Odd question... but what do you use to sharpen colored pencils with?

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I had an electric sharpener that we got last school year and its broke. I think its from the colored penicils. I have gotten those hand held pencil sharpeners and they all break within 4-5 times of using them. So what on earth do you use (that doesnt break) so sharpen colored penicils. I just got a good heavy duty expensive pencil sharpener but I dont want to break it with colored pencils, if thats what really happened to the first one, I am just guessing. Although the first one was a cheap $10 one from Wal-Mart possibly made from plastic if that makes a difference!

 

Right now we have about 3 boxes with broken tips. We need help :confused:

[Guest TheBugsMom]

Our tin of Prismacolors came with a metal sharpener that sharpens the pencils perfectly.

[regentrude]

A normal small hand held pencil sharpener.

[tagglelim]

I've been having the exact same problem! Not only do all of the pencil sharpeners break, but the colored pencils have such soft lead that they are ground down significantly before finally sharp. I just bought a nice electric sharpener, hoping to solve the problem, when I saw a large warning label that read, "DO NOT USE WITH COLORED PENCILS". SO, after some research, it turns out that only small hand-held sharpeners should be used with colored pencils. The trick is in finding a good one, since they are usually soooo cheap. I've discovered that one called "i-gloo" seems to work pretty well in getting a sharp point. Hope that helps!

[Shelly in the Country]

A handheld Staedtler pencil sharpener. Ours is kind of like this. It specifically has a "colored pencil" side.

[bbsweetpea]

A handheld Staedtler pencil sharpener. Ours is kind of like this. It specifically has a "colored pencil" side.

 

This is what I have

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

A handheld Staedtler pencil sharpener. Ours is kind of like this. It specifically has a "colored pencil" side.

 

Thank you! I am going out of town and will get one friday! :D

[Satori]

We use small metal pencil sharpeners, the kind that you can swap in a new blade (although I've never done that). Like these. I have the other one someone linked to, and it's nice to have the container for the shavings, but I read somewhere that you don't want a sharpener that has a container. (Not sure why though, lol!) I've never had a pencil sharpener break.

 

If I get a bunch of colored pencils that arrive unsharpened (like my new Prismacolor Col-Erase eraseable pencils which we love), then I use an electric sharpener just to get them all going. I hate using it though, I feel it grinds them down too fast and wastes them, but it's better than doing them all by hand.

[ChrissySC]

I go straight to the makeup. I use a sharpner made for eye liner. :) You must try it.

 

It makes a good point that is not overly sharp and prickly on the end, and it is not the skinny tapering to the end. LOL I am teaching to be descriptive and not general this week. Can you tell?

 

Try it. You will be glad you did.

[Tracy]

Could it be your pencils? I decided to spend some money and get a good set of colored pencils, and I don't have any problems at all sharpening them.

[Hedgehogs4]

i would go with an all-metal, small hand-held, or as a pp said, an eyeliner sharpener. never put colored pencils in a regular crank or electric sharpener.

[kalanamak]

I use this:

 

http://www.dickblick.com/products/generals-all-art-pencil-sharpener/

 

Dog cheap and it "restores to factory point", meaning stubbier than all the other sharpeners I tried. Not radically stubby, but just stubbier than those jousting lance points most other sharpeners give you. There is one with a catch-all attached.

[monalisa]

Thank you!!!! This is a timely thread. Just yesterday I practically ruined several Prismacolor pencils with my electric sharpener...DUH! Actually, my electric sharpener (which was quite expensive) can destroy even my regular pencils for some reason. Now I know better!