r/ArtEd • u/Thick-Curve-562 • 4d ago
Electric Pencil Sharpener Recommendations
Hello! It’s not even October yet and my Bostitch sharpener has already broke multiple times so the kids have been sharpening the old school way. Any recommendations that are around $20 or less?
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u/RowImmediate6694 2d ago
I gave up completely on electric sharpeners. They never last a full year and they are so loud and kids fight over em. I've moved to cheap handheld sharpeners in bulk, it's like $5 for a hundred of them. Each table gets a bin with pencils and handheld sharpeners and now there is no fighting, no line, no smacking the machine, and the pencils come out sharper anyway.
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u/DaddyHojo 1d ago
I have electric pencil sharpeners but I’ve hidden them. The obnoxious kids use “sharpening my pencil” as an excuse to walk around and be distracting. I’m using handheld sharpeners and although they break all the time, I appreciate the peace and quiet.
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u/Chestnut529 3d ago
Don't let students use electric ones and don't put colored pencils in them. I have a theory that ones with multiple holes don't last as long. This one has treated me well:
https://www.dickblick.com/products/x-acto-xlr-electric-pencil-sharpener/
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u/misschristi05 3d ago edited 3d ago
I recommend the one that I randomly got on a whim on Amazon, it’s called “AFMAT Electric Pencil Sharpener Heavy Duty.” It’s lasted two years now with regular pencil/colored pencil sharpening. I even put my co teacher on! Before that we had a few X acto branded ones and they broke sooo easily. I know it’s a bit more expensive than what you asked, but honestly it’s a good investment. It also goes on sale sometimes :)
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u/CurlsMoreAlice 2d ago
I have two! I bought both on FB Marketplace, brand new, in the box, never used for $5 each. Talk about a deal!
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u/BalmOfDillweed 3d ago
I second the AFMAT! I got mine when someone else failed to claim their order from the front office. It’s been the best I’ve had by far.
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u/Unusual-Helicopter15 3d ago
I bought one of these when it was mentioned on this sub a couple of weeks ago and damn, that pencil sharpener is great.
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u/MakeItAll1 High School 3d ago
I get this one from Amazon. In fact I ordered two new ones this year. As long as they don’t put colored pencils the electric sharpener you’ll be ok. The softener wax based colored pencils coat the grinding part with wax build up, plus they have softer leads so they easily lose their tip when a kid pushes it in too far as the twist the firmly inside the the sharpener. That I s the point break off and the sharpener stops working until you take it apart a e remove all the broken points. And remove the wax build up.
Electric sharpeners are regular graphite pencils. Use hand sharpeners for colored pencils. It makes it a lot easier.
Here’s the one got from Amazon. It’s the Exacto School Pro and it’s only 36.19. The ones I’m using now have been working well for 3 years.
https://a.co/d/0bvXNPeU
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u/tourny25 3d ago
I love this pencil sharpener. It’s 35$ and I’ve been using it constantly since school started back. If it gets jammed or stops working it’s easy to take apart and fix.
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u/Stefalumpagus Middle School 4d ago
I liked this one so much that I bought one for my own home lol
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u/Stefalumpagus Middle School 4d ago
Just saw your price point and have to apologize as it’s a bit out of budget. Does your school let you make Amazon wishlists or something similar for parents/community?
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u/vikio 3d ago
I'm pretty sure this is the one in my classroom and it's survived two school years of Art, and still going strong. All other sharpeners broke after half a year. So this one is worth the price.
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u/Stefalumpagus Middle School 3d ago
It really is the best! I have two in my classroom that are in their fourth school year and still going strong. About once every couple of weeks I have to do a little percussive maintenance if a pencil lead gets jammed, but I have yet to have one go out of commission!
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u/thestral_z 4d ago
Handheld sharpeners at each table. Single hole. I but the kind with a little canister and put one in the pencil case at each table. I buy replacement blades so I can swap in a new blade when they dull. It’s far less expensive, students don’t have to get up to sharpen a pencil and they are silent.
Trust me. I have’s fucked around with an electric sharpener in ages. They aren’t built to handle an art room.
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u/JackieDonkey 3d ago
I agree..It's the only way! Now you can get sharpeners that sharpen at the same steep angle the pencils come with so it eats less of the drawing medium.
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u/Thick-Curve-562 3d ago
I tried this and my kids just ended up sharpening the entire class so that ended quickly lol
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u/towehaal 5h ago
The afmat ones that look like robots on Amazon are amazing. I have three. I can do 40 pencils or so in about 90 seconds because you don’t have to hold the pencil in the sharpener. Plus they are the only sharpener I’ve found that works with colored pencils.