How do you prevent pencils from breaking, without getting a point, while sharpening them?
1503164
By using a really crappy dull sharpener. The sharpener actually makes a difference.
1503165
Are you using an electric sharpener or a hand held one? I find that an electric one works better. You just can't apply a lot of pressure when holding the pencil in the sharpening shaft. The electric sharpener should be a top quality one. Hope this helps.
1503166
You need a quality sharpener, and don't drop your pencils or the lead will break inside the barrel.
1503167
Try putting them in the refrigerator or freezer first (like pencil eyeliner) if too soft to sharpen. Otherwise, you may be using too much pressure. I have no issues with a manual sharpener and these pencils.
1709603
NO! It breaks the lead...in fact, in all my small pencils (#2) the leads would break. The fat kindergarten pencils worked fine. My sharpener has been retired to the trash.
527095
I have found out, since I just had to replace the one I bought a year ago, that in order for an electric sharpener to last you need to alternate colored pencils with a regular graphite one every five colored pencils. I am not sure, though, if I am going to sharpen many colored pencils with the one I just got.
1401711
I had no trouble using it with inktense pencils, although I didn't use it heavily with them. However, my sharpener only lasted a short while before one of the little plastic gears on the inside cracked, rendering the entire sharpener useless. I'd say, go ahead, but be very gentle - don't ram them into the pencil sharpener. And "clean" it periodically by sharpening graphite pencils.
181825
Try pulling the plunger/button, then there might be an eraser stopper, pull that out as well? I Didn't have to yet, but that is usually the way to do it on most mechanical pencils.
481134
I am an illustrator and have always sharpened my pencils with an x-acto blade. So yes they can hold a long sharp point without breaking off, which shows the quality of the graphite. I would probably have to do a major search of my studio to even find a sharpener.
1881377
You have to have the metal part out before you put the pencil in. When you turn the handle, the metal part moves back to the main component and then you'll have a well sharpened pencil. If you don't start with the metal part out, your pencil won't sharpen very well.
1211409
There is an art to sharpening colored pencils with a hand sharpener. It's very easy to break the tip. As manual sharpeners go, this is one of the better ones. But like all of them, it dulls pretty quickly. It's worth the few bucks I paid for it and I would buy it again. Hope this answers your question.
1056364
i sharpen them by hand, they seem too delicate to sharpen with an electric sharpener. works just fine.
2147211
I take mine to a professional knife sharpner at a quilt shop if they are very dull or nicked, I also use the edge sharpener I purchased from Amazon, my husband does it for me
1392366
I don't, until there is no bit left and I have to. Then, I just use a regular sharpener. But I never sharpen to a point. I only sharpen enough to use the pencil again. Otherwise, you lose a lot of the "lead." I save the shavings for use in special effects in watercolor paintings.
1744534
Excellent! That's what I use it for. I just sharpened an entire set, over 140 pencils and no breakage.
1552901
My kids broke off a crayon in it. I could not remove the crayon piece so I put a pencil in there to sharpen to try and drive the crayon out. It took a while, and I kept cleaning the blades off, but it works again. The sharp pencil indicator light stopped working for several pencils after the crayon also.
1727765
Mine doesn't ether. The problem seems to be the cutter. As long as I can remember, all pencil sharpeners have two internal cutters. Even when I was in elementary school, they had two cutters. This piece of crap only has one. If you can, return it!
37586
That has happened with some of the ones I've used. No big problem. Just hold it with your fingers around the piece that's moving and the eraser will stay put. It sounds awkward, but it's really not. When you flip the pencil to erase, just slide your fingers down to the rim and hold it as you erase. The eraser won't be able to move. It's one of the few flaws.
2018288
I haven't broken a single tip since I purchased them 3 months ago and I use them almost everyday. I do sharpen them up every once in a while if I'm detailing.
158282
To remove grab the nub and pull directly out of the pencil. It may feel like it is stuck so just pull a little harder. To insert reverse the process.