Review of the Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener

A few months ago, the owner of Classroom Friendly Supplies contacted me and asked if I would review their pencil sharpener.  Any pastellist who uses pastel pencils knows that a good sharpener is hard to find.  Pastel inevitably breaks off and clogs the sharpener.  Always on the lookout for a great sharpener, I was very happy to have the opportunity to try it.  

The last time I reviewed a sharpener, I was impressed at first, but soon disappointed (see the review).  This time, I wanted to use the sharpener consistently for a few months to be able to give a better assessment of how the sharpener performs over time.  Since any new sharpener I try must compete with my Creative Mark Multi-Point for favorite sharpener status, I’ll be comparing it to the Multi-point in this review.

Overall, I like this sharpener.  Right out of the box, what impressed me was its style.  It is slightly more compact (and slightly heavier) than the Multi-Point, sort of retro looking, and has a metal body (the Multi-Point has a plastic body).  It’s a sturdy sharpener.  Like the Multi-Point, the Classroom Friendly Sharpener comes with a clamp.  This clamp works better than the Multi-Point’s but it didn’t take me long before I abandoned it.  It’s just unnecessary.  (I’d still like one with suction feet, but no one seems to make them that way.)  

Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener

Other than the metal body, this sharpener is very similar to the Multi-Point, so I was particularly interested to see how it would compare to my favorite sharpener.  I fed it a pastel pencil and turned the crank - wow, did I get an amazingly sharp point!  It has an automatic stop, like the Multi-Point, but it was quite a while before I noticed it.  The feel of the automatic stop is more subtle than the Multi-Point, and a little bit of pressure on the feeding mechanism will allow it to keep sharpening.  This is good if you want a super sharp tip, but if you’re not careful it will eat the pastel pencil.  

Check out these super sharp tips!

Like the Multi-Point, this sharpener leaves bite marks on the pastel pencils (this doesn't bother me in the least, but if it concerns you, don't buy either sharpener). 

How does this sharpener hold up over time?  Pretty well.  I’ve found it takes more pressure for it to get a sharp point now than it used to, but it will still give great results.  It also breaks off the tip more often than it used to, but that is similar to the Multi-Point.  It seems like I get great results at the beginning, by three months it’s starting to get frustrating, and (assuming the Classroom Sharpener keeps wearing similar to the Multi-Point) I’ll need to replace it by six months.  

What happens when the pastel gets stuck in the sharpener?  This is the one area where the Multi-Point compares more favorably.  Most of the time, it’s fairly simple to poke out the stuck pastel.  Once in a while, it’s almost impossible.  The first time that happened was maybe a month in, and I couldn’t get the pastel out at all.  I pulled out the shavings receptacle and poked around to no avail.  I shoved a metal BBQ skewer in and poked, but it felt like I was hitting metal.  It was confusing and frustrating.  I finally gave up and set the sharpener aside, thinking it was unusable.  A few days later I missed the super sharp point, so I started poking around in it again.  I was able to poke an unbent paper clip inside along the grooves repeatedly until the pastel came loose.  I don’t know why it sticks in there so stubbornly sometimes, but it does.  It’s happened to me a handful of times, and if there is one thing that would discourage me from buying this sharpener, that would be it.

How do the sharpeners compare on price?  The Classroom Friendly Sharpener is $19.95 with free shipping.  The Creative Mark Multi-Point is $27.99 at Jerry’s Artarama, but you can often find it on sale (last time I paid $12.99, which was awesome, but typically it’s over $20).

So what’s the verdict?  Did the Classroom Friendly Sharpener replace the Multi-Point as my favorite sharpener?  I love the super sharp tip possible with the Classroom Friendly Sharpener, but I have to factor in the occasional frustration of not being able to get the pastel out.  As long as the blades stay sharp and I can get that super sharp tip, it’s definitely worth having the Classroom Friendly Sharpener around.  When this one wears out, I’ll buy another, but I’m not going to give up my Multi-Point.  I'll need it for backup when the pastel refuses to come out of the Classroom Friendly Sharpener.  If the Classroom Friendly Sharpener came unclogged as easily as the Multi-Point, it would definitely be my new favorite.  

You can buy the Classroom Friendly Sharpener here.

One caution for Conté pastel pencil users:  the Classroom Friendly Sharpener won’t sharpen the Contés.  If Conté is your brand, stick with the Multi-Point.

Pencil Sharpeners for Pastel Pencils

When I first started working in pastel, I ruined a couple of electric sharpeners.  The pastel would break off and get stuck, and I either couldn’t access the blades to dig it out, or I couldn’t get it out completely.  I searched for a pencil sharpener that would work well and settled on the Creative Mark MultiPoint.  After a year and a half, though, the blades are dull and don’t work well.  Obviously, I needed a new sharpener.  I was planning on ordering another MultiPoint, but then I saw Roby Baer’s videos on YouTube (if you haven’t seen them, check them out!).  She had such a nice point on her pastel pencils, I had to ask her about her sharpener.  She uses the X-Acto Powerhouse.  I bought one yesterday, and thought I’d share the pros and cons of each sharpener for those who are interested.

First, the MultiPoint:  I bought this sharpener at Jerry’s Artarama for around $25.

Pros:  

1. It accepts pencils of different sizes and shapes
2. It gives a decently sharp result
3. If a pastel breaks off, you can open the shavings receptacle and poke it out with something sharp (I use an unbent paper clip)
4. It is fairly rare that a pencil would break off 

Cons:

1. The clamp is annoying.  I couldn’t get it to stay on anything.  I usually put the sharpener on my knee to use it.  
2. Their claim of “one hand operation” is, IMO, a joke.  The automatic feeding clutch does work (most of the time), but since the clamp doesn’t, one hand has to hold the sharpener in place.
3. The pencil clutch chews up the outside of the pencil, which may or may not bother you
4. It stops sharpening automatically, they say to avoid waste, but you can't get a sharper result than it is programmed to give
5. No warranty - plan on replacing it every year, sooner if you're a heavy user

Next, the X-Acto Powerhouse:  Purchased from Office Max for $33.

Pros:

1.   It gives amazingly sharp results  
2.   It has suction feet that make it stay put very nicely on my desk
3.   It comes with a 2 year warranty

Cons:

1.   It doesn’t accept different sizes of pencils
2.   Nothing else, but I’ve only had it a day

I have full sets of CarbOthellos and Derwents, plus a few pencils of different brands I bought just to try (you never know when you might want to get another set, right?).

1. CarbOthellos fit very nicely
2. Derwents are very snug, but they’ll go in with some pressure (and it takes pressure to get them out as well)
3. Pitts go in slightly easier than Derwents, but not as easy as CarbOthellos
4. Creatacolors go in very easily
5. General’s go in very easily
6. Contes will not go in at all

I’m excited about the sharp tip the X-Acto Powerhouse delivers, and the warranty is attractive.  I may buy another MultiPoint for backup, and for the Conte pencils if I buy a set (I really like those pencils!).


Update:  After using the X-Acto Powerhouse for a while, I'm back to the MultiPoint.  The Powerhouse worked well for a bit, but soon pencils were breaking off, and it is difficult to get the pastel tips out when they break in the sharpener.  I tried pulling out the shavings receptacle, but there is no way to poke out the pastel.  I had to use something very thin and sharp (I use a stainless steel BBQ skewer - I asked Roby and she uses an awl) and poke it directly into where the pencil feeds, stabbing the stuck pastel to break it up.  It got to where every pencil was breaking every time, and I just got tired of it.  It's not worth the hassle.  I bought myself another MultiPoint (actually, I bought two because Jerry's had them on sale) and almost cried with relief when I started using the new one.  I was able to get a sharper point on the new MultiPoint sharpener than I did with the last one, easily equal to the Powerhouse.  With nice, sharp points and very little hassle, the MultiPoint remains the best sharpener for me.  


See my review of The Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener.