The Best Way to Sharpen a Pencil?

Actually, it might be the pencil. I would buy different brand pencils and the lead would keep breaking. It is extremely annoying and end up wasting the pencil. I bought Dixon and Tironga pencils last year and so much better. We don't end up losing the whole thing. My kids school lists have always said to send sharpened pencils but we only sharpen 4 or 5 and then the rest sit in their bag. Last year their list said to send 24 pencils and my kids told me that the teacher took most of them to hold onto.

I have a feeling it might be the pencil. Don't skimp on pencils, the best are Ticonderoga Dixon, #2. (might be Dixon Ticonderoga). it has the familiar green stripe, writing and end cap-eraser part.
Also, I don't know if they make these anymore, as I tried to find it online, but a good, hand crank pencil sharpener has always worked best for me. Mine is a Berol, with 6 size settings and I bet it's 30-35 years old. Still works great! Sending a link (or whatever you call it) to a sharpener that I've used before, but don't own. It's the hand crank with 5 or 6 size settings.
Hope this helps. I'm pretty persnickety about my pencils. I'm a teacher and I often bring pencils from school home to sharpen on my old faithful Berol hand crank, as opposed to the battery-op at school. I haven't been able to find another like the my other, but now that I found that one online, I think I'll give it a try myself.

www.reuels.com/reuels/Lead_Pencil_Sharpeners_Staplers_Pap...
KS Pencil Sharpener Boston Model
$19.99 $14.99 On Sale!
HT1031

P.S. Get good, not cheap, cheap, cheap pencils. You can pay a quarter or 50 cents for glue, Crayolas, spirals, markers, etc. but I always buy Ticonderosa or another good brand (Stafford) of pencils.

Good luck!
Mary

When I was a teacher, I spent I think $30 and got an Exacto brand electric pencil sharpener. 4th & 5th graders used it and it didn't break in two years of use. (Exacto brand makes the Exacto knife - the sharp razor that people often use to cut straight edges). Got it at Office Max or Office Depot. It might have been $40 on sale. I don't remember.

Another thought - perhaps it's your pencils too. Poor quality pencils don't sharpen well.

And last thought -- twirl the pencil when you sharpen it, so that all around the pencil gets a bit of the lead showing (know what I'm saying?). Sometimes only half the pencil tip shows lead if you don't twirl when sharpening.

Seriously?
What would happen if you only had 24 sharpened pencils?
Are you trying to build a log cabin out of #2 Ticonderogas or what?

All joking aside......
We have an electric sharpener that belonged to my in-laws before they passed away and it works great. It's old, but it's sturdy.
Maybe try starting out with just a little handheld sharpener to get them started and then try the other ones.
You might find a Kinko's or stationary store that will let you use one of theirs.
Maybe you're pushing too hard when you insert the pencil so that the lead breaks off and it just chews the rest of the pencil down. A gentle touch usually works best.

Have you tried using pencils that just require refillable lead?
Not sure what you need them for but hopefully you will get something figured out.

Updated

Seriously?
What would happen if you only had 24 sharpened pencils?
Are you trying to build a log cabin out of #2 Ticonderogas or what?

All joking aside......
We have an electric sharpener that belonged to my in-laws before they passed away and it works great. It's old, but it's sturdy.
Maybe try starting out with just a little handheld sharpener to get them started and then try the other ones.
You might find a Kinko's or stationary store that will let you use one of theirs.
Maybe you're pushing too hard when you insert the pencil so that the lead breaks off and it just chews the rest of the pencil down. A gentle touch usually works best.

Have you tried using pencils that just require refillable lead?
Not sure what you need them for but hopefully you will get something figured out.

As I read your question, I guessed you may be pushing too hard.
What Shane said.

Don't spend money for another electric sharpener.
Try again, holding the pencil __just__ into the sharpener,
and twirl (as someone else said) a little bit as the sharpener turns.
You don't need to twirl fast . . . . just turn the pencil a little bit.
That should work.

FWIW, I use a little manual sharpener . . .
it's about HALF the size of my thumb.
I turn the pencil and turn the sharpener.
One gets one's exercise wherever one can.

S.

They sell sharpened pencils. That's what I bought for my daughter this year.

An electric sharpener works best either if you lightly hold the pencil, or twirl it in the opposite direction.

You can buy them already sharpened (We got our school pencils at Walmart and that is the way they came!!).

don't even bother trying to sharpen the chinese pencils that have a little bit of plastic or something in the pencil..you can see the difference beteween the real wood pencils and the plasticy ones

I googled best pencil sharpener and found a really neat, 2 step sharpener. Of course, you can only get it mail ordered, but it is so worth it. With step one, you sharpen the wood of the pencil. With step 2, you sharpen the lead. Perfect everytime.

If you want a good hand pencil sharpener, try one from General's brand. I've got a couple of their drawing pencil sets and the sharpeners are awesome! I've had the same 2 sharpeners for 6-8 years and they both work great!

Our teacher will not buy anything other than Ticonderoga #2. He says that anything else in the classroom ends up being sharpened over and over until there's nothing left because they aren't made well, or with good materials, and end up being a waste of money because of all the sharpening, even though they start out cheaper.

We bought an electric O. and it's OK....I'd get anther electric sharpener.

I just skip the sharpening process and buy BIC plastic mechanical pencils. Usually I can get a 10 pack for $1 or $2.

A better electric sharpener?

I wasn't about to sharpen all 24 pencils that my son needed to bring...and yes it does state specifically on the list that they MUST be sharpened...I just bought the already sharpened ones! Crazy woman :)

~What is up with ALL the school supplies needed these days? My son needed band-aids on his school supply list this year? That's a new one for our area. I went to a dozen different stores and couldn't find any 1 pack of dry erase markers that had all the "necessary" colors they asked for...I had to buy 2 packs at $7.50 each...I kinda believe that they knew that when they wrote the list...but I guess I am becoming more and more like my hubby as the years pass...

When I let my son sharpen with the electric sharpener I get 1/2 a pencil back. He pushes it in hard. I find when I sharpen them I put a little pressure on the pencil then soften it and you can actually feel when the pencil "smooths out" and it comes out perfect. When I was a kid we had the hand crank sharpener that my dad screwed into a wall. Those hands down were the best, never go a "wonky" pencil when sharpening with those.