How can I sharpen pencils without a dedicated sharpener?

Question

There have been times when I was without a sharpener, and a pencil I was using became dull. I tried using my knife, but that seems to break the point. Am I doing it wrong, or is there a better way to get out of the problem? I was using pencils specifically because they're erasable.

score 14 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 10 '14 at 22:50

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You're doing it wrong. Most artists I know use a pen knife to sharpen pencils. The trick is to only bear down on the wooden part and cut along a shallow angle. To finish the graphite point, use extremely light pressure.

How to sharpen a pencil with a knife

edited Dec 10 '14 at 22:50

QuyNguyen2013

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answered Dec 10 '14 at 20:51

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If you need to sharpen the graphite itself, you're using the wrong pencil: find a finer one. – Jon Story Feb 11 '15 at 23:52
FYI, Most artists I know use a pencil sharpener and for mechanical pencils (used by draughtsmen in days of yore) a rotary lead "pointer" was handy when not using a sandpaper scrap or a specially made sanding block. The pen knife was/is still used to cut the ends of flight feathers (quills) into quill pens. – Stan Jul 15 '16 at 20:51

Phlume · Answer 2 · 2014-12-10T21:00:02.163

I don't carry a knife. I have often been drawing/sketching while in a park or on a city bench near a curbside and I have found the rough pavement and/or concrete on the ground works well in a pinch (on those occasions when I don't have my sharpener with me). You're not going to get a perfect sharp tip, but it will remove the wood enough to get more of the graphite out and available for continued use.

Similar, if you are near a brick building, you can use the mortar in the joints between the bricks as it provides a nice channel for the pencil to shimmy through.

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 13 '16 at 23:33

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I like to use an emory board to sharpen or shape a drawing pencil. I don't expect it would work well for starting from scratch ; ) with a new pencil, but works well otherwise.

answered Apr 13 '16 at 23:33

Suzz

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score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 13 '18 at 21:20

It is actually easier to sharpen a pencil with a box-cutter than a pocket knife (it is sharper, so you need to apply less pressure, which allows you to have more control over what and how you are cutting). Because using a knife for sharpening takes some practice, it may be a good idea to use a box-cutter until you get used to it.

Another option is to use a mechanical pencil instead - no need for sharpening.

score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 10 '14 at 20:34

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A rough grit sandpaper works in a pinch, as do nail files and other wood or steel files.

answered Dec 10 '14 at 20:34

Jon

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Nail files don't work. – J. Musser Dec 10 '14 at 20:34
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it does take time, and a polishing file would be worthless. If I am using sandpaper to sharpen a pencil I prefer the sandpaper be on a belt sander. – Jon Dec 10 '14 at 20:38

How can I sharpen pencils without a dedicated sharpener?

5 Answers5