Carpenter pencil sharpener - photo

[Altair]

Carpenter pencil sharpener.




Previously:

Antique pencil sharpener - GIF
Sharpening a pencil on a lathe - GIF and comic
Pencil sharpener powered by a 1000cc engine - video
Pencil sharpening machine - GIF
Vintage pencil sharpener - GIF

[Toolmaker51]

The flat pencil supposedly conceived to not roll off inclines, such as a roof.
The sharpener seems to have missed that detail, the wide end is only so-so in that regard.

[ductape]

Every carpenter I've ever worked with used either a knife or a scrap of sandpaper for this. Sometimes both, if they were feeling sassy that day.

[Toolmaker51]

Agreed, they seem designed to whittle. I bought a container of 'Orange' carpenter pencils, came with identical sharpener,not yellow. It ate them, breaking off points exceedingly well.

[Philip Davies]

No carpenter could use this without derision.

[Toolmaker51]

It's why I often work alone.
No one knows how my pencil gets sharp. . .

[Philip Davies]

When I can’t find a knife, I use the disc sander. At least I know where that is, even if the pencil has disappeared by the time I switch it on.

[Toolmaker51]

Reminds me of an apprentice who was more hapless than help.
"Where did you say shop vac is?"
See that cord?
Follow it
(After noticeable pause...)

Oh.

[Philip Davies]

If I were my own apprentice, I’d fire myself.

[hemmjo]

Ah, the poor misunderstood carpenter pencil and sharpener.

I have a couple of those sharpeners. I use a sharpener more often than a knife. Just like any tool, there are some tricks that make them more useful. Unfortunately, as with many products these days, you can get junk pencils and sharpeners.

The odd shaped hole allows you to sharpen fat round pencils as well as flat pencils.

With a sharpener I do not have to watch what I am doing. It is one of those mindless tasks you just do in the background while you mind is processing something else.

Sharpening a new pencil does take a long time and puts unnecessary wear on the blade and the moving parts of the sharpener. I use a knife to get a new pencil close then tune it up with sharpener. After the initial taper is on the pencil, a couple quick turns brings the point back. Depending on the type of work you are doing you can leave the point blunt or bring to a sharp point. With a sharpener the point is always centered on the pencil which is good when using the pencil pressed flat against one surface to scribe a line on another surface.

None of the sharpeners I have were very sharp when I got them. You can remove the blade to sharpen it. They also require a little lubrication. I use a bit of silicone dielectric grease.

You will also find there is A LOT of variation in pencil quality. Does not even matter what brand, some in the same box will be good, some junk. On some the wood is stringy and near impossible to sharpen with a knife or a good sharpener. (the disk sander works with these, but who carries one of those in your tool belt?

I have had the entire chunk of "lead" slide out of the wood when sharpening with a knife, and also had the lead slide back out of the wood away from the blade when using a sharpener. I have had pencils split apart at the glue joint. Some pencils have wood pieces wth two very different densities, one half cuts nice, the other stringy and difficult to cut.

This may sound funny, but as a retired teacher, I have a lot of experience with various pencils. Then best I have found for carpentry and general working are Ticonderoga, and Dixon. Ticonderoga makes a "beginners" pencil that is fat with a large lead. They also make a triangular shaped pencil that does not roll easily. I have had good luck with Dixon carpenter pencils.

The WORST pencils are most often the ones you get for free from tradeshows and other giveaway situations. Although I did get a very nice one from an Owens Corning vendor display once at a Lowes lumber store.

I guess that is probably enough time spent on pencils.