How to sharpen pencils with a knife?

For office workers, the question of how to sharpen pencils with a knife is unlikely to arise. They are used to using the simplest tool - a sharpener, the quality of sharpening after use of which is quite enough to solve current problems. Yes, it is more convenient in the conditions of “clean” work. But senior students of engineering and technical universities, artists and those whose activities are closely associated with the preparation of diagrams, schedules, often "hone" their skills in this direction. Why don't they use a stationery sharpener?

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The difference between sharpening with a knife and a sharpener

The stationery tool, of course, at first glance is extremely convenient. In just a couple of seconds, you can restore a broken pencil and continue your work. But the sharpener has several drawbacks:

• does not give really good sharpness;
• it is necessary to correct sharpness very often, since the stylus is short;
• after such sharpening it is impossible to draw very thin lines;
• not every sharpener is suitable for any pencil - you need to select a tool by diameter.

Important! Blades in office sharpeners are often not very sharp and not as thin as we would like, moreover, they quickly fail. As a result, the rod simply breaks over and over again the next time you try to line it up. Given these facts, it is understandable why it is better to sharpen pencils with a knife. If you get the hang of it, even outwardly your writing device will look much more beautiful.

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Which knife to grind?

After you have realized that it is still correct to sharpen a pencil with a knife, it's time to think about which one. Discard kitchen utensils immediately as a suitable option - its blade is too thick, inconvenient, and if it is jagged, you won’t be able to transform the pencil at all.

Only a clerical knife will do. Large or small to choose - decide for yourself.

Important! Keep in mind that a large tool has interchangeable blades in a set and is more reliable, but a small one is more convenient to take with you to nature to create sketches or carry in a briefcase for work.

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Where to grind?

Another nuance of how to sharpen a pencil with a knife concerns the amount of garbage. Here the principle is simple:

• if you have a lot of them - choose a convenient place, spread a newspaper or oilcloth;
• if 1-2 pieces that need to be sharpened and you are at home, you can sharpen them directly above the trash can.

Important! Many artists do not throw away the remains of slate shavings, but use it to decorate the background in their paintings.

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How to sharpen?

The rules of how to sharpen a pencil with a knife are quite simple - the main thing is to fill your hand. Follow the following recommendations and you will surely succeed:

1. Take a pencil in your left hand, a knife in your right. If you are left-handed, then vice versa.
2. Point the tip away from you.
3. Place the blade on a pencil about 2.5 cm from the edge, preferably at an angle of 45 degrees.
4. In small pieces, remove wood shavings - only in the direction “away from you”!
5. Be extremely careful, as it is very easy to cut fingers with a knife when cutting chips.
6. Rotate the pencil sequentially to open a new area near the stylus.
7. Do not press hard so as not to break the shaft.
8. Keep in mind that the length of the protruding “bare” rod at this stage you should get a little more than 1 cm.
9. As soon as this is possible, slowly and very carefully grind the stylus from all sides, giving it the desired length and sharpness.

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Stock footage

Now you know how to sharpen pencils with a knife and why do it that way. Be very careful and your sketches will become real masterpieces, and manual schemes will be as accurate as possible!