Content

• Method 2 of 3: Using a knife
• Method 3 of 3: How to make a pencil point thinner
• Tips
• Warnings
• Additional articles

1 Try using an electric sharpener to pencils. With this sharpener, you can sharpen a pencil very sharply. Insert a pencil into the hole of the sharpener. The electric sharpener makes a whirring sound during operation.

• The disadvantages of electric sharpeners are that they do not always give a good result. However, they are very easy to use. Choose a pencil that is worth sharpening. In this case, the graphite lead should be located in the center of the pencil, otherwise it will be difficult to give it the necessary conical shape. Make sure the pencil is straight.
• After sharpening your pencil, remove the sawdust with an old rag.

2 Use a small hand sharpener. Typically, these sharpeners look like a small plastic box with two holes. One hole is for thin pencils and the other is for thicker pencils.

• The advantage of hand sharpeners is that they are cheap and portable. However, as with the electric sharpener, careless handling may result in uneven pencil sharpening.
• To sharpen a pencil, simply insert it into the hole of the sharpener and twist it several times. If the sharpener does not have a sawdust container, sharpen the pencil over the trash can.

Method 2 of 3: Using a knife

1. 1 Grab your pencil correctly. To sharpen a pencil with a knife, it should be taken close to the sharpened tip, at a distance of about 4 centimeters from the point. This will allow you to hold the pencil in one place. Hold the pencil with your non-dominant hand and the knife in your primary hand.
   • Use a sharp craft knife. If necessary, you can carefully sharpen the knife with a stone or a knife sharpening belt. Place the knife about 2 centimeters from the point of the pencil and begin to remove the tree. Continue until the graphite lead inside the pencil is exposed.
   • Put the thumb of the hand with which you are holding the pencil on the back of the knife and push the knife with it. Move the knife to the edge of the pencil while rotating the pencil with your non-primary hand. Sand the tip of the pencil about as long as your thumb joint. When the graphite rod is exposed, you can sharpen it into a cone.
2. 2 Peel off the wooden shell of the pencil. Before sharpening the graphite lead, expose it about 1 centimeter. Press the knife blade against the bar at a slight angle. Do not shoot too much material.
   • If the knife has difficulty cutting wood, it is probably not sharp enough. If the pencil has a soft lead, remove a small amount of wood at a time. If the sharpener does not sharpen the pencil well, check if its blade is clogged with graphite (black substance) or sawdust. If the pencil does not sharpen well even after cleaning the blade, it may be dull. Don't press too hard on the pencil.
   • Knives are a versatile tool for sharpening pencils. When sharpening pencils, always point the knife away from you to avoid cutting yourself. Use a craft knife. Hold the knife with the blade towards the tip of the pencil. Press with your non-dominant thumb on the back of the knife blade.
   • Nudge the knife with the thumb of the hand with which you are holding the pencil, and at the same time press it against the pencil with the thumb of your main hand. You can substitute a trash can so that the sawdust falls into it.
3. 3 Sharpen your carpenter's pencil. Take a DIY knife. Hold the pencil firmly in one hand with the point away from you.
   • Sharpen your pencil with slow, firm strokes away from you. You can also use a special carpenter's pencil sharpener. Insert the pencil into the hole and drag it back and forth over the sharpener blade.
   • Try using a craft knife. These knives are good for sharpening soft charcoal pencils as these pencils are soft and easily damaged by an electric sharpener. What's more, the sharpener can break if a charcoal pencil gets stuck in it.

Method 3 of 3: How to make a pencil point thinner

1. 1 Determine what type of tip you need. The tip of a pencil can be sharpened in four ways. The most common tip of the standard type, which has the shape of a cone.
   • A chisel-like edge can be obtained by cutting off the tip of the lead with a knife on one side. With the help of such a tip, two types of lines can be drawn: a thinner and darker one, if you place the flat side of the tip along the line, and a wider and lighter one, if you place the plane of the tip across the line.
   • The chisel tip stays sharp longer.However, it takes some practice to use this tip correctly. Sometimes artists use it.
   • To get a point in the form of a needle, it is necessary to sharpen the tip of the lead very finely with a knife. Such a thin point is fragile and breaks easily. However, it is good for drawing fine lines and fine details. Cut the wood deeper around the lead to expose more graphite.
   • To carve a bullet-shaped point, peel off one centimeter of the lead from the wood, and then use a knife to shape the tip into a bullet. With this tip, you can draw a variety of lines.
2. 2 Sharpen your pencil with sandpaper. If the lead is a little dull, you can sharpen it with a small piece of sandpaper.
   • This method eliminates the need to sharpen the pencil every time. For this purpose, many artists wear sandpaper trims along with a drawing board.
   • Another method is to purchase paper-wrapped charcoal pencils. All that is required is to pull on the string on such a pencil to remove some paper and expose more graphite.
   • You can also use emery paper to polish the charcoal lead for smoother, smudge-free lines.

Tips

• There are also mechanical pencil sharpeners that include a handle. The handle should be rotated clockwise, while slightly feeding the pencil into the inlet.
• If the lead of your pencil breaks frequently, you are likely sharpening it too much or frequently subjecting the pencil to sharp blows (for example, dropping it to the floor). It is also possible that you are pressing too hard on the pencil when drawing or writing.
• Instead of the old-fashioned manual sharpener, you can purchase a sharpener with a sawdust container. In this case, you do not have to visit the trash can often to throw away the waste.
• To expose more graphite, apply more pressure to the pencil while sharpening. To sharpen the tip, you need to peel it off the wood.

Warnings

• When sharpening a pencil with a knife, always point the knife away from you and be careful not to cut yourself.
• Do not put the other end of the pencil, where the eraser is located, into the sharpener. This can clog the sharpener. You could also damage the eraser or the pencil itself.
• Do not sharpen an already sharp pencil. As a result, the lead may crack or the sharpener blade may clog.
• Do not put your fingers in the sharpener.
• Do not use a knife at school. Use a knife under adult supervision.

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