
The art of sharpening pencils (2007) - Tomte
http://matthewjamestaylor.com/blog/the-art-of-sharpening-pencils
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hprotagonist
see also
[http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com/](http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com/)

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xtiansimon
That’s what I thought this was. Haha. I think this is the gold standard for
crazy side hustle.

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thraxil
This video shows the technique that's closest to how I was taught to sharpen
pencils for drawing:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz9x49vG9Rk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz9x49vG9Rk)

It's important to note that the goal is to set it up for drawing with the side
of the lead, not the point. (he demonstrates the grip and drawing technique
it's designed for toward the end).

I mostly prefer 2mm lead holders though because I'm too lazy to spend time
sharpening and figuring out what to do with the shavings.

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edgarvaldes
>Most people throw away their pencils when they get too short but I actually
find them easier to use.

You can also use a pencil holder or lengthener.

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xisukar
Back when I was in middle school, the usual way of sharpening a pencil would
be with a razor blade. Kind of dangerous now that I think about.

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Isamu
I have a nice sharpener that either sharpens just the wood (leaving the
graphite) or sharpens both. It's nice to have some options.

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ssimpson
in some drafting, you can buy mechanical pencils which are basically graphite
holders. They will hold a nice thick chunk of material. we used a small pallet
of sandpaper to keep the tip sharp and learned to rotate the pencil while
writing.

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thomas
I'd call this a clutch pencil or leadholder, if anyone is guessing at the
term.

