electric sharpeners

[lene]

Hi
electric sharpeners are not very common in Denmark (and probably therefor rather expensive). The shops where I found one cannot tell me if I need to buy extra sharpening-blades.
If you're used to these sharpeners; do they "work forever" or do you have extra changeable blades ?

[Debee]

They DO NOT work forever. The wax from the pencil clogs them after a while. I have been sharpening a graphite pencil in mine before each drawing session. I have heard from others that the graphite helps to keep the wax clogs at bay.
About replacement blades I don't know, I've been thinking about lately myself. Especially for my battery operated sharpener.

[lene]

Hi
thanks for replying - I'll remember the graphite pencil-trick ;)

[Dorell]

I'm just about to get one too.... battery operated I think it'll have to be. Would appreciate some pointers too.

[lene]

Hurrah for the electric sharpener .... :clap:
please just take a look at this pic
one sharpened with el-sharpener, the other with my usual handheld sharpener

I actually couldn't get a VERY sharp lead before :(

ps these are Polychromos, but Prismacolor just as improved ;)
the Derwent Artist pencils will not fit into the sharpener :(

[glo]

I don't know if this helps but with my charpener a "Boston" battery operated one came a sheet for how to clean the blade. Using the same fluid ya'll use to thin or blend cp's. Can't remember the name :annoyed: Cold meds have my brain in a slurry. But my sharpener was only $10 so replacing it after some time may be OK it's only been 3 months but I don't see any problems in site. I do use a graphite pencil to remove broken tips when they occur and to clean the blade.
Gloria

[oozoo]

An electric sharpener has different blades than a hand held or most battery operated ones...the battery ones look just like a hand held when you look inside, except they have a little motor that makes it turn when you insert the pencil. The blade will last about as long as a hand held, and since they're cheap, I just buy another one instead of replacing the blade.

The electric ones have blades more like the old fashioned school pencil sharpeners...they're like twisted cylinders that turn agains the pencil and grind off very fine shavings. I've had mine for about a year and have had no issues with the blade...I do clean it with a cheap graphite pencil every time I use it or break a lead. It was only around $20 at an office supply store, but make sure you get one that has an auto-stop feature or it will eat your pencils.

The electric ones do eat more of the pencil up than the battery ones no matter what you do, but they also make a very fine, long sharp point as can be seen by lene's pic.

[PaintedHorses]

I've been using my Panasonic Auto-Stop electric sharpener for about 25 years, still going strong. I sharpen both graphite and CP with it. That's a plug in model. I also have an old Panasonic battery powered sharpener that works much the same. Couldn't do without them!


Jeri

[lene]

Hi

I sure hope mine will last for many years - very expensive in Denmark ( approx. 110 $ and the only model on the market :eek: ) - but I love it....

the batteryoperated I tried so far was useless, even compared to my best handheld....