Mechanical, Artist and Carpenter Sharpeners

Plain school pencils just need your average pencil sharpener, manual or electric. Carpenter pencils, however, need flat point pencil sharpeners. You can also use flat point pencil sharpeners with artist pencils. For colored pencils, we recommend a rotary sharpener. Be sure to empty the sharpener every time you sharpen a pencil. Mechanical pencils self-sharpen, take lead refills, and thus require no sharpeners.

Carpenter Pencils

The flat pencil bodies of carpenter pencils allow precision sketching. The value to artists is on a par with artist pencils such as the Faber-Castell colored pencils. Mechanical pencils allow more high-tech control. Still, the simplicity of carpenter pencils makes them a valuable tool for artists and designers who hate to fuss with too many moving parts. Sometimes simple works best, as any child who uses school pencils will tell you.

Mechanical Pencil Care

Mechanical pencils need more maintenance than carpenter pencils, artist pencils or school pencils. Some brief tips... * Don't over-twist the mechanism to advance the pencil lead. * Use the correct thickness of lead in your pencils. If your pencil takes .9 mm lead, use .9 mm lead, not .7 mm lead. * Always check the manufacturers' directions, or the LifeTips sections on your particular pencil brand. * Use a soft polishing cloth for the surface, rather than strong cleaning agents or chemicals.

No Mechanical Pencils In School

As difficult as it may seem in an era where seventh graders have cell phones and tots have pretend PDAs, most grade schools still insist on the school pencils you remember. Web sites of grade schools all over the US specifically state, “No mechanical pencils, please.” Artist pencils? Yes. Carpenter pencils? Hmmm, possibly. Mechanical pencils? Out. Why, in a high-tech world, are schools making a fuss over pencils? Does it matter? The basic, plain pencil we all grew up with works just as well.

Faber-Castell Mechanical Pencils and Artists' Pencils

Faber-Castell mechanical pencils work exceptionally well in drawing. In your pencil collection, you can use them side by side with the Faber Castell artist pencils. The Faber-Castell mechanical pencil has fine leads for sketching and drafting. These Faber Castell stylish pencils come in many different designer colors. They are precise like carpenter pencils, but as easy to use as the school pencils we all remember in art class.