Kum AS2, Two Hole Automatic Long Point Pencil Sharpener, Mfg Part Number 1053021 (Extra lids not Included)

I do like this two stage sharpener. Larger diameter pencils won’t fit. The metal sharpener didn’t match the plastic holes for a pencil to fit in initially. I just had to snap it in place snd all was fine. It sharpens to a very fine point. As others have stated, the plastic hinge on it broke. I am using a rubber band to keep it together but it solved the problem. It’s half the price of the Blackwing so the minor flaw is nothing.

The KUM LONG-POINT PENCIL SHARPENER(S), looks a little more sophisticated than the usual hand-sharpener for pencils -- and is also a bit more expensive. But it's worth it! : )Desk-(or wall) manual-type sharpeners might last a bit longer, and electric sharpeners might be easier to use -- but each of these have drawbacks. Desk-or-wall manual-type sharpeners must be anchored to desk or wall, either by suction, (desk), or nails, (wall. This means one must always get up from where one is sitting to sharpen one's pencils; yes, it gives excercise, but can also be a nuisance after a while. Most electric sharpeners also cannot be taken to one's desk, and used while sitting down --plus they have an annoying habit of seeming to "grab" the pencil, and you, the person sharpening the pencil, has very little control over the sharpening action. Often, electric pencil sharpeners sharpen way to much of the pencil off, (the "Sorcerer's Apprentice Syndrome", seen in many electric appliances, and in some too-over-eager housekeepers, sigh!) As part of this....electric pencil sharpeners can actually break pencil points, far too often....This KUM Long-Point Pencil Sharpener, like all hand-held pencil sharpeners, can be.....well, held in your hand! And carried around, and placed in pocket, purse, or just near you on the desk, and nosuction cupping, (which often doesn't work), is needed!What makes this KUM Long-Point Pencil Sharpener different is that it has TWO holes. One might think: "...Wow! Two blades! This will save a lot of money, because when the first blade gets dull, I can use the second blade!" Well, it doesn't work quite like that. You CAN save money -- but on pencils, not on the pencil sharpener.Hole No. One, you see, is for pencils that have never had a point. What sharpening in Hole No. One does, you see, is to sharpen JUST THE OUTSIDE WOOD OF THE PENCIL. If you continue sharpening, ONLY in Hole No. 1, you will get lead coming out of the wood, forming a point, (of sorts), but NOT a very sharp one. If what you are using the pencil for does NOT require too sharp a point, you actually CAN save money this way -- for, in sharpening a point, you are actually creating a sort of elongated "cone" shape, and to create this "cone" shape, part of the lead itself must be taken off.... If you don't need a sharp point, though, you don't need the point....and the KUM No. 1 Hole is then enough. You will obviously save some of the lead this way. Not much....but all those little bits of pencil lead that are not dispensed with to make a point, do add up! I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER PENCIL SHARPENER THAT WILL DO THIS!If, however, what you are doing requires a very sharp point, the KUMLong-Point Pencil Sharpener will give you this, as well! Just use Hole No. 2 after having used Hole No. 1. Carefully sharpening in Hole No. 2 will now give you a nice, long, and very sharp point!I noticed, just now, that one is supposed to get two extra blades with this sharpener. I did not see any in the package, but looking very closely, I do see two pieces of metal, held in place by screws, in a separate compartment in my KUM hand-held sharpener. But they look far too short to be replacement blades....Hmmmm... What to do when the blades get dull? Well, I remember Peg Bracken, in her "I HATE TO HOUSEKEEP BOOK" mentioning that one could sharpen scissors by cutting non-soaped steel-wool pads in half. I don't happen to have any steel-wool pads at home at present....but may consider buying some. However, doing so JUST to sharpen the blades on a pencil sharpener may be a false economy. Maybe I'll just be happy with all the extra lead my KUM Hand-held pencil sharpener is giving me. Because right now, I'm lucky enough NOT to need extra sharp pencils...Every little bit helps! $ : )

This sharpener is INCREDIBLE. I was chewing through Goldfaber pencils like CRAZY. It used to take me 3 tries to get a point that didn't break. THIS beauty gets it right on the first go. It produces STRONG tips and even works on brittle pencils. I sharpened two Crayola colored pencils that had been baking in my truck for (I kid you not.... ) FIVETEEN YEARS! A durable tip even on dried out dinosaurs is pretty impressive. I'm overjoyed by how much easier it is. A must buy!!!

I recommend going ahead and putting some tape across that clear plastic hinge. It will fail. It is a matter of time. the rest of the design is good, especially at this price. Worth it almost for the blades alone. Look for replacement blades at Blick. Killer sale near xmas 2024.

The Babe Ruth of pencil sharpeners. I wish I heard this existed years ago. Perfect cuts every time with the two step process. I bring it with me everywhere.

To keep my colored pencils sharp, I have tried dozens of sharpeners, from the pricey electric and battery powered to the cheapest and simplest handheld ones that range from $7 to 50¢. This one is the best I have found so far. I won't go into the mechanics of it, as the other reviews do that in detail, except to reiterate that sharpening with the KUM is a two step process that cannot be condensed down to one step. The first step cuts away the wood and the second sharpens the graphite or wax or whatever material the lead is made from.When I tested the KUM with colored pencils, I used every kind I had except my Derwents as they are larger than the average pencil and would be a bit too big to fit the one-size hole. However, despite a cartoon that seemed to indicate that only hexagonal pencils were appropriate for use in the sharpener, I tried my round Prismacolor Premier, my Prismacolor Verithin, Caran D'ache Pablo, Derwent Studio thin, and my round Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. What a delight to find that each and every pencil sharpened perfectly in the KUM sharpener, when I followed the 2-step process.THe points are extremely long and razor sharp, though because of this they are of course delicate and need to be handled with care. You cannot expect to press down hard on them without having them break. I will say, though, that not a single pencil broke inside the sharpener when I did my testing. In addition, when I attempted to mend a pencil with a known broken core, by "nuking" it in the microwave for 20 seconds, then using the KUM sharpener, the process actually worked the first time I did it. It was nice to know I could save a pencil I thought I had lost...Two important suggestions: 1) I chose not to close the top of the sharpener, but used it over a wastebasket every time. This allowed me to watch the pencil as I sharpened it and to see when to stop step 1. The receptacle for shavings is tiny anyway, and gets in the way of seeing what is happening to your pencil, so I recommend that you do not use it. That way you won't run the risk of cutting off too much pencil wood at a time. 2) If you are using the KUM to sharpen colored pencils, you must make sure you sharpen a graphite pencil in it at least every 5 or 6 pencils. Otherwise the exquisite sharpness of the blades will get dull too fast. (It was a stroke of either genius or kindness that the KUM people included two extra blades inside the sharpener, to be attached with just a simple screw driver. So when the original blades dull, you won't be up a creek, having to wait for another KUM to arrive by mail...)I never thought I would be giving thumbs up to one of the simplest of sharpeners as the best I have found, but there you have it: TWO THUMBS UP! Congratulations to KUM for designing a really decent pencil sharpener, one that works well and with nearly ALL pencils.