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We’ve explored the mechanisms of pencils and erasers, and now it’s time to discuss how pencil sharpeners work.
If you’re exploring the site, chances are you understand just how essential our pencil sharpeners can be. There’s nothing quite like a well-pointed pencil tip! For many, the appreciation stops there – the workings of the sharpener are left to half-knowledge and mystery. Obviously, there’s some sort of blade involved, right? We’re going to figure out just how it all works.
There are two main types of pencil sharpeners: rotary and bladed sharpeners. Read on to learn how each type of sharpener works.
Rotary Sharpeners
Stick it in and crank! Rotary sharpeners are those archaic, wall-mounted sharpeners you used in grade school.
When you stick your pencil into the sharpener and crank it with the handle on its other side, you’re setting into motion two cylindrical cutting blades. These two blades are positioned into opposing 23-degree angles to cut your pencil into a conical shape. The blades, called burr cylinders, ‘meet’ at the opposite end of the sharpener, where each burr is affixed to its own cog that spins the blade when you turn the crank.
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Bladed Sharpeners
John Lee Love came up with a much simpler sharpening mechanism back in 1894. The hand-powered bladed sharpener, also known as the “Love Sharpener,” uses a simple wedge to cut through a pencil’s dulled point. A wedge is made of two inclined planes, which meet to create a sharp edge. Much like an axe, sword or razor, the wedge in your bladed sharpener makes an effective cut.
When you twist your pencil through a bladed sharpener, the wedge transfers the horizontal force from your wrist into vertical force that shaves off the pencil’s wood and graphite tip.
The wedge mechanism is highly portable and versatile. You can carry a tiny bladed sharpener with you wherever you go, and you can find a wide variety of novelty sharpeners in all sorts of designs that use this hand-cranked design.
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Have we piqued your interest? Shop our pencil sharpeners.
We keep a rotary sharpener in our house to this day. No need to plug it in to a wall outlet, Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
What is the economic impact of the pencil sharpener? That is, how many are made each year and how many people are involved in making the pencil sharpener.
Why does a sharpener get blunt when air is blown into it