Mobius and Ruppert (M+R) BULLET SHAPED BRASS Pencil sharpener w KEYHOLE (0604-90)

Quality. These are solid, quality, and multifunctional. They sharpen a pencil perfectly and work great outdoors making tinder from dried branches or other items for campfires. Buy two, one for home and one for your outdoors adventures.

I have several of these brass pencil sharpeners because they are the best. No weird gouging of your pencil, no cracking of the casing around the blade or the mysterious ‘looks like it’s almost perfect but then snaps off the lead’. Consistent, stays sharp, feels good in your hand and the brass is durable. You can replace the blades but I’ve never needed to yet. This is your lifetime sharpener with toughie design flair.

This is the second time I have purchased this sharpener, and would do it again. I keep one in my desk at the office and one in my workshop. It will give you a wonderfully sharp tip every time. Couldn’t ask for a better sharpener, nice and solid. Once use use one you will not reach for any other. I have had the original for over 3 years with no issues and it still sharpens pencils to a razor sharp point. Totally worth every penny. The only con to it is that it would be hard to use if you have arthritis or grip issues as it is small.

This Mobius & Ruppert Brass Bullet/Grenade hand sharpener (model 604) is miles above any other sharpeners I've used. Though it seems quite simple, it's remarkably effective and well-designed. *DESIGN* It's the details on the Mobius & Ruppert brass sharpeners that make such a difference. The M&R Bullet/Grenade hand sharpener has a hefty substantial weight, seeming sturdy enough to handle dropping. The sides are textured for better grip when turning it (sharpen colored pencils by turning the sharpener, not the pencil - see instructions at the bottom). It's a comfortable size and shape to hold (no finger cramps). The design is so clever, with the bore shaft slanted upward, naturally aligning the pencil against the blade. This makes it easy to sharpen the pencil without applying a lot of force. It also makes it easier to sharpen pencils that are more narrow than the width of the hole itself. *HOW TO USE* The M&R Brass Bullet/Grenade hand sharpener is a single-hole, small-bore sharpener. This means it is best for sharpening graphite drawing pencils and hard lead colored pencils. It worked great with my Prismacolor Verithin (no problems), Derwent Studio, Derwent metallic, Faber-Castell Red Line metallic and Crayola, giving me a nice long fine point (see pic #1). The M&R Brass Bullet/Grenade hand sharpener has been perfect for all of these pencils, giving a reliable sharp point without problems of shredding, choking or splitting the wood. >>>NOTE<<< If you have soft lead colored pencils -- such as Prismacolor Premier Soft Core, General's Kimberly Watercolor, Spectrum Noir metallic, Prismacolor Colorless Blending Pencil, Derwent Blender pencil and Derwent Burnisher pencil -- you'll need a sharpener with a large bore, like the M&R Brass Round Double Hole sharpener. The larger hole gives a short but nice sharp point, preventing the breakage that would result from a long point with these types of pencils. >>>TIP #1: MORE CONVENIENCE, LESS MESS: The number one complaint I've seen when reading reviews of hand held sharpeners is the lack of a reservoir to hold pencil shavings and the need to sharpen over a trash can while working. I don't find this problematic given that there's a simple workaround. I avoid this issue by simply re-using an old mint tin for this purpose. I sharpen over the tin, collecting the shavings inside. (See pics #2-#3.) Then once it's full I'll empty the tin into a trash can (typically every couple days). Altoids tins work well for this because they have a deep bottom, but are still small enough to fit in a pocket. But even the smaller tins are suitable. You just need something with a hinged lid. *COMPARISON* I also bought the M&R Brass Round Double Hole style sharpener to see which model I'd prefer. While I like the shape of the Bullet/Grenade model and the way it fits in my hand, the fact that it does not take the standard size M&R blades (see below) and has only a single hole (small, for hard leads/long points) is limiting. So I find I'm reaching for the M&R Round Double Hole more because of its versatility. If I had to choose just one, I'd pick the Round Double Hole model. *REPLACEMENT:* This is definitely not intended to be a disposable sharpener. Plan to use this for a long, long time, providing you can find replacement blades (see below). It is easy to change the blades on the M&R brass sharpeners using a small screwdriver (available at most hardware stores). The sharpener has an indented slot that is curved at one end, fitting the shape of the blades. (See pic #4.) This means it's impossible to install new blades in the wrong direction. >>>IMPORTANT CAVEAT<<< The Bullet/Grenade model of M&R sharpener does *not* take the standard M&R blades (blade # MGT100-0050). The blades for the Bullet/Grenade sharpener are smaller than the M&R standard size (see pic #5). I haven't been able to find replacements anywhere on Amazon or Blick, which is the only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5. The *only* sources I've found for the M&R Bullet blades (blade # MG100-6050) is online at CW Pencil Enterprise or Raw Materials Art Supplies. >>>TIP #2: NOTE THE SIGNS THAT A BLADE NEEDS REPLACING. A dull blade will start shredding, splitting or choking the wood, or persistently breaking the points. If this occurrs, try replacing the blade. >>>TIP #3: MAINTAINING THE BLADES: Wax pencils, like colored pencils, dull blades more quickly. To combat this, run a simple graphite pencil through the sharpener periodically, like every 6-8 pencils. This cleans the sharpener and maintains the blades. Use artist pencils, even cheap $1 ones, *not* No.2 school pencils (they suck for this purpose.) *SHARPENING TIPS:* I've learned that how you sharpen is as important as your choice of sharpener. Here are some sharpening tips to get more out of your M&R Brass sharpener: >>>TIP #4: STANDARD SHARPENING TECHNIQUE: Sometimes frequent breakage or dull points are the result of poor sharpening technique. Many sources state that when sharpening colored pencils by hand you should turn the sharpener *not* the pencil. Turning the pencil instead (as most of us are used to doing) can stress the wood and torque the lead, which leads to breakages. 1. Hold the sharpener in your dominant hand (usually the right). 2. Hold the pencil in your non-dominant hand (usually the left). 3. Keeping the pencil still, turn the sharpener away from you (about a half-turn). 4. Reposition your fingers and continue turning the sharpener. 5. Repeat as needed until the desired point is reached. >>>TIP #5: ALTERNATE SHARPENING TECHNIQUE: If the above method doesn't work for you, I actually do this odd hybrid method of sharpening, where I turn both the sharpener and the pencil simultaneously. (I don't know why I started doing this; it just happened.) I get nice sharp points with this method: 1. Hold the sharpener in your non-dominant hand (usually the left). 2. Place the sharpener so the blade side is facing the floor or away from you, with your palm facing upward. 2. Then rotate the sharpener towards you with one hand (about a half-turn) while simultaneously turning the pencil away from you with the other, in one smooth movement. It's kind of similar to the movement you make when wringing out a wash cloth. 3. Reposition your fingers and repeat as needed until the desired point is reached. *If it feels more natural to turn the sharpener away from you, then switch hands and do the reverse movement. Though it goes against conventional wisdom, I hold the sharpener in my left (non-dominant) hand because I find that turning towards me is a more natural movement. (Again, don't know why, just do.) >>>TIP #6: PRESERVING YOUR POINTS: Here's how to sharpen less often, preserving the length of your pencils. 1) After sharpening do the smallest areas, corners and edges first, while the tip is still pointed. When the tip begins to blunt move to the larger areas, where a blunted tip is more effective at covering large areas anyway. This prevents you from having to resharpen more often. 2) To extend the longevity of the points and the pencils, get an artist's sanding block. This is essentially a stack of fine sanding paper attached to a plank. A cheap one ($1-$2) will do the job and will last a long time, you don't need something expensive. When the tip starts to blunt, *gently* slide it along the sanding paper to resharpen or bevel. This re-points the tip without losing any wood. I find this lasts 1-2 rounds between full sharpenings. *CONCLUSION:* I give this Mobius & Ruppert Brass Bullet/Grenade hand sharpener *4-STARS* and heartily recommend it to anyone! Especiallly if you've been having difficulties when sharpening colored pencils with other brands. The only reason I don't give this a 5-STAR rating is the lack of info upfront about these having a non-standard blade size and the difficulty finding replacement blades. *HEY! If you liked this review, please click "Helpful" below so other shoppers can find it more easily. Thanks!*

If you use pencils frequently or if you use soap stone or chalk. You need this pencil sharpener. I have been carrying it daily on my key chain. I use it to sharpen regular pencils, soapstone, and welder pencils. It will sharpen all of the above really well. For the cost you can't go wrong. High quality machining. Blade is very sharp and stays sharp. I have recommended to many people.

Still kicking it. It gets high usage and it still works great. Very durable. Have had it for quite a while now. In my carry pack always.

Love it. Great quality. Has keyring loop. Good weight. Love the brass construction. For $8 well worth the money. I'd buy another.

Of course, since this is manual, it takes longer than an electric one, or one with a crank handle (the sort we had in classrooms in school). However, it is sharp and works beautifully, the pencils are sharpened to a fine point without breaking the lead, and it's small and portable.