OK, I should have realized that the Back To School deals on Pencils
were unlikely to provide the superior marking and writing and
sharpening I didn't realize were so important to me until I found
myself with a few dozen of these "specials" so damn difficult to
sharpen, use w/o breaking the point, etc etc etc

I am using Office Sharpeners - and they do make a longer, finer point
than may be essential to the task - but I had a couple and they are
motorized and relatively quick.

But they produce a tip that - with these cheap pencils, breaks off too
early, too often and with too little pressure.

If any of you have experienced similar issues and resolved them with a
particular brand, I would appreciate hearing of , as well as of a
source for, same.

On Sep 6, 7:17*pm, Hoosierpopi wrote:
OK, I should have realized that the Back To School deals on Pencils
were unlikely to provide the superior marking and writing and
sharpening I didn't realize were so important to me until I found
myself with a few dozen of these "specials" so damn difficult to
sharpen, use w/o breaking the point, etc etc etc

I am using Office Sharpeners - and they do make a longer, finer point
than may be essential to the task - but I had a couple and they are
motorized and relatively quick.

But they produce a tip that - with these cheap pencils, breaks off too
early, too often and with too little pressure.

If any of you have experienced similar issues and resolved them with a
particular brand, I would appreciate hearing of , as well as of a
source for, same.

I buy The Mirados by the 100 pack.

But.... for myself, when hiding from the world, I use these....just
love them;
http://pencillovers.com/display_coll...855&brandid=18

"Hoosierpopi" wrote:

OK, I should have realized that the Back To School deals on Pencils
were unlikely to provide the superior marking and writing and
sharpening I didn't realize were so important to me until I found
myself with a few dozen of these "specials" so damn difficult to
sharpen, use w/o breaking the point, etc etc etc

I am using Office Sharpeners - and they do make a longer, finer
point
than may be essential to the task - but I had a couple and they are
motorized and relatively quick.

But they produce a tip that - with these cheap pencils, breaks off
too
early, too often and with too little pressure.

If any of you have experienced similar issues and resolved them with
a
particular brand, I would appreciate hearing of , as well as of a
source for, same.

First thing you learn in drafting class is how to put a point on a
drafting pencil using a sanding pad.

(Am I dating myself or what?)

Find a drafting supply house (Yes they still exist) and buy a couple
of boxes of StaedlerS/P drafting pencils, I like 2H for layout, H
for writing.

They are imported from Germany.

Rather than use sandpaper, an 8" mill ******* file works well to put a
point on a pencil, especially the flat carpenter's pencils.

A good small Buck pocket knife trims back the pencil wood exposing the
lead.

As an alternate, a Boston electric pencil sharpener also works quite
well.

BTDT.

Have fun.

Lew

Subject:

This is what you want.

STAEDTLER® Mars® Lumograph®

Lew

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...

First thing you learn in drafting class is how to put a point on a
drafting pencil using a sanding pad.

(Am I dating myself or what?)

Find a drafting supply house (Yes they still exist) and buy a couple of
boxes of StaedlerS/P drafting pencils, I like 2H for layout, H for
writing.

They are imported from Germany.

Rather than use sandpaper, an 8" mill ******* file works well to put a
point on a pencil, especially the flat carpenter's pencils.

A good small Buck pocket knife trims back the pencil wood exposing the
lead.

As an alternate, a Boston electric pencil sharpener also works quite well.



Do you remember the mechanical pencil sharpener that you would spin the
pencil around in a circle. It had a small cone shaped sanding paper
cylinder in it to sharpen the lead.

Leon wrote:
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...
First thing you learn in drafting class is how to put a point on a
drafting pencil using a sanding pad.

(Am I dating myself or what?)

Find a drafting supply house (Yes they still exist) and buy a couple of
boxes of StaedlerS/P drafting pencils, I like 2H for layout, H for
writing.

They are imported from Germany.

Rather than use sandpaper, an 8" mill ******* file works well to put a
point on a pencil, especially the flat carpenter's pencils.

A good small Buck pocket knife trims back the pencil wood exposing the
lead.

As an alternate, a Boston electric pencil sharpener also works quite well.



Do you remember the mechanical pencil sharpener that you would spin the
pencil around in a circle. It had a small cone shaped sanding paper
cylinder in it to sharpen the lead.

Mine's about 30 years old and I still use it nearly every day.
Perfectly lovely device. It looks like this:

http://www.mybinding.com/.sc/ms/dd/e...urce=shopzilla

--
Any given amount of traffic flow, no matter how
sparse, will expand to fill all available lanes.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

"Leon" wrote:

Do you remember the mechanical pencil sharpener that you would spin
the pencil around in a circle. It had a small cone shaped sanding
paper cylinder in it to sharpen the lead.

Of course, made by K&E.

Was in the high cotton when I first got mine.

Finally gave it to GoodWill a few years ago.

The replacement sandpaper cones were all dried out.

Lew

On Sep 6, 9:28*pm, "Lew Hodgett" wrote:
"Leon" wrote:
Do you remember the mechanical pencil sharpener that you would spin
the pencil around in a circle. *It had a small cone shaped sanding
paper cylinder in it to sharpen the lead.

Of course, made by K&E.

Was in the high cotton when I first got mine.

Finally gave it to GoodWill a few years ago.

The replacement sandpaper cones were all dried out.

Lew

I had my K&E drafting machine rebuilt by a 'just' retired K&E
mechanic. New linear bearings, calibrated stops, had the tubular rails
straightened to with ± nuttin. He charged me $ 300.00, I gave him $
400.00. He had done so many things I didn't ask/expect.... like new
screws (the visible ones), a new, updated protractor knob... And
replaced a balancing spring (which had a notch in it).. now the thing
floats on air..weightless with a brake that doesn't move the
scales.... period. Like jewelry.

Memories. ( I still have a very old K&E horse-hair brush which
draftsmen used to clean eraser dust off their drawings.)

On 2009-09-06, Lew Hodgett wrote:

OK, I should have realized that the Back To School deals on Pencils

particular brand, I would appreciate hearing of , as well as of a
source for, same.

First thing you learn in drafting class is how to put a point on a
drafting pencil using a sanding pad.

(Am I dating myself or what?)

Yes, but more importantly, you're basically off topic. I see nothing
about drafting mentioned in the OP. I think he just wants a good
pencil that doesn't turn to crap after 3 letters. He didn't mention
if he preferred wooden or mechanical pencils, but to stay in the
woodworking theme, I gonna drag up the greatest wood pencil ever made.
The Dixon Ticonderoga No 2 pencil. They still make 'em. Work great,
look great, smell great (real cedar). They even chew great, if you're
into that sort of thing.

http://www.dixonticonderoga.com/

nb

"notbob" wrote:

Yes, but more importantly, you're basically off topic. I see
nothing
about drafting mentioned in the OP. I think he just wants a good
pencil that doesn't turn to crap after 3 letters.

Which is why a high quality drafting pencil was suggested.

He didn't mention
if he preferred wooden or mechanical pencils, but to stay in the
woodworking theme, I gonna drag up the greatest wood pencil ever
made.
The Dixon Ticonderoga No 2 pencil.

You have obviously never used the business end of a high quality
pencil.

The Dixon Ticonderoga No 2 is fine for Johnny to do his homework, but
that's about it.

Lew

notbob wrote:
On 2009-09-06, Lew Hodgett wrote:
OK, I should have realized that the Back To School deals on Pencils

particular brand, I would appreciate hearing of , as well as of a
source for, same.
First thing you learn in drafting class is how to put a point on a
drafting pencil using a sanding pad.

(Am I dating myself or what?)

Yes, but more importantly, you're basically off topic. I see nothing
about drafting mentioned in the OP. I think he just wants a good
pencil that doesn't turn to crap after 3 letters. He didn't mention
if he preferred wooden or mechanical pencils, but to stay in the
woodworking theme, I gonna drag up the greatest wood pencil ever made.
The Dixon Ticonderoga No 2 pencil. They still make 'em. Work great,
look great, smell great (real cedar). They even chew great, if you're
into that sort of thing.

http://www.dixonticonderoga.com/

nb

They used to make those in Versailles Missouri (pronounced ver-SALES),
near the Lake Of The Ozarks, not far from where my father now makes his
residence. I found a surprisingly verbose history of the company he

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/compa...y-History.html

--
"Even if your wife is happy but you're unhappy, you're still happier
than you'd be if you were happy and your wife was unhappy." - Red Green
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...

Mine's about 30 years old and I still use it nearly every day. Perfectly
lovely device. It looks like this:

http://www.mybinding.com/.sc/ms/dd/e...urce=shopzilla


I have had mind for about 40 years, it is cast iron and weigh 2 or 3 pounds.
Shorter and about 3 inches wide.





--
Any given amount of traffic flow, no matter how
sparse, will expand to fill all available lanes.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in

Leon wrote:
Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in


I just paid 20 bucks for a sharpener with two rotating barrel blades,
like this...
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/...um/insides.JPG

....instead of a single, thinking it would give me an even point, instead
of the wood being higher on one side. But alas, no, it's still uneven.

What's the best sharpener for perfectly even points?


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Leon wrote:
Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in

Nice. Mine is actually a "Berol Turquoise 14":

http://www.leadholder.com/point-turq.html

I don't know why they call it "Turquoise", because it came in different
colors; mine's orange. I don't guess Berol exists any more, but the
Dahle look pretty much identical (the Dahle is made in Germany; my Berol
says "Made in the USA" on the bottom) and $8.95 sounds like a pretty
good price because these things work great and are absolutely
maintenance free (other then emptying the graphite dust once every 5 years).

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

"Steve Turner" wrote:

I don't know why they call it "Turquoise", because it came in
different colors; mine's orange.

"Turquoise" was a brand of drafting lead, the lead was supplied in a
turquoise colored plastic container.

Can't remember the name of the manufacturer.

Lew

-MIKE- wrote:
Leon wrote:
Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in


I just paid 20 bucks for a sharpener with two rotating barrel blades,
like this...
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/...um/insides.JPG

...instead of a single, thinking it would give me an even point, instead
of the wood being higher on one side. But alas, no, it's still uneven.

What's the best sharpener for perfectly even points?

Can't go wrong with an old Boston Champion, KS, or Ranger 55 (unless the
sharpening teeth are worn, which happened to me on a Ranger 55 I picked
up on eBay). I don't think they make 'em any more (not like they used
to anyway), but you should be able to get one in like-new condition off
eBay for around $10.

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

Steve Turner wrote:
-MIKE- wrote:
Leon wrote:
Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in


I just paid 20 bucks for a sharpener with two rotating barrel blades,
like this...
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/...um/insides.JPG

...instead of a single, thinking it would give me an even point, instead
of the wood being higher on one side. But alas, no, it's still uneven.

What's the best sharpener for perfectly even points?

Can't go wrong with an old Boston Champion, KS, or Ranger 55 (unless the
sharpening teeth are worn, which happened to me on a Ranger 55 I picked
up on eBay). I don't think they make 'em any more (not like they used
to anyway), but you should be able to get one in like-new condition off
eBay for around $10.


That KS looks identical to what I bought.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Robatoy wrote:
On Sep 6, 7:17 pm, Hoosierpopi wrote:
OK, I should have realized that the Back To School deals on Pencils
were unlikely to provide the superior marking and writing and
sharpening I didn't realize were so important to me until I found
myself with a few dozen of these "specials" so damn difficult to
sharpen, use w/o breaking the point, etc etc etc

I am using Office Sharpeners - and they do make a longer, finer point
than may be essential to the task - but I had a couple and they are
motorized and relatively quick.

But they produce a tip that - with these cheap pencils, breaks off too
early, too often and with too little pressure.

If any of you have experienced similar issues and resolved them with a
particular brand, I would appreciate hearing of , as well as of a
source for, same.

I buy The Mirados by the 100 pack.

As do I. I love my drafting pencils and lead-holders, but for
general-purpose use the Papermate Mirado Classic is a good choice, and
they sharpen cleanly and easily.

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

-MIKE- wrote:
Steve Turner wrote:
-MIKE- wrote:
Leon wrote:
Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in


I just paid 20 bucks for a sharpener with two rotating barrel blades,
like this...
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/...um/insides.JPG

...instead of a single, thinking it would give me an even point, instead
of the wood being higher on one side. But alas, no, it's still uneven.

What's the best sharpener for perfectly even points?

Can't go wrong with an old Boston Champion, KS, or Ranger 55 (unless
the sharpening teeth are worn, which happened to me on a Ranger 55 I
picked up on eBay). I don't think they make 'em any more (not like
they used to anyway), but you should be able to get one in like-new
condition off eBay for around $10.


That KS looks identical to what I bought.

"Looks" identical or "is" identical? New or used? I have two vintage
KS sharpeners and one vintage Champion that I got off eBay, and they all
cut like butta and make perfect points.

--
Any given amount of traffic flow, no matter how
sparse, will expand to fill all available lanes.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

"notbob" wrote in message
...
Yes, but more importantly, you're basically off topic. I see nothing
about drafting mentioned in the OP. I think he just wants a good
pencil that doesn't turn to crap after 3 letters. He didn't mention
if he preferred wooden or mechanical pencils, but to stay in the
woodworking theme, I gonna drag up the greatest wood pencil ever made.
The Dixon Ticonderoga No 2 pencil. They still make 'em. Work great,
look great, smell great (real cedar). They even chew great, if you're
into that sort of thing.

http://www.dixonticonderoga.com/

nb


I second that these are great pencils. I go through at least 1/2 gross of
them a year and
I'm picky about the pencils I use. I continually break the leads in
mechanical pencils
from pushing down too hard. The Dixon Ticonderoga pencils write nicely
smooth.

Bill

Steve Turner wrote:
Leon wrote:
Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in

Nice. Mine is actually a "Berol Turquoise 14":

http://www.leadholder.com/point-turq.html

I don't know why they call it "Turquoise", because it came in
different
colors; mine's orange. I don't guess Berol exists any more, but the
Dahle look pretty much identical (the Dahle is made in Germany; my
Berol
says "Made in the USA" on the bottom) and $8.95 sounds like a pretty
good price because these things work great and are absolutely
maintenance free (other then emptying the graphite dust once every 5
years).

I suspect that the name came about because Turquoise is the brand name of
drafting pencils made by Eagle Pencil Company that became Berol in 1969 and
was later taken over by Sanford. Turquoise brand pencils and leads are
still in production, however Sanford does not appear to be selling a
sharpener any longer. The pencils have always been painted a distinctive
turquoise color.

Steve Turner wrote:
-MIKE- wrote:
Steve Turner wrote:
-MIKE- wrote:
Leon wrote:
Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in


I just paid 20 bucks for a sharpener with two rotating barrel
blades, like this...
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/...um/insides.JPG

...instead of a single, thinking it would give me an even point,
instead
of the wood being higher on one side. But alas, no, it's still uneven.

What's the best sharpener for perfectly even points?

Can't go wrong with an old Boston Champion, KS, or Ranger 55 (unless
the sharpening teeth are worn, which happened to me on a Ranger 55 I
picked up on eBay). I don't think they make 'em any more (not like
they used to anyway), but you should be able to get one in like-new
condition off eBay for around $10.


That KS looks identical to what I bought.

"Looks" identical or "is" identical? New or used? I have two vintage
KS sharpeners and one vintage Champion that I got off eBay, and they all
cut like butta and make perfect points.


New. I'll check ebay. I'm just afraid of getting dull blades.

I see them all the time in thrift stores, but they seem to have been
used to sharpen bass drum spurs. :-)


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Subject

For an electric sharpener, hard to beat:

X-Acto 1744 Heavy-duty electric pencil sharpener, black, 1 Unit

(On eBay)

Lew

-MIKE- wrote:
Steve Turner wrote:
-MIKE- wrote:
Steve Turner wrote:
-MIKE- wrote:
Leon wrote:
Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in


I just paid 20 bucks for a sharpener with two rotating barrel
blades, like this...
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/...um/insides.JPG

...instead of a single, thinking it would give me an even point,
instead
of the wood being higher on one side. But alas, no, it's still uneven.

What's the best sharpener for perfectly even points?

Can't go wrong with an old Boston Champion, KS, or Ranger 55 (unless
the sharpening teeth are worn, which happened to me on a Ranger 55 I
picked up on eBay). I don't think they make 'em any more (not like
they used to anyway), but you should be able to get one in like-new
condition off eBay for around $10.


That KS looks identical to what I bought.

"Looks" identical or "is" identical? New or used? I have two vintage
KS sharpeners and one vintage Champion that I got off eBay, and they
all cut like butta and make perfect points.


New. I'll check ebay. I'm just afraid of getting dull blades.

I see them all the time in thrift stores, but they seem to have been
used to sharpen bass drum spurs. :-)

Yeah, my understanding is that the new ones can't hold a candle to the
vintage Bostons. You're right to be concerned about the possibility of
dull cutters on the old models, but if you get a good one it will be
worth it. NOS replacement cutters are also not impossible to find.

--
"Our beer goes through thousands of quality Czechs every day."
(From a Shiner Bock billboard I saw in Austin some years ago)
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On 2009-09-07, Lew Hodgett wrote:

You have obviously never used the business end of a high quality
pencil.

Obvious to who? My first drafting pencil WAS a high quality wooden
pencil, sharpened once in one special sharpener to cut the wood back
and again in another sharpener to create the point.

The Dixon Ticonderoga No 2 is fine for Johnny to do his homework, but
that's about it.

This Johnny did one helluva lot of homework with one. Worked damn
good, as I recall. Still had a couple next to my AutoCad workstation
some 40 yrs later. Why? It's a great pencil. In fact, it's a work
of art. A '48 Cadillac is not the most cutting edge of autos, but
it's still a great car. Class has its place, any time.

Geez! ....you'd think a person who allegedly strives to create
quality pieces of woodwork would understand. Apparently not.

nb

On 2009-09-07, J. Clarke wrote:

I suspect that the name came about because Turquoise is the brand name of
drafting pencils made by Eagle Pencil Company that became Berol in 1969 and
was later taken over by Sanford.

Yep. Very common in college bookstores back in the 70-80s. Here's a
whold history on old drafting pencils and holders:

http://www.leadholder.com/index-wood.html

nb

On 2009-09-07, Bill wrote:

from pushing down too hard. The Dixon Ticonderoga pencils write nicely
smooth.

Yeah. The lead is specially formulated to be smoother writing.

To tell ya the truth, when I found out they still made 'em, I was
amazed. I just like the look and feel of 'em. That lush yellow
lacquer, that brutally green metallic, the cedar scent when you just
sharpen 'em. Just smelling one brings back a flood of childhood
memeories. It's a sensual pencil!

I used to have access to any pencil I wanted. Wood, mechanical,
drafting, Japanese, German, gold Crosses, etc. I still have dozens of
styles and types, from freebie promo carpenter pencils to machine
knurled lead holders. But, my favorite pencils of all time are a
couple no-longer-made cheapo Scriptos. They are all plastic, cost
$.98, use an 0.7 lead, have a twist-up eraser, and have a spring
loaded tip to reduce lead breakage. I have 2-3 left and guard 'em
with my life. The best pencil in the World is the one that suits your
needs.

nb

"notbob" wrote in message
...
On 2009-09-07, Bill wrote:

from pushing down too hard. The Dixon Ticonderoga pencils write nicely
smooth.

Yeah. The lead is specially formulated to be smoother writing.

To tell ya the truth, when I found out they still made 'em, I was
amazed. I just like the look and feel of 'em. That lush yellow
lacquer, that brutally green metallic, the cedar scent when you just
sharpen 'em. Just smelling one brings back a flood of childhood
memeories. It's a sensual pencil!

nb

I like to write with pencils more than anyone I know, but you are in a
different league
than I am. When my girlfriend found out that I liked Ticonderoga pencils,
she sent me a gross of them. Now we're married and I get at least a
half-gross
of them for Christmas every year. So I've basically got a "life time
supply" of
Ticonderoga pencils! Basically, I'm just glad a "good pencil" is
available. When
I have a captive listener, I can pontificate, with awe, on what a powerful
tool a pencil is....

Bill

"Bill" wrote in message
...

"notbob" wrote in message
...
On 2009-09-07, Bill wrote:

from pushing down too hard. The Dixon Ticonderoga pencils write nicely
smooth.

Yeah. The lead is specially formulated to be smoother writing.

To tell ya the truth, when I found out they still made 'em, I was
amazed. I just like the look and feel of 'em. That lush yellow
lacquer, that brutally green metallic, the cedar scent when you just
sharpen 'em. Just smelling one brings back a flood of childhood
memeories. It's a sensual pencil!

nb

I like to write with pencils more than anyone I know, but you are in a
different league
than I am. When my girlfriend found out that I liked Ticonderoga pencils,
she sent me a gross of them. Now we're married and I get at least a
half-gross
of them for Christmas every year. So I've basically got a "life time
supply" of
Ticonderoga pencils! Basically, I'm just glad a "good pencil" is
available. When
I have a captive listener, I can pontificate, with awe, on what a
powerful tool a pencil is....

Bill


A must have for pencil aficionados: The Pencil: A History of Design and
Circumstance by Henry Petroski

"Bill" wrote:
I like to write with pencils more than anyone I know, but you are in
a different league
than I am. When my girlfriend found out that I liked Ticonderoga
pencils,
she sent me a gross of them. Now we're married and I get at least a
half-gross
of them for Christmas every year. So I've basically got a "life
time supply" of
Ticonderoga pencils! Basically, I'm just glad a "good pencil"
is available. When
I have a captive listener, I can pontificate, with awe, on what a
powerful tool a pencil is....

Try some "H" grade, STAEDTLER®, Mars®, Lumograph® pencils some time.

Gives a whole new meaning to lead pencils.

Lew

On 2009-09-07, Lew Hodgett wrote:

Try some "H" grade, STAEDTLER®, Mars®, Lumograph® pencils some time.

Gives a whole new meaning to lead pencils.

I know that Staedtler is the Volkwagon of drafting, my last drafting
set being an all Staedtler kit. Not exactly top of the line, but good
quality, no doubt. I find the H lumograph to be a cold, hard, pencil.
No character. I used it only for layout. I'd like to try a Noris 2B
with erasure. Looks like a nice pencil.

nb

On Sun, 6 Sep 2009 16:17:30 -0700 (PDT), Hoosierpopi
wrote:

OK, I should have realized that the Back To School deals on Pencils
were unlikely to provide the superior marking and writing and
sharpening I didn't realize were so important to me until I found
myself with a few dozen of these "specials" so damn difficult to
sharpen, use w/o breaking the point, etc etc etc

I am using Office Sharpeners - and they do make a longer, finer point
than may be essential to the task - but I had a couple and they are
motorized and relatively quick.

But they produce a tip that - with these cheap pencils, breaks off too
early, too often and with too little pressure.

If any of you have experienced similar issues and resolved them with a
particular brand, I would appreciate hearing of , as well as of a
source for, same.

This is the wreck and no one has pointed him at lee valley?

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...936,43509&ap=1


-Kevin

"-MIKE-" wrote in message
...
Leon wrote:
Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in

I just paid 20 bucks for a sharpener with two rotating barrel blades, like
this...
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/...um/insides.JPG

...instead of a single, thinking it would give me an even point, instead
of the wood being higher on one side. But alas, no, it's still uneven.

What's the best sharpener for perfectly even points?


I would say the one I posted above. You put the "mechanical" pencil in the
tube on top and the lead contacts a cone shaped cylinder of sand paper.
That cone moves around inside as you spin the top with your pencil. The
sand paper cone is self adjusting. The point can come out as sharp as a
needle and pefectly centered.

Kevin wrote:
On Sun, 6 Sep 2009 16:17:30 -0700 (PDT), Hoosierpopi
wrote:

OK, I should have realized that the Back To School deals on Pencils
were unlikely to provide the superior marking and writing and
sharpening I didn't realize were so important to me until I found
myself with a few dozen of these "specials" so damn difficult to
sharpen, use w/o breaking the point, etc etc etc

I am using Office Sharpeners - and they do make a longer, finer point
than may be essential to the task - but I had a couple and they are
motorized and relatively quick.

But they produce a tip that - with these cheap pencils, breaks off too
early, too often and with too little pressure.

If any of you have experienced similar issues and resolved them with a
particular brand, I would appreciate hearing of , as well as of a
source for, same.

This is the wreck and no one has pointed him at lee valley?

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...936,43509&ap=1


-Kevin

Speaking of Lee Valley, in the nearby discussion about pencil sharpeners
I recalled (after talking last night to Mike about vintage Bostons) that
Lee Valley offers this sharpener:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...81&cat=1,42936

Anybody ever used it, and if so, do you know how it compares to a
vintage Boston?

--
"Our beer goes through thousands of quality Czechs every day."
(From a Shiner Bock billboard I saw in Austin some years ago)
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

Steve Turner wrote:
Speaking of Lee Valley, in the nearby discussion about pencil sharpeners
I recalled (after talking last night to Mike about vintage Bostons) that
Lee Valley offers this sharpener:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...81&cat=1,42936

Anybody ever used it, and if so, do you know how it compares to a
vintage Boston?


Does it matter? It's Lee Valley, which means either...

a) it's the best fricken pencil sharpener on the planet
or
2) if it's not, they'll bend over backwards to help you return it and send
you a case of pre-sharpened never-ending-super-H-leaded pencils that
convert marking from Imperial to metric, as you draw.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Leon wrote:
"-MIKE-" wrote in message
...
Leon wrote:
Actually this is mine,

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...ner-58-0515-in

I just paid 20 bucks for a sharpener with two rotating barrel
blades, like this...
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/...um/insides.JPG

...instead of a single, thinking it would give me an even point,
instead of the wood being higher on one side. But alas, no, it's
still uneven.

What's the best sharpener for perfectly even points?


I would say the one I posted above. You put the "mechanical" pencil
in the
tube on top and the lead contacts a cone shaped cylinder of sand
paper.
That cone moves around inside as you spin the top with your pencil.
The
sand paper cone is self adjusting. The point can come out as sharp
as a
needle and pefectly centered.

There's no perfect pencil sharpener. If all you want is "some kind of
point" then get a Boston from Staples or wherever, known to generations of
schoolchildren everywhere. When they're new and sharp they do a pretty good
job, when they've been hanging on a wall in a school for fifty years, well,
that they work at all is a tribute to their durability.

Dahle and Staedtler have crank models that allow the bluntness of the point
to be adjusted--they don't allow you to adjust the _taper_ mind you, just
whether you get a needle point or a slightly flattened one. The Staedtler
doesn't seem to be available in the US and the Dahles aren't what they used
to be--if you go with one of those get it somewhere where you can check it
out in the store before you take it home.

Holbein has a hand-held "TGAAL" model that allows the taper to be set to one
of several different levels, but try to find one in the US.

The KUM Long Point sharpeners are also hand-held, but sharpen in two stages,
they cut the wood back in one, then sharpen in the second.

Note that none of these do well if the lead is off-center.

But your best bet is probably to go with a separate lead holder and 2mm
leads and one of the pointers designed for use with such in professional
drafting--the Swiss Geddess is probably the best of those still being made
but the cheap Alvin/Staedtler/Helix/whoever (everybody seems to carry the
same model with different color plastic and different labels) should get you
started. Centering the lead is not an issue and you use all of it without
ever having to deal with a stub.

-MIKE- wrote:
Steve Turner wrote:
Speaking of Lee Valley, in the nearby discussion about pencil
sharpeners I recalled (after talking last night to Mike about vintage
Bostons) that Lee Valley offers this sharpener:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...81&cat=1,42936

Anybody ever used it, and if so, do you know how it compares to a
vintage Boston?


Does it matter? It's Lee Valley, which means either...

a) it's the best fricken pencil sharpener on the planet
or
2) if it's not, they'll bend over backwards to help you return it and send
you a case of pre-sharpened never-ending-super-H-leaded pencils that
convert marking from Imperial to metric, as you draw.

Damn, I guess I'd better get one then! :-)

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
-MIKE- wrote:
Steve Turner wrote:
Speaking of Lee Valley, in the nearby discussion about pencil sharpeners
I recalled (after talking last night to Mike about vintage Bostons) that
Lee Valley offers this sharpener:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...81&cat=1,42936

Anybody ever used it, and if so, do you know how it compares to a
vintage Boston?

I been real happy with this Lee Valley offering:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...936,43509&ap=1
A little on the pricey side. Sharpener is in the little blue cap.
Difficult to break the leads, too.

Dave in Houston

Thank you all. I am not looking for a "drafting" pencil as much as a
utilitarian marker for cut lines and an occasional sketch or layout
drawing to help me with a "design" or fitting a peice in place.

What I've come away with (in addition to those BIC Mechanical Pencils
I will have to look into) is the following list of suggested wooden
pencils Coincidently, I;m complaining about something emblazoned with
the name "DIXON No. 2 / HB" How's that for ironic?

Conte
Derwent
Dixon Ticonderoga No 2 Pencil
Dixon Ticonderoga Pencils
Faber Castell
Lumograph.
Mars
Papermate Mirado Classic
Staedtler
Staedtler
Ticonderoga
X-Acto 1744 Heavy-Duty Electric Pencil Sharpener


Thank you all

If I find a preferred pencil among those suggested, I'll post again.