I was really surprised to see that you are turning the pencil in stead of turning the sharpener. I learned that you have to let the sharpener to do the work and not the pencil? My favourite graphite pencils don’t see any sharpener. I use a knife to make the tip long and still firm. That helps me to have a ‘light hand’ somehow and it helps me to make a shade smoother without the lining, I mean. ☺️
@@Art_by_Nicole I did both. Turning the sharpener gets better results, but after doing this for a few hours, turning the pencil was much faster and easier
Hi Sarah, I have another question. I hope you will answer it. Which sharpener did very well with triangle grip on the pencil? Yesterday I received the Faber Castell black edition and the sharpening was hell not only for my hand but also for the poor pencil. The point broke twice 😭 I also tried the knife (usually for graphite) but the black wood isn’t smooth enough for the knife (and my hand 😅)
I'm a long-time colored pencil colorist. One thing I've learned about hand-held sharpeners...is to hold the pencil still and turn the sharpener (this mimics how the hand-crank models work). This GREATLY reduces breakage...even in Prismacolors. Try it!
Really surprised more artists don’t know this! It’s almost like the color pencil companies want us to over sharpen, break more leads, and have to buy more and more product 🤔🤨😂
Once I discovered how well any eyebrow pencil sharpener treats soft core pencils such as Prismacolor, I stopped seeking any other sharpening device. However the Tgaal looks like it produces very nice and versatile results with the multiple angles. For those who are having problems with core breakage, do try an eyebrow pencil sharpener, as it is designed to handle the delicate core of an eyebrow pencil.
Oh wow! Thanks for the tip. It works! I went and grabbed my Pat McGrath sharpeners (comes with all her lip or eye liners) and it make such a beautifully sharp point on my Prismacolor pencils! I have been using the Prismacolor sharpener and after about a month, it’s falling apart and doesn’t give me very sharp points. I was getting so frustrated with it. I am going to purchase a Tgaal as well, but this tip is a lifesaver. Thank you for sharing!
It’s funny how much makeup supplies are really good for art. But then you remember that makeup is literally art that we wear, so is makes so so much sense. First brushes, then mica powder, now the sharpeners!?!? Hidden high quality items in the makeup isles
Well, that was…. Exhausting? Fun? I’m not even sure! I’d love to hear your own experiences with these sharpeners or others. And if you enjoyed this, please check out my paper comparison video as well! ua-cam.com/video/JrSwJF-35FM/v-deo.html
and my nomination still didn't make the list the jakar hand crank which I am only just having replace the blade after 5years and it goes up against Hb graphite sticks, the ultimate test as it's takes hours to sharpen them to a fine point with a standard hand sharpener, and it also takes the wider caran dache driftwood
@@SarahRenaeClark well it will surprise if you ever get 1, it does bite into the wooded pencils for the best possible grip but like I said 5years against graphite sticks doesn't lie
I'm a Polychromos and Caran d'Ache Luminance girl, so my choices are limited. I've been using the Faber Castel sharpener forever, but I'm definitively going to look into other options. Thanks for making it easier for us! 💖
Hey Sarah, always thank you for your fantastic videos! 😍❤️Two tips on the T’gaal from a Japanese speaker: The Push Button is actually to push out the lead if it broke while sharpening and is stuck inside the sharpener. One other thing written in the manual is to always turn the setting back to “Closed” after you used the sharpener because it might not close anymore otherwise if you store it on another setting. Lots of love from Japan and keep going with your great content! ❤️❤️
Thank You, as I'm about to buy one of these in America. Just what I was looking for in a sharpener. Wish I could find an electric which could do the same.
hey there =) I have a question, does the blade on T'gaal sharpner gets dull after using it too much???? I feel like the more i use it the more it makes the wood on my pencil, rough or flakey.
So now what about the electric sharpeners? I use an Afmat for most all pencils and it seems to work very well. Prisma breakage has dropped considerably and it even sharpens the square Bruts very nicely.
@@SarahRenaeClarkelectric sharpeners will change your life! The speed at which it can sharpen, sharpening up to 300 pencils on a single charge (usb charge), the speed at which it gets done, the reduced breakage etc etc. definitely need to give it a go! I now hope my kids break their colouring pencils so I have the chance to sharpen them!
This is definitely the video I have been waiting to see. I have been trying to find a good sharpener especially for my prismacolors. So I have added the Dahle 133 and the T'Gaal to my Christmas wish list, which were the two I was interested in especially after watching this video. Thanks Sarah, I know this wasn't the easiest or the most fun video to make, but it is a huge help to those of us that can't afford to try all of the sharpeners.
@@SarahRenaeClark Yeah, I don't blame you. Even with as much colored pencil art as you do, I am not sure you need that many sharpeners lol. For now I use my handheld faber castell sharpener, it does better with my prismacolors than they prismacolor one, though I will say I have better luck with crayola's in the prismacolor sharpener so at least it is good for something lol. I just need to get a crank sharpener, the handheld ones are definitely hard on the hands when that is all you have. So maybe I will get lucky and get the dahle 133 or the look-a-like for Christmas haha. Thank you for doing this video though, it is a bit overwhelming sometimes to know which products to try.
My Tgal sharpener did not last long. I had to toss it, it didnt take the Derwent barrels and the dial didn't adjust for long. Maybe 30 sharpens and I had to toss it. Dollar store was better. I think there are duds from that brand. Electric works best for me. Great video!
Such a shame! A few people have said the same. Obviously the quality control isn’t the best. Mine has lasted for months and has been used a lot, although I’m coming close to buying a new one soon, because it still works but takes more effort than a new one. I might add a note on the blog about the quality control after all these comments!
I've had several t'gaals and I agree with Lindsay and also disagree🤪. I thought I'd just gotten bad ones but then why did I get ones that worked so well and lasted so long? So frankly I think its a toss up and obviously the company are not bothering with quality control. Sad as the ones that worked were great but in the end is it worth that risk?
i wish i'd seen this comment earlier, i had watched this video, and i thought the tgaal would fit a range of sizes (like derwents drawing, and CD luminance). the one i ordered just arrived and it only *just* fit my Albrecht Durers, but the openings kind of sharp and it scraped off the paint from the barrel in doing so, no not great for hex barrels or anything larger than round prisma. such a shame the adjustable point is a great idea but i'm back to the drawing board finding something for slightly larger pencils. not happy with the faber castell middle opening one, the colour hole is too small and the jumbo hole is too big for derwents, yet its not jumbo enough for koh i noor magic pencils . i had a Staedtler 2 Hole Barrel Sharpener just didn't last very long and was breaking my derwent drawing leads off but i may have to go back to them as they actually fit ok
@@jellibat If this helps I have quite a few sharpeners and I’m a pencil addict so I decided to get the Brutfuner square ones at a fabulous price on Alibaba recently but found that some sharpeners were taking off the outer wood with my larger pencils and the new Brutfuners inc Albrecht Durers and Pablo’s but the one sharpener that has been fabulous for me has been the Staedtler Mars mechanical pencil sharpener not the hand held 2 hole. It is more costly but has also lasted years and all my pencils are safe from being scratched. JMHO😊
I just gifted a 120 Arteza Expert set and a 33 Arteza Drawing set to my girlfriend for her birthday and she loved it. she's a beginner hobbyist and from your reviews I was convinced they would be a better option than the Prismacolor Premier. I also convinced her to buy a Kutsuwa T'Gaal pencil sharpener. thank you so much for the reviews.
will you ever try battery-operated/electric sharpeners? I use Derwent's battery operated multi-hole model . It has 5 holes, 4 in graduated sizes, and 1 that makes a long point. It fits on my desk nicely
I bought a little M+R brass round sharpener and love it. Though it was a 15 dollar sharpener, it was so worth it. I got a lot less breaking. Use it mostly on castle art and prismatic scholars and does great . the blades are replaceable and are only 7 dollars for 12 and are super easy to replace. I have had it for a year and just replaced the blade for the first time. Great investment for mid softness pencils.
Right on! I bought a double hole one for my polychromos like 10 years ago. Every now and then change the blade and clean it with brasso....looks and feels brand new. Brass Dux, M + R, and magnesium KUMs are the best IMO. Those german brands are stupid high in so many places.
Thank you so much for this. Being on a limited budget, I have to be careful what I spend where. This means instead of going through tons of sharpeners that don't work, I can just focus on the one that does what I need. SO much
Phenomenal review, Sarah! Thank you for saving me time and money with testing sharpeners. I’ve found that my Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils are the most difficult of my pencils to find a good sharpener for, so I have to plug the one thing that Faber-Castell did right. They have a barebones metal double-hole sharpener, model FC185710, that you can buy from Jackson’s Art, and it is the only sharpener that I own that works well with the Albrecht Durer. The key is to use the “Normal” hole instead of the “Color” hole for a long sharp point with that pencil in the metal sharpener. My Prismacolors also work well in that sharpener. But my Polychromos and Goldfaber pencils, oddly enough, sharpen phenomenally with a Fiskars sharpener that is common during back-to-school at big box stores. Nevertheless, thanks to your review, I’ll be grabbing the Dahle 133 that has been sitting in my Amazon cart for a while!
I went on a shopping spree after watching your video getting the tgaal and the dalee 133 crank sharpner. You are absolutely spot on with your review! I also ordered a more expensive auto stop electric sharpner in addition. And switching between the three I am now able to sharpen 40 year old pencils from the time where I was a little kid and it works like a charm! Before that most of these very old colored pencils used to break when trying to sharpen them with other sharpeners. Now I can finally use them again after 40 years 😁.
Missed out on the Caran D’ache honestly it’s the best thing you’ll ever purchase. If my house was on fire I’d race back and get it that’s how good it is
I have used a crank sharpener for yrs that is bolted to the wall in my basement where my art room is located but after my knee injury I've had to start using a hand held sharpener. The frustration of buying replacement blades for certain types of sharpener I thought I had to just having a sharpener that was rubbish I went on the hunt and I looked around and found the M + R Bullet and package of 10 replacement blades. I was so glad to see you were happy with it as mine will be arriving in another week so I had to laugh when you remarked how long it took to arrive as I'm in Ontario Canada. Just recently subscribed to you and love your videos
i'm so glad someone took the time , money and effort to do this . i thought my dahle was to blame for not being reliable with the automatic stop thingy . thanks to you now i know better . very informative and fun . thanks a lot .
I once bought a Dahle sharpening machine to sharpen pencils in different ways, but found that the angle is always the same and that there were only very pointed and flattened points. I wanted to have different angles and the flattened tip actually bothered me and paying multiple times more for it than a normal sharpener was not worth it for me and I later bought two short cone sharpeners in the artist's shop. I use the short cone sharpeners regularly, and the sharpening machine has been in my closet for years. I was actually just looking for a sharpener where my Derwent pencils fit well for many sharpeners that are too thick and too narrow for Jumbo. Furthermore, I mostly use a DUX sharpener with the sharpener attached to the can with screws, as a child I often had the problem when the sharpener had become a bit blunt, and I had no other that I pressed the sharpener into the can because I tried to have to balance the dullness with pressure. I also broke some sharpeners because they fell on the floor at school when we were changing rooms.
I was surprised when I first realized that the crank sharpeners didn’t actually change the angle, because everyone raves about the option for different lengths they offer. But length isnt as important to me as the angle, because that allows the sharp point at ANY length.
Thank you Sarah. All that effort to help us choose a quality sharpener. I came back a couple of days after watching to review your recommendations before ordering. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for this painstaking exercise. I have been using Dahle 133 for over a year (bought it at USD11) and to date, its performance still impresses me. Not only it can handle pencils of different width/girth, it gives the smoothest wood finish--try sharpening a Crayola with a generic hand-held, and you'll see what I mean. But when my pencils get to about 4 inches, I can no longer use a hand crank sharpener. Then I will switch to the KUM 4-in-1 (love it also) and subsequently the M+R (I also have the "bullet" model).
my favorite hand held is the red kum long point but the compartment has come off lol and I do need to replace the blades soon! Yes blades in the Kum line are replaceable! Another factor to look into getting this sharpener. My favorite desk hand crank is the Dahl 133 and I just got an Afmat not that long ago on the recommendation of Colorfully Optimistic. I do need to try the TGall though.
a few tipps... there is a function with the Google translate app to use your camera for real time translation (did that with my tgaal sharpener instructions, which didn't last long).. leads (haha) me to the next tipp here.. Faber Castell says EVERY sharpener is dead after sharpening about 12 pencils, so it's not just important which one to buy, also when to buy a new one (or new blades).. several other tipps I've learned for less breakage: freeze the pencils before, twist the sharpener, NOT the pencil and also don't use too much pressure.. hope this will be helpful for someone, it was a great video in terms of seeing what kind of sharpener I might personally like =) mighty buy the dahle and a set aspara! :) greets from the pencil and sharpener country Germany xD
You definitely got me back into colored pencil art that was the first medium I started with pretty-much and I have mountains and mountains of colored pencils thanks for all the good tutorials
I love how informative your videos are, But on a unrelated note, you are adorable! I could watch you fumble with sharpeners, or with speaking Italian, all day long!!Thanks for the info and for the smiles :)
This was very helpful! I just got the Uni and I'm glad you agree it isn't a bad one to get! Haha. I hope that your hands are feeling better. Your willingness to go through this is much appreciated.
Maybe I got a bad t’gall sharpener both time but the ones I had ate up my prisma pencils and kept breaking the lead and I’d have to dig it out of the blade. I wanted to like it so much because it worked great the 1st few times I used it but then it would break.I have the Carl angel crank sharpener and I love it. Maybe you should do electrical ones next. I have the rechargeable Tihoo it’s really good and I haven’t had any problems with it eating up my pencils. Thanks for all the work you put into this video. I know your hand had to be hurting from all that pencil sharpening.
I have since heard from other comments that the quality control on Tgaal isn’t always the same. I’ll be interested to see what I get when I eventually replace mine. I’ll be including this note in the blog!
Both good choices- the Dahle is probably more reliable, since I’ve heard a lot of people have had quality control issues with T-Gaal. Personally, I use both a lot, but my T-gaal slightly more with the Prismas.
I received the Derwent Mini Superpoint as a gift last year, and it is potentially the best art related present I've received. I have poor dexterity and for years, struggled to sharpen pencils with a handheld sharpener. I dreaded having to sharpen pencils so much, that I would hold off until my pencils were so blunt they were practically unusable. By the looks of your review, there are better crank sharpeners out there, but I've become particularly attached to the Derwent Mini because of how much it helped me. I'm not particularly bothered about the bite marks and find it very easy to use. I have only encountered one problem with it so far (I don't know if this is for cranks in general or just this one), but once a pencil lead got stuck inside (my fault not the sharpener's, since I suspected the core was broken on the inside), and it was pain to get out. I had to get a screwdriver and partially dismantle it int order to get the lead out.
I found the Derwent to be the hardest to turn out of all the cranks, even as a brand new sharpener compared to the others I’ve been using for a while now. So it might be worth considering trying another, they do seem to be easier on the hands! But if you’re happy and it works, great!
Also, you should be able to pull the blade out by turning the handle BASE counterclockwise. Then I found the easiest way to clean or remove fragments of pencil is with something like an old toothbrush. No need to unscrew anything
@@SarahRenaeClark Yeah, I was surprised when you said the Derwent was harder to use, because I'm finding it a breeze. It's hard to compare when haven't tried any others. Potential possibility that the Mini is easier to use than the desktop version, but that's probably unlikely. I could always try a different brand if this one ever gives, but being from the UK, I like supporting a British business.
@@SarahRenaeClark Thanks, if something like that happens again, then I shall try to remember that. BTW, now I've been watching your videos for a short while now, so I thought it was time to subscribe; thanks for all your great videos 🤗
I love how detailed you get with these reviews. There are usually so many questions still unanswered after watching a youtube review - at least concerning what I really want to know, apparently. You covered everything I thought I'd want to know *and* in less time than I'd honestly expected for the amount of detail. Fantastic job =)
Never had one of these fancy crank or electric sharpeners in my life so I might not know what I’m missing out. But I just expanded my sharpeners with “The Masterpiece”. Because I had none that it is able to create a long tip. If not my drawing that way at least the sharpener is a masterpiece 😏 The other members of the Squad are the blue-silver Staedtler, the Prismacolor (I agree it is a bit tricky at the beginning to piece it together again after cleaning, but I’m more worried about the somewhat fragile lid) as well as my short tip Specialist sharpener. That little guy came in my Pack of Faber-Castell classic. That is kind of my combat medic. When the others fail, it is his turn to bring the pencil back to life. And it rarely disappointed me so far
I like the KUM Automatic Long Point and the cheaper KUM Longpoint, more than the Masterpiece! The KUM Longpoint, costs around 0.60 to 0.70 euros, less than a dollar or 1 Euro!!! However, it performs perfectly and comes with 2 extra blades too!! Simple, cheap, very effective, lightweight (lightest sharpener I ever had) thus easy to carry! Then the Auromatic Long point, which also has some extra blades AND 2mm and 3.15mm lead sharpeners for your lead holders like Faber Castell TK 9400 or TK 4600 etc. These 2 are the best sharpeners I ever had!
That’s some serious dedication to your channel. Thank you, your reviews are very good, informative, creative, and entertaining!! . And your artwork has me inspired, you are very talent young woman. Keep it up , I’m buying a few of these sharpeners!
My personal favorite handheld sharpener is the Toolsand Straight Blade Pencil Sharpener. It can run on battery as well (it comes with two), and comes with an extra blade just in case. I've been using mine for years, and only replace the blade every few months or so. It won't adjust the angle of the pencil, but it does really well on giving a sharp point.
Hi there, I'm in NZ and have another version of the Dahle 133, here it's called KW-Trio, but you've got to get the one with the white button to fit the Brutfuner squares. It does leave a mark on your pencils sometimes. But I love it anyway
I’d be interested in what would have been good for pastel pencils…. Apart from a craft blade and bandages what would work for them ? Have an electric xacto… monster which is great for most pencils. Auto stop (auto mulch) haven’t found one yet. Three twists on most mechanicals is enough. And about 1 second in the xacto. Thanks for a great video!
I used my pastels in a few of these, but the company told me not to, because the pastels will blunt the blades really quickly. As a pastel newbie, I’m not really sure yet! But I’ll keep an eye out as I keep exploring my pastel pencils too
I'm not sure I needed to watch this, I don't even use coloured oencils, I just like you and your energy and it's incredibly easy to watch. I feel really unwell right now and this video is just very soothing 😆
The M&R circle, bullet, and grenade all work well. I use the Koh I Noor 9095 sharpener. It has rubber grips, and won’t damage your pencils. I can handle all sizes well. It looks like a camera too.
I personally love my Twist-N-Sharp by Biscotti because it doesn't hurt my hands, it's gentle enough on my pencils, and it gives me the option of a blunt end. It's not the absolute best but I really like the twist function because I have carpal tunnel and it doesn't hurt my hands.
The desk clamp is a MUST when using crank type.. prevents the auto stop from malfunctioning ! I wish you tried the Staedtler Mars 501 Rotary pencil sharpener.. it's the gamechanger
"...do not let me know in the comments because I am not doing this again." haha!! I'm sure I would've felt the same way. This was super informative though, thank you! I think I've only tried the tgaal out of all these sharpeners and I love it, so it's awesome that it scored so high with your tests! Definitely want a crank sharpener eventually though.
i just have a cheap 3 quid crank sharpener from lidls that works perfectly. if coloured pencil clogs the blades i just put a graphite pencil through it and it cleans them
I have a love-hate relationship with the TGall. My first one (blue) was awesome and I loved it, but when it was getting a bit old I decided to buy 2 more. My newer ones (clear) don't seem to work nearly as well. On one the point adjuster never really worked. The other one breaks the lead more frequently than my first one. I'm tempted to get a 4th one and get another blue one in case it's the color that is the problem but haven't yet.
Great video! I love the Dahle 133 and found that, the way I have it set, I just crank it 10-12 times and then done. Seems to work well. I need a good handheld, so I'm gonna head to Amazon. Thanks Sarah!
Awesome video. Sharpeners have been my nemesis. I loved the Dahle 133 until it just stopped working and the price of it has gone up over the past few months so it's hard to justify buying another. Was interesting to see your thoughts and experiences with all of these!
Just stopped working? I'm curious about what happened. The most likely thing to go wrong with the Dahle is the plastic guide arm thingies breaking. The helical cutter gear meshes with a plastic gear, so that could wear out too. It's not just jammed up with a broken pencil core is it? I've heard that's not uncommon, and should be possible to clear out without too much trouble.
Mine stopped working and I found it was a core jammed inside. A quick clean and it worked again. Otherwise, I noticed they have a lifetime warranty on their website, excluding the blade (but you can buy replacement blades) - so that’s another way to get it replaced/repaired at a much lower cost!
Nowadays, with my hand held sharpeners, I just buy the ones that can take the KUM or M+R blades and I replace the blades with those. The Prismacolor takes those blades so I've been using those blades in it. It makes such a huge difference in the results you get, and a nice sharp blade breaks fewer cores and you get really nice and smooth pencil shaving ribbons
I use Faber-Castell trio grip (I have 2 of them). What people maybe don't know is that on the first one it is written on the one hole side "Color Grip" and on the other side "Universal". As we know, Color Grip is a serie of Faber-Castell ✏️. On the second sharpener, which I bought some months later, it is now respectively written "Color" (one hole side) and on the 2 holes side: "Jumbo" (on top of the big hole) and "Graphite" (on top of the second hole). But usage of both sharpeners is the same. What I find practice is that if you have breakable ✏️ (maybe because it falls down or simply because of the bad quality) you can use the "Color" side to reduce the length of the point. The disadvantage is that you have to sharpen your ✏️ more often. Have a nice day all of you and thank you for your useful videos "Sarah Laboratory" 😉
Hi! I have the Derwent Crank sharpener, but it doesn’t work on soft pencils like charcoal and carbon. It breaks the lead. I’ve had great difficulty finding a sharpener that works with softer pencils like charcoal and carbon. The Derwent works well for graphite and coloured pencils. :)
I am using cheap colored pencils as I am trying to decided if CP's are for me. They have been breaking much to my frustration. My Kutsuwa Stad T'Gaal Pencil Sharpener came today and boy what a difference! I hope this tool holds up to time and use. Thank you so much for all your research!
Absolutely insanely useful video. I discovered the teegal because of you and it’s my go-to. I wanted to ask what would be your recommendation similar to the teegal but for thicker pencils (like the derwent coloursoft). I know you mention this in the video but it was unclear which one would be the best among the options.
Just a fun fact about the Kum 2 step, the... Red one. They usually come with replacement blades. I used mine for an eternity before realising. I have two and somehow even lost the replacements on one of them, because I didn't know about them and must have accidentally thrown them out with the shavings. It is very cool for longevity reasons. But can also be a bit of a safety concern.
That you so much for making this video! I’m sorry you had more stress making it, but it was so awesome and helpful! I’m not the artist. I have a family member on the spectrum who spends all day coloring and drawing with colored pencils and deserves getting top notch tools. These reviews help me help an amazing artist. Your efforts make a difference!!
I agree, the last thing they should have to deal with is frustrating tools when all they want to do is create. You sound like an amazing friend to your family member, very, very kind and thoughtful. 🥰
I read the K'zool instructions on Amazon with Google Translate's scan feature. The button on the top of the K'zool is meant to push out any cores that break off inside the razor hole thing. I haven't tried it, though
Have the Brass Bullet, chose it because it looked good, had no idea of the reputation. Just ordered the BlackWing Long Point and the Høst, can’t wait to try them!!!!
15:50 Bite marks on pencils is one thing that always bothered me with the (expensive) Caran d’Ache crank sharpeners at school here in Switzerland. That and kids not knowing what the sharpness knob on the back does, so they were often set to not-very-sharp. :/
I just discovered the iBall Westcott and bought two. One is standard and the other sharpens to a needle point, even when I only put the pencil partway in. I'm going to be trying a new brand, Taskbiiz, which was recommended by my colored pencil guru. Both of these are battery operated; the Taskbiiz is rechargeable. So many choices, so little time...I am still looking and hoping for the perfect sharpener. BTW, try the pencil plane from Maker's Cabinet. They only have a few products, but each is a work of art and wonderfully well made. The plane has a steep learning curve but is great fun.
My desktop/crank sharpener is an X-acto. It looks like your garden variety school sharpener, the kind that they attach to the wall. But mine sticks down by suction (very well, as long as the surface is nonporous and smooth) and it has a locking rotating wheel in front where you can change the hole size for pencil diameter. There are 8 holes that go from the smallest which looks too small even for a lipliner (can't imagine what it's for), up to a hole that looks like blackboard chalk would easily fit in. Yeah, I don't use it a lot because the pencil points do seem extremely long once sharpened, and I use prismacolors. But it works really well.
Incredible review. The best. I watched over 30 reviews, trying to find good explanations for a lot of questions. They are all summed up here! Good job, wow!
We grew using Apsara pencils & sharpeners. Another nostalgic brand is Nataraj. Nataraj pencils are still recommended by school teachers for their young students.
great Video again Sarah :) I use the Dahl 133 def confused me at first but Pamela's passion for pencils had a youtube video on using it which was super helpful , the other I use is the caran d'ache 2 hole metal sharpener but not often , Prismacolor sharpener destroys pencils ! and I used to like my faber castell one but it got annoying in the end :)
My first was also the Faber Castel sharpener. I am not happy with it. I recently bough5 the Prismacolor foe my Prismacolor pencils and it chewed up few pencils. Not happy with either at all. TYSVM got this video and your blog post. I am in desperate need of a new sharpener ASAP!!!!
I know I’m super late, but I bought the Dahle 133 and wow it’s amazing. Seems like it doesn’t matter if some of my prisma cores are off center anymore since they all sharpen to a nice point with the Dahle
I have to pause and say: new sub here, your artwork is amazing and the production quality is top tier! Wish you 1M subs and more. This is so entertaining and at the same time so informative. Love the hard work your channel puts into the videos. Much 💕
Well, yeah... here is my opinion :) When I use expensive pencil, I don't like to sharpen it, because if you have a sharp core, you have a ton of wasted core as well. If you rotate the pencil continuously, you can always find some semi-sharp part to use. Of course, it is hard to draw the very fine details exactly where you want, but otherwise it is good enough. I would like to see a pencil manufacturer, who makes a super set with different core width for each colour. My idea is to have e.g. 1.4mm, 3.2mm and 5.6mm cores, which can be more and more blunt when you use it, and you don't waste small diameter pencil when you need to colour big areas. E.g.: Prismacolor Soft Core and Prismacolor Verithin (Very thin? :D 2mm core, the thinnest I have) Regarding the sharpeners: Blade sharpeners I don't like them even if they are in some machine, so you don't have to rotate the pencil with your hand. They tend to break the core in the very last moment, when you think, that one small rotation, and you are done. However, here is a tip: if the blade is sharp, but it breaks your pencils, you may want to put one-two pieces of paper under the blade. I did this with one of my chinese sharpeners, and when the blade had to remove only a tiny amount of wood, it suddenly worked perfectly. Helical blade sharpeners (the ones with the gear like blades) Even the cheapest, simplest one is making better work for me than the previously mentioned simple sharpeners. Fragile Prismacolor? No problem. The only part what can be wrong is how it fixes the pencil into the sharpener. Can be very fiddly. If it does not want to stop, then maybe the springs on the tensioner are too strong, and continuously break the end of the pencil, or the stopper is too small? Maybe, it is worth to disassemble and check if you can glue something there to stop the pencil. I bought several of these sharpeners, and modified them to live part of the pencil alone, so I can almost perfectly shave the wood around the core with them.
Myself I like the Prisma with the two different angles. The one complaint I have about all manual pencil sharpeners is normally you can not get the blades out to either replace the blades or hone them. If I were to be designing a high quality manual pencil sharpener. I would use the replaceable blades we see in utility knifes. Gets dull. Flip the it around. Next time it gets dull replace it.
I love my Kum sharpeners, never fails and sharpens beautifully. I also have an electric AFMAT horizontal sharpener that works great, sharpens great and is fast (and does not waste pencil). I have heard good things about the Dahle and TGAL, in the short term, but have heard that it doesn't last as it is not well made, but you said you've been using yours for months and still going strong. I'd love to see how these hold up after a year or more.
I have used mine pretty heavily for the past 6-7 months on multiple sets of new pencils, and I think my Tgaal FINALLY at the point of not working as well as it used to. But you can see it still produced a great point in this video, it was just more effort than when it was new.
A year later and today I just received a FaberCastell hand-crank sharpener. It has just 3 features, first let me explain that it’s different from the Dahle 133 in that you just stick the pencil in, there’s no using two levers to open and close the hole. There is a knob to choose the type of tip you need and a little switch to open the container to empty it. I’m blown away. I got curious after watching a video of an artist who had the longest tips I’d ever seen on a pencil. She made a video showing the sharpener used, which was just too expensive in my opinion and wallet to sharpen pencils. I found this sharpener on Aliexpress for about $16. It works like a dream!
An observation about long points versus short points and automatic stops. I use hex wooden graphite core pencils almost exclusively at work. I use an electric sharpener that has a stellar automatic stop - it doesn't stop the motor, it just stops cutting - the points are dart sharp. I've measured the overall length before and after sharpening - from unsharpened to sharp and blunt from use to sharp. The sharpener doesn't reduce the overall length - it just removes material around the point cone until the point is sharp. The net result is that the shortening of the pencil comes only from using the point. An observation that goes with this is that the sharper points wear down faster than the blunt points. If I were to grade pencil sharpeners, I would include this type of measurement especially with automatic stop or brake types. I don't think I'm wasting core if the only reduction in overall length comes from actual use and not from sharpening. My choice of the electric sharpener I use comes from how well it creates a point and how well it stops cutting at exactly the right time. Thanks for the great video.
I like the prismacolor sharpener I keep the prismacolor premier pencils lead short like they come in the box and I haven't had any breakage and they don't crumble as much plus I feel. Like I'm wasting less pencil. The lid and barrel do have indicators on them where the fit together but they should have painted them white to make them stand out.
Hi Sarah - love this, I’d always been told with the handheld sharpeners to hold the pencil still, and rotate the sharpener, but noticed you were doing it the other way, did you try both to see if it made a difference?
A while back, I ordered a t-gaal sharpener from third party Amazon and they accidentally sent me a big set of Kuretaki gansai tambi paints instead. I contacted them and was told to keep them and did I want them to send the sharpener as well? Because they were so generous, I said no and then I didn't get around to ordering another. More recently, I got a Kum sharpener for long points. It's great, but ideally I would prefer to have just the wood shaved away. I now use a knife to sharpen and I love that there is zero waste of pigment core.
Great camera work. Props to Shane. Thanks for risking your fingers in testing sharpeners for us, and taking the time for this too. It's not something a general user would do. You tend to just either curse the sharpener or pencil. If you're lucky you end up with a tried and true favourite.
Coloring is one of my hobbies. I just found your channel. I have been using a Fiskars dual width sharpener on the go for years. My homeschool kids use a corded Orbit electric that has lasted for years.
Thanks for the video! I bought a T’GAAL on your recommendation and I love it. I also use prismacolors and was just wondering what is your “go to” number to use on the sharpeners wheel?
WATCH NEXT: I Tried EVERY White Pen: ua-cam.com/video/jRZysztWwpQ/v-deo.html
Here in India Apsara Sharpeners cost less than a dollar for 10 of em
I was really surprised to see that you are turning the pencil in stead of turning the sharpener. I learned that you have to let the sharpener to do the work and not the pencil?
My favourite graphite pencils don’t see any sharpener. I use a knife to make the tip long and still firm. That helps me to have a ‘light hand’ somehow and it helps me to make a shade smoother without the lining, I mean. ☺️
@@Art_by_Nicole I did both. Turning the sharpener gets better results, but after doing this for a few hours, turning the pencil was much faster and easier
@@SarahRenaeClark Ah, I see. That makes sense 😂
Hi Sarah, I have another question. I hope you will answer it. Which sharpener did very well with triangle grip on the pencil? Yesterday I received the Faber Castell black edition and the sharpening was hell not only for my hand but also for the poor pencil. The point broke twice 😭 I also tried the knife (usually for graphite) but the black wood isn’t smooth enough for the knife (and my hand 😅)
I'm a long-time colored pencil colorist. One thing I've learned about hand-held sharpeners...is to hold the pencil still and turn the sharpener (this mimics how the hand-crank models work). This GREATLY reduces breakage...even in Prismacolors. Try it!
Oh good tip I will try it!
Really surprised more artists don’t know this! It’s almost like the color pencil companies want us to over sharpen, break more leads, and have to buy more and more product 🤔🤨😂
@Jean Claude Peeters that’s such a clever way of putting it!
I will try it!
Thanks
Once I discovered how well any eyebrow pencil sharpener treats soft core pencils such as Prismacolor, I stopped seeking any other sharpening device. However the Tgaal looks like it produces very nice and versatile results with the multiple angles.
For those who are having problems with core breakage, do try an eyebrow pencil sharpener, as it is designed to handle the delicate core of an eyebrow pencil.
Thank you for your tip about the eyebrow pencil sharpener it makes a lot of sense I will try it
Realmente funciona, uso aqui com os lápis mais macios❤️
Thanks but what brand to choose? I bet not all of them woud work properly. Can you suggest the best you' ve tried? Thanks in advance
Oh wow! Thanks for the tip. It works! I went and grabbed my Pat McGrath sharpeners (comes with all her lip or eye liners) and it make such a beautifully sharp point on my Prismacolor pencils! I have been using the Prismacolor sharpener and after about a month, it’s falling apart and doesn’t give me very sharp points. I was getting so frustrated with it. I am going to purchase a Tgaal as well, but this tip is a lifesaver. Thank you for sharing!
It’s funny how much makeup supplies are really good for art. But then you remember that makeup is literally art that we wear, so is makes so so much sense. First brushes, then mica powder, now the sharpeners!?!? Hidden high quality items in the makeup isles
Well, that was…. Exhausting? Fun? I’m not even sure!
I’d love to hear your own experiences with these sharpeners or others.
And if you enjoyed this, please check out my paper comparison video as well! ua-cam.com/video/JrSwJF-35FM/v-deo.html
and my nomination still didn't make the list
the jakar hand crank
which I am only just having replace the blade after 5years
and it goes up against Hb graphite sticks, the ultimate test
as it's takes hours to sharpen them to a fine point with a standard hand sharpener, and it also takes the wider caran dache driftwood
@@snakedaemongaming6590 that was one I tried to get, but I had issues with deliveries and it just didn’t happen! It was on my original list!
@@SarahRenaeClark well it will surprise if you ever get 1, it does bite into the wooded pencils for the best possible grip but like I said 5years against graphite sticks doesn't lie
The T’GAAL is my favorite as well! I feel like it’s preserving the life of my pencils💚🇯🇵
I'm a Polychromos and Caran d'Ache Luminance girl, so my choices are limited. I've been using the Faber Castel sharpener forever, but I'm definitively going to look into other options. Thanks for making it easier for us! 💖
Hey Sarah, always thank you for your fantastic videos! 😍❤️Two tips on the T’gaal from a Japanese speaker: The Push Button is actually to push out the lead if it broke while sharpening and is stuck inside the sharpener. One other thing written in the manual is to always turn the setting back to “Closed” after you used the sharpener because it might not close anymore otherwise if you store it on another setting. Lots of love from Japan and keep going with your great content! ❤️❤️
Thank you, thank you
So helpful, thank you!
Thank you for the info. I've always wondered why sharpener makers didn't do something to push out the lead if it's stuck inside the sharpener.
Thank You, as I'm about to buy one of these in America. Just what I was looking for in a sharpener. Wish I could find an electric which could do the same.
hey there =) I have a question, does the blade on T'gaal sharpner gets dull after using it too much???? I feel like the more i use it the more it makes the wood on my pencil, rough or flakey.
I bought the Dahle 133 6 months ago and have not had any broken leads. This has been a real game changer. Thank you for all your research, great video
I bought it a few years ago and used other Dahle sharpeners since over 40 years. They never disappointed me.
So now what about the electric sharpeners? I use an Afmat for most all pencils and it seems to work very well. Prisma breakage has dropped considerably and it even sharpens the square Bruts very nicely.
I haven’t tried them!
@@SarahRenaeClark… yet?!
@@SarahRenaeClarkelectric sharpeners will change your life! The speed at which it can sharpen, sharpening up to 300 pencils on a single charge (usb charge), the speed at which it gets done, the reduced breakage etc etc. definitely need to give it a go! I now hope my kids break their colouring pencils so I have the chance to sharpen them!
Which afmat sharpener. There are several on amazon
This is definitely the video I have been waiting to see. I have been trying to find a good sharpener especially for my prismacolors. So I have added the Dahle 133 and the T'Gaal to my Christmas wish list, which were the two I was interested in especially after watching this video. Thanks Sarah, I know this wasn't the easiest or the most fun video to make, but it is a huge help to those of us that can't afford to try all of the sharpeners.
They are the 2 that I’ll be buying again, for sure. Even with all these sharpeners, I’ll probably give a lot away and keep using those 2 the most!
@@SarahRenaeClark Yeah, I don't blame you. Even with as much colored pencil art as you do, I am not sure you need that many sharpeners lol. For now I use my handheld faber castell sharpener, it does better with my prismacolors than they prismacolor one, though I will say I have better luck with crayola's in the prismacolor sharpener so at least it is good for something lol. I just need to get a crank sharpener, the handheld ones are definitely hard on the hands when that is all you have. So maybe I will get lucky and get the dahle 133 or the look-a-like for Christmas haha. Thank you for doing this video though, it is a bit overwhelming sometimes to know which products to try.
My prismacolour sharpener works well for my Derwent Procolour pencils.
My Tgal sharpener did not last long. I had to toss it, it didnt take the Derwent barrels and the dial didn't adjust for long. Maybe 30 sharpens and I had to toss it. Dollar store was better. I think there are duds from that brand. Electric works best for me. Great video!
Such a shame! A few people have said the same. Obviously the quality control isn’t the best. Mine has lasted for months and has been used a lot, although I’m coming close to buying a new one soon, because it still works but takes more effort than a new one.
I might add a note on the blog about the quality control after all these comments!
I've had several t'gaals and I agree with Lindsay and also disagree🤪. I thought I'd just gotten bad ones but then why did I get ones that worked so well and lasted so long? So frankly I think its a toss up and obviously the company are not bothering with quality control. Sad as the ones that worked were great but in the end is it worth that risk?
Me too...I had read such good things about the TGaal and was quite disappointed. Plus it fell apart about one week after I got it..:(
i wish i'd seen this comment earlier, i had watched this video, and i thought the tgaal would fit a range of sizes (like derwents drawing, and CD luminance). the one i ordered just arrived and it only *just* fit my Albrecht Durers, but the openings kind of sharp and it scraped off the paint from the barrel in doing so, no not great for hex barrels or anything larger than round prisma. such a shame the adjustable point is a great idea but i'm back to the drawing board finding something for slightly larger pencils.
not happy with the faber castell middle opening one, the colour hole is too small and the jumbo hole is too big for derwents, yet its not jumbo enough for koh i noor magic pencils .
i had a Staedtler 2 Hole Barrel Sharpener just didn't last very long and was breaking my derwent drawing leads off but i may have to go back to them as they actually fit ok
@@jellibat If this helps I have quite a few sharpeners and I’m a pencil addict so I decided to get the Brutfuner square ones at a fabulous price on Alibaba recently but found that some sharpeners were taking off the outer wood with my larger pencils and the new Brutfuners inc Albrecht Durers and Pablo’s but the one sharpener that has been fabulous for me has been the Staedtler Mars mechanical pencil sharpener not the hand held 2 hole.
It is more costly but has also lasted years and all my pencils are safe from being scratched. JMHO😊
I just gifted a 120 Arteza Expert set and a 33 Arteza Drawing set to my girlfriend for her birthday and she loved it. she's a beginner hobbyist and from your reviews I was convinced they would be a better option than the Prismacolor Premier. I also convinced her to buy a Kutsuwa T'Gaal pencil sharpener. thank you so much for the reviews.
This was a joy to watch!
Wow, your Italian pronunciation is ON POINT! Point… Fitting 😎😂
Thank you! I spent 10 months in Italy when I was a teenager, although I haven’t spoken much Italian since. I got caught out on “malfunzionalmente” 😂
will you ever try battery-operated/electric sharpeners? I use Derwent's battery operated multi-hole model . It has 5 holes, 4 in graduated sizes, and 1 that makes a long point. It fits on my desk nicely
Maybe!
I bought a little M+R brass round sharpener and love it. Though it was a 15 dollar sharpener, it was so worth it. I got a lot less breaking. Use it mostly on castle art and prismatic scholars and does great . the blades are replaceable and are only 7 dollars for 12 and are super easy to replace. I have had it for a year and just replaced the blade for the first time. Great investment for mid softness pencils.
Right on! I bought a double hole one for my polychromos like 10 years ago. Every now and then change the blade and clean it with brasso....looks and feels brand new. Brass Dux, M + R, and magnesium KUMs are the best IMO. Those german brands are stupid high in so many places.
I've been using my electric X-ACTO School Pro for years to sharpen my Prismacolors and other pencils. Definitely my favorite.
This is such an intense video XD thanks for taking one for the team!!
Thank you so much for this. Being on a limited budget, I have to be careful what I spend where. This means instead of going through tons of sharpeners that don't work, I can just focus on the one that does what I need. SO much
Phenomenal review, Sarah! Thank you for saving me time and money with testing sharpeners. I’ve found that my Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils are the most difficult of my pencils to find a good sharpener for, so I have to plug the one thing that Faber-Castell did right. They have a barebones metal double-hole sharpener, model FC185710, that you can buy from Jackson’s Art, and it is the only sharpener that I own that works well with the Albrecht Durer. The key is to use the “Normal” hole instead of the “Color” hole for a long sharp point with that pencil in the metal sharpener. My Prismacolors also work well in that sharpener. But my Polychromos and Goldfaber pencils, oddly enough, sharpen phenomenally with a Fiskars sharpener that is common during back-to-school at big box stores. Nevertheless, thanks to your review, I’ll be grabbing the Dahle 133 that has been sitting in my Amazon cart for a while!
I went on a shopping spree after watching your video getting the tgaal and the dalee 133 crank sharpner. You are absolutely spot on with your review! I also ordered a more expensive auto stop electric sharpner in addition. And switching between the three I am now able to sharpen 40 year old pencils from the time where I was a little kid and it works like a charm! Before that most of these very old colored pencils used to break when trying to sharpen them with other sharpeners. Now I can finally use them again after 40 years 😁.
Missed out on the Caran D’ache honestly it’s the best thing you’ll ever purchase. If my house was on fire I’d race back and get it that’s how good it is
The expensive one? Or is there another one?
When I was growing up, every elementary school in Switzerland had these, so robust and precise.
@@SarahRenaeClark 2 years too late - sorry didn’t realise you replied ! The expensive one. Still my favourite purchase 😅
I have used a crank sharpener for yrs that is bolted to the wall in my basement where my art room is located but after my knee injury I've had to start using a hand held sharpener. The frustration of buying replacement blades for certain types of sharpener I thought I had to just having a sharpener that was rubbish I went on the hunt and I looked around and found the M + R Bullet and package of 10 replacement blades. I was so glad to see you were happy with it as mine will be arriving in another week so I had to laugh when you remarked how long it took to arrive as I'm in Ontario Canada. Just recently subscribed to you and love your videos
i'm so glad someone took the time , money and effort to do this .
i thought my dahle was to blame for not being reliable with the automatic stop thingy .
thanks to you now i know better .
very informative and fun . thanks a lot .
I’m not sure why they don’t always stop, but they ALL seem to do it! I’ve learned to stop if it feels like I’ve turned it more than usual.
I once bought a Dahle sharpening machine to sharpen pencils in different ways, but found that the angle is always the same and that there were only very pointed and flattened points.
I wanted to have different angles and the flattened tip actually bothered me and paying multiple times more for it than a normal sharpener was not worth it for me and I later bought two short cone sharpeners in the artist's shop.
I use the short cone sharpeners regularly, and the sharpening machine has been in my closet for years.
I was actually just looking for a sharpener where my Derwent pencils fit well for many sharpeners that are too thick and too narrow for Jumbo.
Furthermore, I mostly use a DUX sharpener with the sharpener attached to the can with screws,
as a child I often had the problem when the sharpener had become a bit blunt,
and I had no other that I pressed the sharpener into the can because I tried to have to balance the dullness with pressure.
I also broke some sharpeners because they fell on the floor at school when we were changing rooms.
I was surprised when I first realized that the crank sharpeners didn’t actually change the angle, because everyone raves about the option for different lengths they offer. But length isnt as important to me as the angle, because that allows the sharp point at ANY length.
Thank you Sarah. All that effort to help us choose a quality sharpener.
I came back a couple of days after watching to review your recommendations before ordering.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you for this painstaking exercise.
I have been using Dahle 133 for over a year (bought it at USD11) and to date, its performance still impresses me. Not only it can handle pencils of different width/girth, it gives the smoothest wood finish--try sharpening a Crayola with a generic hand-held, and you'll see what I mean.
But when my pencils get to about 4 inches, I can no longer use a hand crank sharpener. Then I will switch to the KUM 4-in-1 (love it also) and subsequently the M+R (I also have the "bullet" model).
That’s a good point about the crank sharpeners with short pencils!
my favorite hand held is the red kum long point but the compartment has come off lol and I do need to replace the blades soon! Yes blades in the Kum line are replaceable! Another factor to look into getting this sharpener. My favorite desk hand crank is the Dahl 133 and I just got an Afmat not that long ago on the recommendation of Colorfully Optimistic. I do need to try the TGall though.
I wanted to include the afmat but I had delivery problems! So I’m curious to know how well it performs against these
a few tipps... there is a function with the Google translate app to use your camera for real time translation (did that with my tgaal sharpener instructions, which didn't last long).. leads (haha) me to the next tipp here.. Faber Castell says EVERY sharpener is dead after sharpening about 12 pencils, so it's not just important which one to buy, also when to buy a new one (or new blades).. several other tipps I've learned for less breakage: freeze the pencils before, twist the sharpener, NOT the pencil and also don't use too much pressure.. hope this will be helpful for someone, it was a great video in terms of seeing what kind of sharpener I might personally like =) mighty buy the dahle and a set aspara! :) greets from the pencil and sharpener country Germany xD
You definitely got me back into colored pencil art that was the first medium I started with pretty-much and I have mountains and mountains of colored pencils thanks for all the good tutorials
I love how informative your videos are, But on a unrelated note, you are adorable! I could watch you fumble with sharpeners, or with speaking Italian, all day long!!Thanks for the info and for the smiles :)
This was very helpful! I just got the Uni and I'm glad you agree it isn't a bad one to get! Haha. I hope that your hands are feeling better. Your willingness to go through this is much appreciated.
Maybe I got a bad t’gall sharpener both time but the ones I had ate up my prisma pencils and kept breaking the lead and I’d have to dig it out of the blade. I wanted to like it so much because it worked great the 1st few times I used it but then it would break.I have the Carl angel crank sharpener and I love it. Maybe you should do electrical ones next. I have the rechargeable Tihoo it’s really good and I haven’t had any problems with it eating up my pencils. Thanks for all the work you put into this video. I know your hand had to be hurting from all that pencil sharpening.
I have since heard from other comments that the quality control on Tgaal isn’t always the same. I’ll be interested to see what I get when I eventually replace mine. I’ll be including this note in the blog!
I dont know which sharpener to order for my prismacolors i have asked for crhistmas.
The dale 133 or T-gaal?
Both good choices- the Dahle is probably more reliable, since I’ve heard a lot of people have had quality control issues with T-Gaal. Personally, I use both a lot, but my T-gaal slightly more with the Prismas.
Lots of good information & you found a way to make it fun too. Well done!!
I received the Derwent Mini Superpoint as a gift last year, and it is potentially the best art related present I've received. I have poor dexterity and for years, struggled to sharpen pencils with a handheld sharpener. I dreaded having to sharpen pencils so much, that I would hold off until my pencils were so blunt they were practically unusable. By the looks of your review, there are better crank sharpeners out there, but I've become particularly attached to the Derwent Mini because of how much it helped me. I'm not particularly bothered about the bite marks and find it very easy to use. I have only encountered one problem with it so far (I don't know if this is for cranks in general or just this one), but once a pencil lead got stuck inside (my fault not the sharpener's, since I suspected the core was broken on the inside), and it was pain to get out. I had to get a screwdriver and partially dismantle it int order to get the lead out.
I found the Derwent to be the hardest to turn out of all the cranks, even as a brand new sharpener compared to the others I’ve been using for a while now. So it might be worth considering trying another, they do seem to be easier on the hands!
But if you’re happy and it works, great!
Also, you should be able to pull the blade out by turning the handle BASE counterclockwise. Then I found the easiest way to clean or remove fragments of pencil is with something like an old toothbrush. No need to unscrew anything
@@SarahRenaeClark Yeah, I was surprised when you said the Derwent was harder to use, because I'm finding it a breeze. It's hard to compare when haven't tried any others. Potential possibility that the Mini is easier to use than the desktop version, but that's probably unlikely. I could always try a different brand if this one ever gives, but being from the UK, I like supporting a British business.
@@SarahRenaeClark Thanks, if something like that happens again, then I shall try to remember that.
BTW, now I've been watching your videos for a short while now, so I thought it was time to subscribe; thanks for all your great videos 🤗
@@Bastion90 makes sense!
I love how detailed you get with these reviews. There are usually so many questions still unanswered after watching a youtube review - at least concerning what I really want to know, apparently.
You covered everything I thought I'd want to know *and* in less time than I'd honestly expected for the amount of detail.
Fantastic job =)
Never had one of these fancy crank or electric sharpeners in my life so I might not know what I’m missing out. But I just expanded my sharpeners with “The Masterpiece”. Because I had none that it is able to create a long tip. If not my drawing that way at least the sharpener is a masterpiece 😏
The other members of the Squad are the blue-silver Staedtler, the Prismacolor (I agree it is a bit tricky at the beginning to piece it together again after cleaning, but I’m more worried about the somewhat fragile lid) as well as my short tip Specialist sharpener. That little guy came in my Pack of Faber-Castell classic. That is kind of my combat medic. When the others fail, it is his turn to bring the pencil back to life. And it rarely disappointed me so far
I like the KUM Automatic Long Point and the cheaper KUM Longpoint, more than the Masterpiece! The KUM Longpoint, costs around 0.60 to 0.70 euros, less than a dollar or 1 Euro!!! However, it performs perfectly and comes with 2 extra blades too!! Simple, cheap, very effective, lightweight (lightest sharpener I ever had) thus easy to carry! Then the Auromatic Long point, which also has some extra blades AND 2mm and 3.15mm lead sharpeners for your lead holders like Faber Castell TK 9400 or TK 4600 etc. These 2 are the best sharpeners I ever had!
That’s some serious dedication to your channel. Thank you, your reviews are very good, informative, creative, and entertaining!! . And your artwork has me inspired, you are very talent young woman. Keep it up , I’m buying a few of these sharpeners!
Which is the best handheld for the square brutfuners
Thanks!
My personal favorite handheld sharpener is the Toolsand Straight Blade Pencil Sharpener. It can run on battery as well (it comes with two), and comes with an extra blade just in case. I've been using mine for years, and only replace the blade every few months or so. It won't adjust the angle of the pencil, but it does really well on giving a sharp point.
Hi there, I'm in NZ and have another version of the Dahle 133, here it's called KW-Trio, but you've got to get the one with the white button to fit the Brutfuner squares. It does leave a mark on your pencils sometimes. But I love it anyway
Love it! A bad sharpener is a big annoyance. I appreciate this! We’ve been through a few so this shortened my own hunt for a better one.
I’d be interested in what would have been good for pastel pencils…. Apart from a craft blade and bandages what would work for them ?
Have an electric xacto… monster which is great for most pencils. Auto stop (auto mulch) haven’t found one yet. Three twists on most mechanicals is enough. And about 1 second in the xacto. Thanks for a great video!
I used my pastels in a few of these, but the company told me not to, because the pastels will blunt the blades really quickly.
As a pastel newbie, I’m not really sure yet! But I’ll keep an eye out as I keep exploring my pastel pencils too
the Kum Black Widow claims to suit porous and powdery cores and sharpens to a short cone shape
I'm not sure I needed to watch this, I don't even use coloured oencils, I just like you and your energy and it's incredibly easy to watch. I feel really unwell right now and this video is just very soothing 😆
I’m glad it was entertaining!
@@SarahRenaeClark This is interesting and it makes me feel happy to be supporting a fellow Aussie.
Thanks a bunch. I use the Dahle 133 and love it (most of the time). I enjoyed your video and all that you do.
The M&R circle, bullet, and grenade all work well. I use the Koh I Noor 9095 sharpener. It has rubber grips, and won’t damage your pencils. I can handle all sizes well. It looks like a camera too.
I personally love my Twist-N-Sharp by Biscotti because it doesn't hurt my hands, it's gentle enough on my pencils, and it gives me the option of a blunt end. It's not the absolute best but I really like the twist function because I have carpal tunnel and it doesn't hurt my hands.
*Bostitch
The desk clamp is a MUST when using crank type.. prevents the auto stop from malfunctioning !
I wish you tried the Staedtler Mars 501 Rotary pencil sharpener.. it's the gamechanger
"...do not let me know in the comments because I am not doing this again." haha!! I'm sure I would've felt the same way. This was super informative though, thank you! I think I've only tried the tgaal out of all these sharpeners and I love it, so it's awesome that it scored so high with your tests! Definitely want a crank sharpener eventually though.
Thank you for your wonderful videos. I watched your video on blending a lot. You always entertain me in your videos so thank you very much.
i just have a cheap 3 quid crank sharpener from lidls that works perfectly. if coloured pencil clogs the blades i just put a graphite pencil through it and it cleans them
I have a love-hate relationship with the TGall. My first one (blue) was awesome and I loved it, but when it was getting a bit old I decided to buy 2 more. My newer ones (clear) don't seem to work nearly as well. On one the point adjuster never really worked. The other one breaks the lead more frequently than my first one. I'm tempted to get a 4th one and get another blue one in case it's the color that is the problem but haven't yet.
Interesting! I hope the manufacturing quality isn’t up and down like this as standard. I have only had the one, so I can’t say!
Great video! I love the Dahle 133 and found that, the way I have it set, I just crank it 10-12 times and then done. Seems to work well. I need a good handheld, so I'm gonna head to Amazon. Thanks Sarah!
Awesome video. Sharpeners have been my nemesis. I loved the Dahle 133 until it just stopped working and the price of it has gone up over the past few months so it's hard to justify buying another. Was interesting to see your thoughts and experiences with all of these!
Just stopped working? I'm curious about what happened. The most likely thing to go wrong with the Dahle is the plastic guide arm thingies breaking. The helical cutter gear meshes with a plastic gear, so that could wear out too. It's not just jammed up with a broken pencil core is it? I've heard that's not uncommon, and should be possible to clear out without too much trouble.
Mine stopped working and I found it was a core jammed inside. A quick clean and it worked again.
Otherwise, I noticed they have a lifetime warranty on their website, excluding the blade (but you can buy replacement blades) - so that’s another way to get it replaced/repaired at a much lower cost!
Great video but still unsure what sharpener is best for square brutfuner pencils?
Since it doesn’t fit in the Tgall, I’d say the Dahle 133 or M+R crank.
Nowadays, with my hand held sharpeners, I just buy the ones that can take the KUM or M+R blades and I replace the blades with those. The Prismacolor takes those blades so I've been using those blades in it. It makes such a huge difference in the results you get, and a nice sharp blade breaks fewer cores and you get really nice and smooth pencil shaving ribbons
Thank you for the tips sharpeners. This is big help.
I use Faber-Castell trio grip (I have 2 of them).
What people maybe don't know is that on the first one it is written on the one hole side "Color Grip" and on the other side "Universal". As we know, Color Grip is a serie of Faber-Castell ✏️. On the second sharpener, which I bought some months later, it is now respectively written "Color" (one hole side) and on the 2 holes side: "Jumbo" (on top of the big hole) and "Graphite" (on top of the second hole). But usage of both sharpeners is the same.
What I find practice is that if you have breakable ✏️ (maybe because it falls down or simply because of the bad quality) you can use the "Color" side to reduce the length of the point. The disadvantage is that you have to sharpen your ✏️ more often.
Have a nice day all of you and thank you for your useful videos "Sarah Laboratory" 😉
Hi! I have the Derwent Crank sharpener, but it doesn’t work on soft pencils like charcoal and carbon. It breaks the lead. I’ve had great difficulty finding a sharpener that works with softer pencils like charcoal and carbon. The Derwent works well for graphite and coloured pencils. :)
Charcoal or carbon probably need to be sharpened the same way as pastels- with a knife or gentle blade + sandpaper instead of a sharpener.
I am using cheap colored pencils as I am trying to decided if CP's are for me. They have been breaking much to my frustration. My Kutsuwa Stad T'Gaal Pencil Sharpener came today and boy what a difference! I hope this tool holds up to time and use. Thank you so much for all your research!
I just bought a second one! My first one has only just started to feel a little blunt after all this time (and heavy use!)
Absolutely insanely useful video. I discovered the teegal because of you and it’s my go-to.
I wanted to ask what would be your recommendation similar to the teegal but for thicker pencils (like the derwent coloursoft). I know you mention this in the video but it was unclear which one would be the best among the options.
Yep. I can definitely see imma have to up my sharpener. Especially with the luminance and pablos i have on the way. Great video.
Just a fun fact about the Kum 2 step, the... Red one.
They usually come with replacement blades. I used mine for an eternity before realising. I have two and somehow even lost the replacements on one of them, because I didn't know about them and must have accidentally thrown them out with the shavings.
It is very cool for longevity reasons. But can also be a bit of a safety concern.
Thanks for sharing! The info was very helpful and you’re a joy to watch! I had a few good laughs while I enjoyed my morning coffee ❤️
That you so much for making this video! I’m sorry you had more stress making it, but it was so awesome and helpful!
I’m not the artist. I have a family member on the spectrum who spends all day coloring and drawing with colored pencils and deserves getting top notch tools. These reviews help me help an amazing artist. Your efforts make a difference!!
I agree, the last thing they should have to deal with is frustrating tools when all they want to do is create. You sound like an amazing friend to your family member, very, very kind and thoughtful. 🥰
I read the K'zool instructions on Amazon with Google Translate's scan feature.
The button on the top of the K'zool is meant to push out any cores that break off inside the razor hole thing. I haven't tried it, though
Thank you for all your hard work!
Have the Brass Bullet, chose it because it looked good, had no idea of the reputation. Just ordered the BlackWing Long Point and the Høst, can’t wait to try them!!!!
15:50 Bite marks on pencils is one thing that always bothered me with the (expensive) Caran d’Ache crank sharpeners at school here in Switzerland. That and kids not knowing what the sharpness knob on the back does, so they were often set to not-very-sharp. :/
I looked it up. The button on the K'zool sharpener is to eject a pencil point if it breaks off inside the sharpener. As well as being fun to push.
Checking your channel every hour since the last video hoping to find a new video about sharpeners... Finally it's here!!!
I just discovered the iBall Westcott and bought two. One is standard and the other sharpens to a needle point, even when I only put the pencil partway in. I'm going to be trying a new brand, Taskbiiz, which was recommended by my colored pencil guru. Both of these are battery operated; the Taskbiiz is rechargeable. So many choices, so little time...I am still looking and hoping for the perfect sharpener. BTW, try the pencil plane from Maker's Cabinet. They only have a few products, but each is a work of art and wonderfully well made. The plane has a steep learning curve but is great fun.
My desktop/crank sharpener is an X-acto. It looks like your garden variety school sharpener, the kind that they attach to the wall. But mine sticks down by suction (very well, as long as the surface is nonporous and smooth) and it has a locking rotating wheel in front where you can change the hole size for pencil diameter. There are 8 holes that go from the smallest which looks too small even for a lipliner (can't imagine what it's for), up to a hole that looks like blackboard chalk would easily fit in. Yeah, I don't use it a lot because the pencil points do seem extremely long once sharpened, and I use prismacolors. But it works really well.
I just bought the dahle 133 because I wanted to try something different for my pencils. I am excited to try it especially after your video.
Thanks for doing this. It's good to see what differences there are out there.
Incredible review. The best. I watched over 30 reviews, trying to find good explanations for a lot of questions. They are all summed up here! Good job, wow!
We grew using Apsara pencils & sharpeners. Another nostalgic brand is Nataraj. Nataraj pencils are still recommended by school teachers for their young students.
great Video again Sarah :) I use the Dahl 133 def confused me at first but Pamela's passion for pencils had a youtube video on using it which was super helpful , the other I use is the caran d'ache 2 hole metal sharpener but not often , Prismacolor sharpener destroys pencils ! and I used to like my faber castell one but it got annoying in the end :)
My first was also the Faber Castel sharpener. I am not happy with it. I recently bough5 the Prismacolor foe my Prismacolor pencils and it chewed up few pencils. Not happy with either at all. TYSVM got this video and your blog post. I am in desperate need of a new sharpener ASAP!!!!
I know I’m super late, but I bought the Dahle 133 and wow it’s amazing. Seems like it doesn’t matter if some of my prisma cores are off center anymore since they all sharpen to a nice point with the Dahle
I have the nose pencil sharpener. Works just fine.
I have to pause and say: new sub here, your artwork is amazing and the production quality is top tier! Wish you 1M subs and more. This is so entertaining and at the same time so informative. Love the hard work your channel puts into the videos. Much 💕
Thank you!!
Excellent video, excellent help!
I use a craft knife to sharpen my pencils, or use a mechanical pencil for light detail work.
Well, yeah... here is my opinion :)
When I use expensive pencil, I don't like to sharpen it, because if you have a sharp core, you have a ton of wasted core as well. If you rotate the pencil continuously, you can always find some semi-sharp part to use. Of course, it is hard to draw the very fine details exactly where you want, but otherwise it is good enough.
I would like to see a pencil manufacturer, who makes a super set with different core width for each colour. My idea is to have e.g. 1.4mm, 3.2mm and 5.6mm cores, which can be more and more blunt when you use it, and you don't waste small diameter pencil when you need to colour big areas. E.g.: Prismacolor Soft Core and Prismacolor Verithin (Very thin? :D 2mm core, the thinnest I have)
Regarding the sharpeners:
Blade sharpeners
I don't like them even if they are in some machine, so you don't have to rotate the pencil with your hand. They tend to break the core in the very last moment, when you think, that one small rotation, and you are done.
However, here is a tip: if the blade is sharp, but it breaks your pencils, you may want to put one-two pieces of paper under the blade. I did this with one of my chinese sharpeners, and when the blade had to remove only a tiny amount of wood, it suddenly worked perfectly.
Helical blade sharpeners (the ones with the gear like blades)
Even the cheapest, simplest one is making better work for me than the previously mentioned simple sharpeners. Fragile Prismacolor? No problem. The only part what can be wrong is how it fixes the pencil into the sharpener. Can be very fiddly. If it does not want to stop, then maybe the springs on the tensioner are too strong, and continuously break the end of the pencil, or the stopper is too small? Maybe, it is worth to disassemble and check if you can glue something there to stop the pencil.
I bought several of these sharpeners, and modified them to live part of the pencil alone, so I can almost perfectly shave the wood around the core with them.
Myself I like the Prisma with the two different angles. The one complaint I have about all manual pencil sharpeners is normally you can not get the blades out to either replace the blades or hone them. If I were to be designing a high quality manual pencil sharpener. I would use the replaceable blades we see in utility knifes. Gets dull. Flip the it around. Next time it gets dull replace it.
I love my Kum sharpeners, never fails and sharpens beautifully. I also have an electric AFMAT horizontal sharpener that works great, sharpens great and is fast (and does not waste pencil). I have heard good things about the Dahle and TGAL, in the short term, but have heard that it doesn't last as it is not well made, but you said you've been using yours for months and still going strong. I'd love to see how these hold up after a year or more.
I have used mine pretty heavily for the past 6-7 months on multiple sets of new pencils, and I think my Tgaal FINALLY at the point of not working as well as it used to. But you can see it still produced a great point in this video, it was just more effort than when it was new.
A year later and today I just received a FaberCastell hand-crank sharpener. It has just 3 features, first let me explain that it’s different from the Dahle 133 in that you just stick the pencil in, there’s no using two levers to open and close the hole.
There is a knob to choose the type of tip you need and a little switch to open the container to empty it. I’m blown away. I got curious after watching a video of an artist who had the longest tips I’d ever seen on a pencil. She made a video showing the sharpener used, which was just too expensive in my opinion and wallet to sharpen pencils.
I found this sharpener on Aliexpress for about $16. It works like a dream!
An observation about long points versus short points and automatic stops. I use hex wooden graphite core pencils almost exclusively at work. I use an electric sharpener that has a stellar automatic stop - it doesn't stop the motor, it just stops cutting - the points are dart sharp. I've measured the overall length before and after sharpening - from unsharpened to sharp and blunt from use to sharp. The sharpener doesn't reduce the overall length - it just removes material around the point cone until the point is sharp. The net result is that the shortening of the pencil comes only from using the point. An observation that goes with this is that the sharper points wear down faster than the blunt points. If I were to grade pencil sharpeners, I would include this type of measurement especially with automatic stop or brake types. I don't think I'm wasting core if the only reduction in overall length comes from actual use and not from sharpening. My choice of the electric sharpener I use comes from how well it creates a point and how well it stops cutting at exactly the right time. Thanks for the great video.
I like the Staedtler tub sharpener. It doesn't break the lead as much as my old one did. It does well with my StarJoys.
I like the prismacolor sharpener I keep the prismacolor premier pencils lead short like they come in the box and I haven't had any breakage and they don't crumble as much plus I feel. Like I'm wasting less pencil. The lid and barrel do have indicators on them where the fit together but they should have painted them white to make them stand out.
Hi Sarah - love this, I’d always been told with the handheld sharpeners to hold the pencil still, and rotate the sharpener, but noticed you were doing it the other way, did you try both to see if it made a difference?
A while back, I ordered a t-gaal sharpener from third party Amazon and they accidentally sent me a big set of Kuretaki gansai tambi paints instead. I contacted them and was told to keep them and did I want them to send the sharpener as well? Because they were so generous, I said no and then I didn't get around to ordering another.
More recently, I got a Kum sharpener for long points. It's great, but ideally I would prefer to have just the wood shaved away.
I now use a knife to sharpen and I love that there is zero waste of pigment core.
My best sharpener for ANYTHING is Derwent. I just love it and I’m obsessed 😊
Largest Pencil Sharpener collection in America!! ua-cam.com/video/5DUouNYsFZo/v-deo.html
Great camera work. Props to Shane. Thanks for risking your fingers in testing sharpeners for us, and taking the time for this too. It's not something a general user would do. You tend to just either curse the sharpener or pencil. If you're lucky you end up with a tried and true favourite.
Thank you for all you do ☺️
Coloring is one of my hobbies. I just found your channel. I have been using a Fiskars dual width sharpener on the go for years. My homeschool kids use a corded Orbit electric that has lasted for years.
Would love to learn your opinions on electric sharpeners, especially an electric sharpener that can handle the Brutfuners!
I love this series. Im a lefty so my search for a sharpener is a little different but this was super helpful.
Thanks for the video! I bought a T’GAAL on your recommendation and I love it. I also use prismacolors and was just wondering what is your “go to” number to use on the sharpeners wheel?