Pencil sharpener

A pencil sharpener is an instrument making it possible to make pointed the end of a pencil by cutting the matter which surrounds the mine and by sharpening this one. There exist manual, mechanical and electric pencil sharpeners.

History

The pencil such as we know it today, a mine in a wood sheath, was patented in France in 1795 by Nicolas-Jacques Conté. The first tools used to cut the pencils were knives or penknives.
Le first Patent for a machine to cut the pencils was deposited by Bernard Lassimone in 1828.
En 1847, Thierry of Estival deposits in Paris a patent for “a formed tool of a tube, a cone and provided with a blade. ”
Shortly after with Erlangen in Germany, Theodor Paul Möbius develops and markets a formed tool of a sharpened sheet curved in the shape of cone. These two inventors are regarded as the fathers of the manual pencil sharpener still used today.

The mass production of the Crayon S starts in second half of the 19th century. In parallel develops the production of manual pencil sharpeners manufactured by the industry of the tinplate industry and of mechanical pencil sharpeners which are the subject of the many deposit Brevet S in the world between 1850 and 1900. At the beginning of the 20th century the pencil sharpener becomes an object of great consumption, as well in the schools as in the offices. The market is international, before the First World War, the Japan exports pencil sharpeners, of Eastern form in Europe.

Mechanical and electric pencil sharpeners

The mechanical pencil sharpeners are in general actuated by a Manivelle. The electric pencil sharpeners function on the same principles but are actuated by small a Electrical motor. Three techniques are used to withdraw the Bois which is around the mine: Abrasion of the Wood by files where fabric emery Cross by blade S, as in the manual pencil sharpener. The number of blades can reach ten. Cross by kinds of Engrenage S sharpened which are the equivalent of blades without end.

The pencil is in general fixed on a support or blocked and the machine makes turn the blade S or the Lime S.
Ces three types of pencil sharpeners are still manufactured and are the subject of many patents.

Manual pencil sharpeners

Several kinds of pencil sharpeners were manufactured but today only the conical pencil sharpener with blade is still used. It can be manufactured in various matters: Wood, Aluminum, Bakelite, Plastic, Brass, Lead etc

The very first tool used was the Couteau then improvements were brought to the blade punt to facilitate the cutting of wood.

Pencil sharpener with “guillotine”

The blade remains right but is taken in a metal clamp with its cutting part towards the interior of the clamp

Pencil sharpener with concave blade

Small a blade comprising a concave notch of the dimension of the pencil is fixed in end of a handle in Bois.

Pencil sharpener plane

The concave blade is not any more fixed but is embedded in a drain on a plate (which can be a lid of box). The pencil is slipped along the drain.

Conical pencil sharpener with blade

The right blade is fixed on stops cone into which one introduces the end of the pencil to which one gives a rotation movement.

The blade is specific to the size pencil and in general fixed by a Vis but it can also be crimped in material of the cone or be a blade of Rasoir to hand assembled as on a razor.

The pencil sharpeners having become objects of the great consumption, their forms sought to allure the potential customers.

Between the two wars the pencil sharpeners are generally out of metal or wood and represent current objects.

Pencil sharpeners out of terra cotta one largely imported of China after the second world war.

The most various forms were used, in particular by the famous brands such as PLAY-ME or EMB-MARTI

Lastly, publicity reached the field of the pencil sharpeners

There has also existed for a few years of many pencil sharpener out of wooden. photograph of pencil sharpener out of wooden

Crayon undermines
Mine (pencil)

External references

Museum of the Pencil sharpener (In)
Site of a collector of pencil sharpeners
How names a collector of pencil sharpener
Traduction of the word pencil sharpener in foreign languages
Site of a collector of pencil sharpeners in France

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