Question 1

Does it have one or two rollers (the spiral sharpeners)?

Accepted Answer

It has two spiral rollers.

Question 2

Is it possible to mount this vertically?

Accepted Answer

I know this question was asked almost 10 years ago, but I must get this off my chest, lol!  You can mount the base on a tabletop, on a wall, or under a tabletop.  I would never mount it under a table, because I would be afraid of hitting my knuckles on the underside of the table.  Plus, you can't see what you're doing.  Whichever way you mount the base, you should always make sure your screws don't poke through the other side of the mounting surface, and you should always put the metal cover over it so that the "longish part" points downward.

That way, the cover can hold more shavings before you'll need to empty it. People mount it so that the longish part points backward toward the wall, and that's not right.  The shavings always fall.  Back in the 1960s and 70s, we learned about how this fancy thing called GRAVITY works.

Maybe they don't teach that in schools anymore.  Or maybe gravity was a new thing for us in the 60s and so we had to learn all about it!  Well, one thing is for certain:  If the unit fills up too much, then the shavings will become compacted inside and could interfere with proper operation.  And they'll be messier to remove.  I suggest a family rule:  Once all the kids are old enough to handle this, the FIRST PERSON to use the pencil sharpener each day must empty it.  Yes, into the trash basket that you've strategically placed on the floor beneath it.  With a liner in the basket.  That way it never fills up and doesn't make a big mess when you need to take out the garbage!

When I was a kid, we had the best one ever made, I think it was boston or bostitch, or something like that.  It LOOKED like this one, but that one was very very sturdy, like a '68 Chevy.  This one appears to be made of thin sheet metal.  And the cutting spirals (people call them rollers; whatever) never wore out or needed to be sharpened.

Question 3

Is this made in USA??

Accepted Answer

No, but the quality of the sharpening is excellent. The size guide is a bit flimsy though. However, since I only use ONE size pencil, the size guide is superfluous. Note that MANY things come from China are excellent. for example, Laowa camera lenses. The Sony SEL200600G zoom. I have both. And there are excellent quality Made In China Seiko watches. However, there IS a lot of trash coming from China too. China is the corner-cutter of the World! It should be recognized that location of manufacture does NOT mean better quality. There are a lot of trash products Made In USA too.

Question 4

What is the material it's made of like? A couple reviewers said flimsy metal, another said chrome-plated plastic. I'm confused!

Accepted Answer

I was surprised at how *substantial* the box felt when it arrived (it was only about $12 after all...).  I think that stainless steel is a combination of iron and tin and the hollow body of this contraption feels more like stainless steel than that of a tin can and it is shinier than a tin can also and perhaps more thick.  I read the previous three answers and if not all, many of them spoke of the cast mounting base -- that feels like an iron skillet and is quite heavy.  You will not be able to mount this lovely cutting machine onto a hollow door.  Get it!  You will probably be at the least happy with it or as me, surprised by how good it is given the price and how many of these things have not seemed to have made it into the new millennium with its 1950's and 1960's integrity in tact.

Manufacturer	ELMERS PRODUCTS INC
Brand	X-Acto
Model number	1031
Product Dimensions	12.07 x 6.99 x 10.8 cm; 294.84 g
Color	Silver/Black
Shape	Other
Material Type	Alloy Steel
Number of Items	1
Size	1 Count (Pack of 1)
Point Type	Fine
Ink Color	Black
Manufacturer Part Number	1031
Item Weight	295 g

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X-ActoKS Manual Pencil Sharpener

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