X-ACTO KS Manual Pencil Sharpener

Our pencil sharpeners get a lot of use and after our last one quit working I realized I needed something more durable. I chose this one and am so glad I did! It is much more reliable and I love that we can sharpen different size pencils as well. It is very sturdy and always end up with perfectly sharpened pencils.

I have this to say: life is too short for shoddily manufactured pencils. Even the best pencil sharpener cannot redeem them. Sometimes one of those plastic-coated nightmares will come into our lives and give the children fits, despite their love for the shrink-wrapped graphics and the thrill that they won something, in their little hand-turning sharpeners. How do they make the lead break right when it's finally sharp? When the pencil is a fraction of it's original length, the child has settled for a flat-top lead that wobbles just a little. Or how about those pencils (do they still make these?) made of some kind of sawdust composite? Sharpening is not an issue but writing with one is like trying to push around a rubber rock. You'd have more luck trying to communicate with a burned match than with the ones where you can tell a light and dark half of the wood. I think they cut the shafts (or at least half the shaft) against the grain. People. Poorly made pencils are at every turn. You cannot swing a dead cat in today's classrooms without hitting one. If one of these little abominations makes it way into your pencil sharpener, do not damn the poor machine. Ahem. I'm very satisfied with this pencil sharpener. We gathered up all our pencils in need of sharpening, including the colored pencils, totaling more than 100 pencils in all, and gave them each a turn. The size selector was easy to work: you hold the tab against the face of the sharpener and turn to the appropriate size. All of the pencils sharpened smoothly, taking each about six cranks from dull to sharp. None of the leads broke and none sharpened off kilter (if the selected hole is larger than your pencil needs, this will almost certainly happen). A couple of them were the fatties like "My First Ticonderoga", a most excellent make of pencil in any model; one was a "Smencil", which is made of tightly wrapped paper; several were drawing pencils with soft lead grades like 4B and 6B. No problems. Even the plastic-shrink-wrapped "Minion" pencil received a stable, sharp point after only six turns. Maybe miracles do happen. We had no lower grade pencils to test, because they have been banished from the house like so many foreign gods. After these successes, I decided to try my pastel chalks in pencil form. The wood sharpened fine but the chalks--no surprise--were too delicate and broke. I decided not to try the charcoal pencils. I don't think I'd try make-up pencils, either. Now, the shiny metal part that catches the shavings is easy to take off and put back on but is thin. I don't see where this is a drawback. I'll not calling it flimsy, because it holds together and does the job. I'm not looking for an iron-clad shaving catcher to cast in my next action motion picture, clanking in my backpack while I hang from a sheer rock face. I can imagine the thing could be smooshed by a careless foot in a series of slapstick accidents, but I'm not going to waste my life living in fear of that moment, because this thing cost $10.48 plus tax, and because slapstick accidents are usually entertaining. I confidently recommend the X-Acto Model KS Table- or Wall-Mount Pencil Sharpener (1031).

So if you're stuck in the past like me and all you'll use are true wooden pencils, then you need a method to sharpen them (other than your trusty pen knife). This is my third (one in the house, one in the shop and one at work) and they all function as designed. Not much more to say than that.

I grew up with a pencil sharp like this so I was very excited to get this for my house and my kids. The installation was difficult because the screws it came with are so weak and terrible they ALL broke and stripped while trying to install and we even drilled pilot holes. We had to use our own screws to secure it. Also, the position of the screw holes is VERY difficult to get to. It wasn’t easy but doable. The only saving grace is that it sharpens a pencil to a dangerous level of sharpness!! It does the job and does it well!! Super fine tip on all the pencils!!

2-3-18 I'm reviewing the X-acto Ranger 55 KS model. I wanted to purchase a sharpener that was quality made and did not need to rely on electricity or battery power. I have a daughter who loves to draw and seems in constant need of a sharpener. She has a few handheld ones that came with art kits and others that were purchased for school throughout the years. The handheld type always seem to break the point, right before the pencil becomes sharp. This has lead to a lot of wasted lead. No adjustments can be made to correct this issue either. The electric ones are nice too, and we have one, but somewhere over the years we lost the tray for the shavings, so it's not the "go to". Plus, she tends to over sharpen on those. I looked at a few brands and models and came across this. I read how heavy this model was, how it felt to be durable in construction.... well, I have to agree. The whole base and roller portion are the heavy and solid pieces of this item. The shaving collector is only a thick tin, but I'm totally OK with that. The rollers, crank, and base are what matter. I have already mounted it, and boy does it remind me of the old solid sharpeners we had in school, although.... this one doesn't wobble or squeak while using it. My daughter, my niece, and I have already tried it out. This thing is awesome! Within 3 or 4 rotations the pencils have a decent amount of point, especially with colored pencils. I posted photos of before and after, with the sharper pencils being shown are only after 3 to 4 crank rotations. For a writing pencil, I'd crank a couple more times though, but I had none on hand to test out. This came well packaged and even came with mounting hardware (3 screws), which I found convenient and overall EXCELLENT for the price. Under $10. shipped, for a decent, rugged tool! One more advantage, the face plate turns to accommodate different size pencils. You could properly sharpen the huge round preschooler pencils, which I always found hard to do in the past. I bought this from the seller "Amazon", which I feel is important to list this info. I've come across sellers with variances in their items, including knockoffs, even if listed as same brand. I'll post an update with a durability review. ***UPDATE*** 11-5-19 I've now had it for decent amount of time and the sharpener is holding up well. I expect it to last just as long as the ones we had in school. It's my daughter's favorite sharpener, as it usually does a better job than most of her handheld portable ones she'd keep in her pencil case. If I had to choose over again, I'd still make this exact purchase. I still plan to update as time progresses.

This is the best pencil resharpening tool I have ever personally owned. It takes me back to when I was in school. It will give you a real sharp point not like the pretend sharpeners that just eat up your pencils and leave you with horrible tip.

It works great. I wanted an old time pencil sharpener and this is perfect.

This sharpener does, in fact, sharpen pencils, quickly, and to a nice point, but I have several complaints. First, the metal parts feel cheap and flimsy. The manufacturer definitely went with the least expensive option. In return, the main face/shavings catcher is so light that it twists when one inserts a pencil for sharpening. Someone used my sharpener, accidentally twisted the thing right off, and then couldn't figure out how to put it back on. Actually emptying the shavings and putting it back on is not hard, but it should not have come off in the first place. Holding the pencil in one hand and cranking with the other, the whole contraption flexes and wobbles. I am sure that anyone accidentally kicking the catcher when it falls off onto the floor will put a dent in it. The old ones were heavy-duty, like you could fill the whole thing up with sawdusty bits of your once longer pencils and it wouldn't sag or bend out of shape. Second, it eats pencils like a beaver. One must stop and check often whether the pencil is sharp, because it won't stop for you. I once bought a freestanding sharpener from Muji for about the same price that stops when sharp, so I know it is possible. This X-ACTO also leaves shavings on the pencil that have to be brushed off, a result of the double helical grinders doing the chewing. From my brief study of the innards of this type of sharpener, I learned that double grinders sharpen twice as fast, require twice the torque, and leave shavings on two halves of the pencil tip. It's a trade-off that I will consider more carefully with my next purchase. Finally, it is impossible to use without mounting. This is probably obvious from the picture and description, though their "Mountable on wall, desk, or table with the included screws" just doesn't communicate with force the absolute necessity of screwing it to something immovable. The crank requires so much force that a freestanding table just won't do it. I screwed mine to the side of a medium bookcase -- now we all hear that classic sharpener grinding sound amplified through the case -- with success. The included screws are minimal; pre-drill your holes and don't expect they will hold it to a concrete block wall. In summary, it sharpens pencils, but the experience leaves much to be desired. Either get an electric one with auto-stop, or find your local or online Muji for an exceptional quality manual sharpener under $14. That's what I intend to do soon.