that didn’t go blunt after a few uses, this fitted the bill, it does exactly what its supossed to. I can remember using similar ones at school. The only thing i don’t like is the clamp, but it works just as well without it, the feet provide good grip.

No mess, the tray can hold a lot of shavings unlike some of the electric ones, which fill really quickly, and it doesn’t stop working because its hot. Very pleased with purchase.

As other reviewers have stated, this sharpener does not clamp well to surfaces, tending to work itself loose and try to fling itself off the table when the handle is turned. The point is long but no matter how much I try (or how much of my pencils it chews up), the “point” is never finer than about 1mm flat across, which means I need to sharpen some of my pencils practically every other minute and they’re still not as fine as I’d like.

It chews through my graphite pencils about 10x faster than a handheld sharpener, which means I’ll need to replace my pencils more often. It generally feels flimsy and unstable. And the “instructions” that come with it are practically useless.

I tried many sharpeners that claimed to be for pastel and charcoal pencils, but none of them actually sharpened. Then I found the Derwent sharpener. This is by far the best sharpener for pastels and charcoal I have ever found! Long, thin, sharp points every time, with practically no breakage.

When there is the occasional broken point, it is very easy to unscrew the handle, tap the broken piece out, and reinsert the handle. Then one day, after a few months, the spring which feeds the pencil into the sharpening mechanism stopped working.

I called Dick Blick and they immediately sent a new one which works perfectly. I can’t say enough about the sharpener, and about Blick customer service. Thank you!.

Perfect for little hands (or anyone. ) These sharpeners come in a pack of 6, each a different color, and each sporting the Mr. Pen logo. They are pretty much mess free. The lid screws off to easily empty the shavings.

I took the red one to work and it has gotten a ton of use. It is still as sharp as it was the first day. Also good to note, the base is pretty durable as I have dropped it multiple times! This set is a good deal.

Great little pencil sharpeners. My kids use them for school. I love that you have to unscrew the bottom to empty it so there are no accidents.

These sharpeners work quickly and quietly making them perfect for school! There’s six in a pack which is necessary because everyone in your house or classroom will want their own!!

Who buys a pencil sharpener? This guy. My family scoffs, but I love writing in pencil. Taking notes, sketching, working, the whole experience is different. The sense of satisfaction I get from wearing it down to a dull point.

Then the built in work break that comes from having to sharpen another batch of pencils allows my brain to reset and and reload for another session. The sharpener itself is exactly what I was looking for.

Steel construction, super easy to mount, with sharp burrs to get everything to a super fine point.

I guess I should have realized since the description said this was able to mount on a table or a wall, but this is not a traditional wall mount pencil sharpener. It really is meant to be mounted on a table or a shelf.

If it was mounted to the wall in the traditional way, lots of pencil shaving would fall out when it is opened to dump the shavings. Until you see the arrows on the side and get the knack of putting the shaving catcher case back on, it is tricky to do.

(My husband and I are both used to traditional wall mount pencil sharpeners, so I suspect this is a little trickier than most are to reassemble. ) I have not yet used this to sharpen pencils, because my husband is making a shelf to mount it to, but it looks like it should hold up pretty well.

TranslateShow in original languageDiese Spitzmaschine eignet sich für Jumbo-Stifte wie sie unsere Kids verwenden und wird auch von den kleinen gern benutzt, um die Buntstifte anzuspitzen! Sie ist sicher gebaut und ihr Geld wert.

Auch wurden all unsere Waren schnell geliefert und vor allem auch auf Rechnung. Wir sind zufrieden!.

TranslateShow in original languageSelbst Jumbostifte werden problemlos und sehr gut angespitzt. Gute Verarbeitung, kein Plastikschrott und auch sehr preiswert. Absolut empfehlenswert!!!

This does a good job of putting a point on a pencil. It is designed for regular 2 pencils. Much larger than that, and the pencil would not fit inside the barrel. There is no collection of the sharpening scraps.

The shredded wood and graphite go whereever you toss or spill them, It can make a really sharp point. Those little golf-score pencils will also get a new point that is shaped like a regular Boston Wall or electric sharpener, not a refresh of the short point that they come out of the box with.

I will keep a few and put the rest in the Back-pack stuffing that my church does in the summer.

I like the size of these. They fit very well in the pencil packs Im making as filler for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. I have not tried using any of them to sharpen a pencil so I can not give a review on how well they work.

But I have bought a lot of them! And intend to buy more if I can get them for the same price. They have always arrived in excellent condition.

Very good product! I ordered multiple canisters to use for Operation Christmas Shoebox for a church youth project. Bright and worked easily for small fingers. Will order again next year!!

works great 👍 pencils get sharp with ease I love the grip portion and how there is a compartment fpr the shavings. the price is a steal

It was delivered in perfect condition. No cracks or broken pieces. Thank you.

The color was beautiful and it worked perfectly.

Love how it puts a nice, fine point on multi-size pencils! Shavings are neatly stored—no mess while you work & play. Sleek design made of ‘metallic look’ hard plastic. Considerations: Seems easiest to use when set on a surface~may not be optimal for plein air.

Portable but not bomb proof. Hinges are durable enough but may not be suitable for children. May be tricky to empty for those lacking fine motor skills.

Fantastic sharpener. One of the better hand held sharpener’s on the market. 3 holes for several different diameters of pencils. I use this to sharpen my Prismacolor Premier, Faber Castell Polychromos, Caran d’Ache Luminance, and Pablo pencils.

Blade lasts for months, and this is with everyday pencil sharpening. Ive been purchasing this sharpener for years, quality product.

I cannot begin to state the pros of this sharpener because it is simply that good. The reason why I love this sharpener the most is because how it is a 2-in-1 sharpener for both pencils and colored pencils! It gives the finest points for the pencils and mine that I’ve had for years has yet to wear out.

The best part though is the fact that the pencil shavings are contained in the sharpener itself and when its full you just open it and discard which makes it easy because there’s no mess!.

I’ve been wanting a pencil sharpener that’s easier to use than the handheld ones I have — so much pencil twisting. I want to do less of that. I got the X-Acto sharpener with the vacuum mount rather than the screw in mount because I don’t want to get up every time my pencil gets too dull, which is surprisingly often.

First off, the vacuum mount works really well. I wish the suction shower caddy and shower hook I have worked nearly as well. When I flip the release lever on the sharpener to move it, I have to peel up a corner of the rubber base to actually make it let go.

Sometimes it sticks to the table just because I set it down. What you put the sharpener on needs to be smooth, rigid and non-porous. It won’t stick to unfinished wood, for instance, or not for long. (I tried sticking it to a bunch of different stuff, because, why not) I’m really happy with the construction of it.

It’s all metal construction except the handle on the crank and the suction cup. My shavings container isn’t loose at all, like has evidently happened for some people. Once it’s in place, it doesn’t wiggle at all.

The weird thing about this sharpener, which is great for regular pencils but would make me think twice about using it with expensive colored pencils, is it sharpens to a really long point at a steep angle.

I took pictures of pencils sharpened with my go-to handheld sharpeners and this sharpener. Unfortunately it isn’t as obvious in photos just how long and thin the sharpened part is after using the X-Acto.

If you use this for colored pencils that have soft or brittle lead, the lead will likely snap off when you draw. Pencils sharpened with the X-Acto will keep a sharp point longer than usual because of the long angle, but soft lead will likely be too thin to handle it.

I’ll try it, but if my prismacolors start snapping, no more crank sharpening for them. For graphite pencils, the X-Acto is definitely the one I’ll use.

Once a design is super refined, it’s pretty darned difficult to improve on it. This is the old Boston KS which was in every schoolroom I was ever in, first grade through HS senior). Ownership of the KS and its sibling the single size LS changed hands a couple of times before ending up being owned by X-Acto.

X-Acto changed the design, and you can read about this in detail elsewhere. The big change is that X-Acto reversed the direction of the spiral cutters so now it cuts smoothly down toward the lead instead of somewhat roughly in the direction of the eraser end of the pencil.

I think it gets the lead sharper this way, but it is much easier to sharpen more than necessary, wasting some of the pencil. Anyway, I have both an old Boston KS and this new X-Acto one and like them both a lot.

The Boston one is in the house for general purpose use and the X-Acto one is in the shop for super accurate marking of things like half blind dovetail joints, after first scoring the line with a marking knife.

I need the pencil graphite to be able to see that darned line.

First, this item is incorrectly listed as Made in United States. IT IS MADE IN CHINA and it it shows. While it does sharpen pencils fairly well for now, its long term durability is very much in doubt.

Especially the sharpness of the cutters. The box that catches the shavings is so thin it feels like tin foil. The diameter selector is of similarly cheap, thin metal and so it does not provide much stability to the pencil while sharpening.

This thing is a cheap knock off of the quality units I remember as a child. It is not as smooth, and it chips the end of the pencil instead of leaving a perfect point (because it does wobble while sharpening because of the cheap flexible size selector.

Basically disposable. And it is not that inexpensive. At 25 bucks I could have purchased about 25 hand type pencil sharpeners. I wanted something mounted to the wall so that my kids couldn’t loose it.

Just a major disappointment. Should have gone with a QUALITY OLD USED Germany or USA manufactured unit.

I won’t settle for anything less than these stainless steel pencil sharpeners. Anyone who uses pencils needs this pocket sharpener. And they make great gifts for kids who love to draw. It is the only way to keep pencils sharp and you can’t buy them anywhere except Office Depot/Max.

And only two dollars at current price.

I needed a small pencil sharpener that would fit in a pencil case in my purse. I looked at several others in this price range that were plastic. I went with this because it was metal and less likely to break.

I love how sharp and clean it makes the point of the pencil. Like having the ability to make a long point or a short one. Best Iittle pencil sharpener I’ve ever used for the price, and better than many that are more expensive.

I’ve used a lot over the years and will get another one when this one dulls or I just need one for another pencil case.

There’s something so satisfying about using a no-frills simple sharpener to get my pencils just right. This thing is expensive but very well-made. It has the standard course sharpener and then the sharpener for a finer point.

Fits in my pocket too!.