How to keep pencils sharp?

[Dr. Cherry Gunn]

I've been doing a little drawing lately and one problem I've always had since i was a kid is that I can't sharpen pencils. I have a hand-held sharpener, and all it manages to do is cut the wood so deep the lead falls out, or leaves me with a rounded edge. In other words, it's not actually sharpening the tip of the fucking lead. In fact, I've never found a sharpener that does...what's the deal? Is it possible to sharpen a pencil?

[TiQuinn]

The electric ones that I remember from school always seemed to do a good job.

[FeatsofClay]

Get a sheet of medium grit sandpaper and glue it to a board. Drag you pencil across it at the angle you wish it to be sharpen every couple of dozen pencil stroke.

Sometimes some emery boards work well for this also.

Old artist's trick taught to me by, well, an old artist. :)

[GreyOne]

Chew it?

[Bagpuss]

Stop drawing?

More seriously I always used to use a craft knife myself.

[Varaj]

Mechanical

[there_is_no_bob]

If you've got one of the sharpeners like this (http://www.btinternet.com/~fireballxl5/workplace/office/pics/objectssharpener0958.jpg) then just put it in part way, and angle the pencil.

[Dr. Cherry Gunn]

If you've got one of the sharpeners like this (http://www.btinternet.com/~fireballxl5/workplace/office/pics/objectssharpener0958.jpg) then just put it in part way, and angle the pencil.

That's probably my problem, I just ram it in as hard as I can and start grinding.

[Northcott]

That's probably my problem, I just ram it in as hard as I can and start grinding.

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...No, too easy. I'm not taking the shot. ;)

[Dr. Cherry Gunn]

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...No, too easy. I'm not taking the shot. ;)

It doesn't work if nobody punches it on through. :(