To wonder why pencils don't sharpen properly any more?

[kitnkaboodle]

They just don't. They break. Is it the pencils, the sharpeners or me??

This is weird. I've had the same problem. No idea why.

The wood part is really mushy.

We have the same problem as well although its usually pencils from the poundshop and the cheap leads in them. My more expensive ones aren't so bad.

We've used a normal manual sharpener, a manual grinder sharpener and an electric one and the pencils have broken no matter which we've used.

I have found this too. If you use a standard pencil and sharpener the lead breaks when you sharpen it. I have given up on using pencils from the stationery cupboard at work and instead buy my own. They usually come in packs that include a sharpener.

Its cheap pencils. Stick to Staedtler.

Its not you. I've noticed this.

I've also got a pencil sharpener at work which is too big for normal pencils. Wtf is that all about. The office manager was not hugely interested when I brought this to her attention.

I love stationery!

I tend to use mechanical pencils now, much cheaper than really good pencils and easier.

The chunky sharpeners are for chunky soft lead coloured crayons and soft pencils, used for schools mainly. They are highly sought after!

It's cheap wood in cheap pencils.

Probably health and safety regulations so you can't accidentally stab yourself with a sharpened one!

You need expensive pencils that are a proper brand. I bought some lovely patterned ones a in a box from Paperchase, weren't cheap... they're all crap and none of them sharpen! We have great ones at work

www.viking-direct.co.uk/a/pb/Faber-Castell-Grip-2001-HB-pencil-12-Pk/id=1170-HB&pr=Q26/

This was pissing me off too but I found that even the expensive ones broke.
I eventually got a really good sharpener and it's much better now!

Me too and not just the cheap ones. Have also noticed it with charcoal pencils.
Eyeliner pencils the same.

I have found this too! Weird.

I often wonder this too! I blame the sharpeners.! Mechanical pencils are the way forward.

I think it might be cheapskating - cheap wood doesn't protect cheap lead when you drop the pencil - so it seems (to me) to be broken in pieces all the way through the pencil even before you sharpen it.

I have expensivo pencils for me (with my name on ) DS prefers felt tips thank goodness.

But come to think about it.... I have never had an Ikea pencil break...

Buy staedler ones. I'm the queen of bargains but for pencils and coloured pencils it's totally not worth it. They're the best by far and you can get them at a decent price on amazon. Don't bother with anything else.

Makejam - I've never been able to sharpen an eye liner pencil. The black stuff just squishes into the sharpener and breaks off.
I presumed it was deliberate on the part of the manufacturer to make us buy new ones.

To clarify, are we talking about the lead being broken into tiny bits inside and so it's impossible to get enough sticking out the end for a good point, or that the wood doesn't come off properly in lovely crisp curls but instead just sort of crumbles off and the blade has hardly any effect?

#overinvested

Dapple- put your eyeliner in the fridge for a while beforehand.

The problem is that in cheap pencils the lead is not bonded to the wood, but is a little bit loose in the pencil. That means that when you drop the pencil, and the lead breaks into lots of little pieces, it becomes pretty much unusable as the pieces of lead fall out when you try to sharpen the pencil.

Faber Castell 9000 don't have this problem. There must be others, but those are the ones I use and they never break.

Echoing everyone else - but...cheap pencils are a false economy.

Buy Staedler pencils. They sharpen properly and the lead doesn't keep breaking off - unlike poundshop pencils.

Don't underestimate the value of a sharp blade in the sharpener too.

Ticonderoga pencils (from Costco) are excellent.

I was in Smiggle a few weeks ago and a woman returned pencils as they wouldn't sharpen. She was given a refund or voucher. I am wondering what would happen if I did this at a less expensive shop. It happens a lot. My son often gets pencils in party bags and about 80% of the time they don't sharpen.