I recently tested the self-proclaimed
"World's Quietest Pencil Sharpener" in my high school English classroom.
I've always had problems with sharpeners. For years I had an old wall-mounted unit that butchered every pencil that was stuck inside. So I purchased electric pencil sharpeners on my own, starting with the cheapies you can buy at large retail stores for around $10. They usually burned out within a month. Then I purchased a really nice expensive one (around $80) online because I was coaching scholastic bowl and we went through hundreds of pencils each season, especially when we hosted several meets at home. That one performed very well, but was extremely loud (impossible to use during a match or in class). It would also overheat and you would have to pause for several minutes to let it cool down.
So I have had a love-hate relationship with sharpeners. When they are working, I love them. But they never seem to continue to perform consistently.
When I saw the
"World's Quietest Pencil Sharpener" online, I was intrigued. I signed up for the free classroom trial, and I have to say I am pleasantly pleased. It consistently sharpens pencils (most sizes, even those with the layer of plastic/paper decoration on them - which are usually chewed up in normal sharpeners). It also sharpens them with very few rotations. I was surprised that I could sharpen most pencils with as little as three turns/rotations of the handle. It was also pretty easy to attach to a table.
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| We had to mount it on the side of a table otherwise it was awkward to use. |
Some of the things that I wish were different include the placement of the mounting hole. (We were not able to use it unless it was mounted; it was just too wobbly.) The hole is in the front (or back); however, ideal position of the hole would be the side. When students stand in front of it to sharpen, it is in an awkward position. They have to twist their wrist. Of course, it does not take much effort to do so, but I do think the positioning of the mount would help in those rooms (like mine) that do not have an ideal end counter.
Some of my students just jammed their pencils into it without using the pinchers to open up the pencil-insertion hole. Then, of course, they complained that it was broken. Of course, they had forgotten how I showed them how it worked and complained that they couldn't just stick their pencil in. To me, the pinchers are not that big of a deal - I kind of like that they adjust and grip each pencil to size. But these same students were the ones who tried to pull their pencils out without releasing the pinchers, thereby scratching up their pencils, and in some cases, loosening up the mount.
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| The pinchers on top to insert & release the pencil frustrated a few students. |
It should also be noted that the sharpener is not silent. It is quieter than the other sharpeners I've had, but if you expect it to have no sound, you will be disappointed. It is definitely not as disruptive as my electric ones of the past and is slightly quieter than my wall mount. I do like the fact that it is environmentally friendly, as well.
We've been using this sharpener for a few months, and overall I am
pleased. Have you tried it out? If you are a teacher and blogger, you can
try it out in your classroom for free. Or, purchase the "World's Quietest Sharpener" on the
Classroom Friendly Supplies website.
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| It only took a few rotations to sharpen. |
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| Pencils came out evenly sharpened. |
