Q&A for How to Sharpen a Pencil

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  • Question
    What do I do if I use a manual sharpener, but it stops working after a few tries?
    Community Answer
    Look inside the sharpener’s hole, there could be a piece of lead blocking it. Remove the lead and that should solve your problem.
  • Question
    How do I prevent the pencil tips from breaking when manually sharpening them?
    Community Answer
    Don’t oversharpen. You should check the tip of your pencil frequently when sharpening.
  • Question
    Can I use construction paper to sharpen a pencil?
    Community Answer
    Sort of. If there is no lead poking out of the wood, then no. You can use construction paper to make the lead sharper, though, just scrape the side onto the paper until it is sharp.
  • Question
    How do I take the lead out of an electric sharpener?
    Community Answer
    It's impossible to get it out unless you disassemble the whole machine, and even then it's hard to get out.
  • Question
    Can the lead or graphite break because the wood is too dry?
    Community Answer
    It might. Dry wood might cause the lead or graphite to break. If it is too dry and you sharpen it, it may break.
  • Question
    I have a completely flat pencil!! How would I sharpen it?
    Lily
    Community Answer
    There are special pencil sharpeners made for sharpening “flat pencils”. You can get it at any hardware store or off online stockists. They are usually very cheap, costing only between $0.50 and $3.00.
  • Question
    Is there any other way to get a chiseled shape to your pencil without using a knife ?
    Lily
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can also use sandpaper. It may take a bit longer, but if you do not have a knife, it will be worth the effort.
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