The sad affair of the pencil.

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Our friend Alcarwen at That Shadow My Likeness writes about the terror of being without a pencil sharpener:

“This was going along quite well until I realized I had stranded myself in the fourth floor office on the top of the highest hill with a single color pencil and no pencil sharpener to be found. I searched through the entire department. I knocked on doors. I had other pens offered to me, but no. The Rhetoric book is not to be touched with anything other than my particular box of color pencils. (Yes, I’m obsessive. I know.)

I sat there in despair, Rhetoric book in one hand, sadly un-sharpened color pencil in the other and was completely unable to continue reading. Until… until I remembered the lovely pocket-knife on my key ring. I sharpened the damn thing old school style. I was so proud of myself.

However, I think my Department head now thinks I’m a nut-case since he walked into my office to find me whittling away at a pencil with a pocket-knife while grinning maniacally.”

This is a disaster that I’ve known a few times myself, and I would not wish it on anyone. Pulling out a blade is the bravest way to handle such a situation, to be sure. It’s downright heroic!

Many thanks, Alcarwen!

posted by Pencil Revolution on 10.06.05 @ 9:40 am |

3 Comments so far
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This makes me think I should solder a tiny chain with ring to one of my Kum sharpeners and add it to my keychain. Will give it a try!

By Nita on 10.07.05 2:26 pm

… or just carry a blade with you at all times.

Alternatively, you might want a Lee Valley Belt-Clip Pencil Sharpener

By Stewart C. Russell on 10.11.05 1:33 pm

I have three of the styles of brass pencil sharpeners from Alvin. They are wonderful. One is a bullet one hole, one is a wedge two hole, and last is a round two hole. My favorite is the round two hole, for versitility, and the bullet for my pocket. but I have filed down a spot allowing me to drill a hole for one bullet and the wedge. I then used the tiny tiny replacement keyring rings that are sold as replacement Swiss Army Knife rings. They were a quarter the last I looked. The bullet does very nicely on a keyring, the wedge goes nicely around my neck. I’m not a fanatic, I’m an art teacher and this works well for me. Go to the Alvin website and work your way through to the hand-held sharpener section.

By heyartlady on 10.23.05 12:26 am

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