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denisejhoward
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Back in 2019 I wrote a post about the quest for a Caran d’Ache Luminance pencil extender, since they’re a little larger in diameter than most high-quality colored pencils and don’t fit into standard extenders. Their diameter also prevents them from fitting into standard pencil sharpeners! If you didn’t know this when you bought a Luminance set, you’d be upset when you couldn’t sharpen them after the first time you used them.
I’m pretty sure this is how I came to find a relatively cheap set of used Luminance pencils on eBay. When I opened the box, I noticed they were barely used, and very blunt. The original owner apparently discovered they couldn’t sharpen them, so they used them as long as they could on the original tip and then sold them rather than look for a sharpener that fit. How sad!
Two of the nearly-new Luminance pencils in the set as I received them!
In fact, the variation in the diameter of different pencil brands that do fit into a standard sharpener can cause a problem: if they’re able to be inserted off-center, or wiggle around as you sharpen, you may inadvertently sharpen them lopsided, so the wood extends almost to the tip on one side and waaaay up along the core on the other side. You may even break the tip.
So, what can you do? Fortunately, there are many reasonably-priced hand-crank and electric sharpeners on the market that are made to accommodate pencils of any diameter. Some have a springy grasping mechanism that expands as you insert the pencil and then gently holds it centered as you sharpen. Others have several holes, so you dial to the right-sized hole for the pencil you have and then insert.
Two different ways to accommodate different-size pencils, including Luminance.
In the hand-crank category are the Dahle 133 and 155 and the Derwent Super Point. (There are others that accommodate larger pencils, too, but I’m most familiar with these.)
In the electric category are the X-Acto School Pro, the Bostitch Quiet Sharp Glow, and the AFMAT. (There are others that accommodate larger pencils, too, but I’m most familiar with these.)
All of these have a helical mechanism rather than a simple blade, which means it has a cylindrical barrel cut with spiral grooves that moves around the pencil, rather than the pencil being turned against a blade. So they are gentle on the pencil and last a very long time. When they do eventually dull (after a lot of use), you can purchase a new helical cartridge and easily swap out the old one. On the inside, helical sharpeners look something like this:
To learn all you ever wanted to know about pencil sharpeners of all kinds, check out https://www.artsupplies.co.uk/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-artists-pencil-sharpeners/
You want (yes, you do!) a good sharpener for your expensive colored pencils anyway, so get one that accommodates all sizes while you’re at it. Don’t buy pencils, use them once until they’re dull, and sell them. Unless it’s to me….
Stay sharp!
I’m pretty sure this is how I came to find a relatively cheap set of used Luminance pencils on eBay. When I opened the box, I noticed they were barely used, and very blunt. The original owner apparently discovered they couldn’t sharpen them, so they used them as long as they could on the original tip and then sold them rather than look for a sharpener that fit. How sad!
Two of the nearly-new Luminance pencils in the set as I received them!
In fact, the variation in the diameter of different pencil brands that do fit into a standard sharpener can cause a problem: if they’re able to be inserted off-center, or wiggle around as you sharpen, you may inadvertently sharpen them lopsided, so the wood extends almost to the tip on one side and waaaay up along the core on the other side. You may even break the tip.
So, what can you do? Fortunately, there are many reasonably-priced hand-crank and electric sharpeners on the market that are made to accommodate pencils of any diameter. Some have a springy grasping mechanism that expands as you insert the pencil and then gently holds it centered as you sharpen. Others have several holes, so you dial to the right-sized hole for the pencil you have and then insert.
Two different ways to accommodate different-size pencils, including Luminance.
In the hand-crank category are the Dahle 133 and 155 and the Derwent Super Point. (There are others that accommodate larger pencils, too, but I’m most familiar with these.)
In the electric category are the X-Acto School Pro, the Bostitch Quiet Sharp Glow, and the AFMAT. (There are others that accommodate larger pencils, too, but I’m most familiar with these.)
All of these have a helical mechanism rather than a simple blade, which means it has a cylindrical barrel cut with spiral grooves that moves around the pencil, rather than the pencil being turned against a blade. So they are gentle on the pencil and last a very long time. When they do eventually dull (after a lot of use), you can purchase a new helical cartridge and easily swap out the old one. On the inside, helical sharpeners look something like this:
To learn all you ever wanted to know about pencil sharpeners of all kinds, check out https://www.artsupplies.co.uk/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-artists-pencil-sharpeners/
You want (yes, you do!) a good sharpener for your expensive colored pencils anyway, so get one that accommodates all sizes while you’re at it. Don’t buy pencils, use them once until they’re dull, and sell them. Unless it’s to me….
Stay sharp!