I finally see why people hate those drafting pencil kits with the built-in sharpener

My supervisor Randy told me to stop buying those multi-packs with the little sharpener cap on top. I thought he was just being picky. After 6 months of using them, I've had 3 break mid-line and the sharpeners chew up the lead worse than a dull blade. He was right. Anyone else find that those cheaper kits cause more problems than they solve?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellys784d agoMost Upvoted

My desk drawer is basically a graveyard of broken pencil caps at this point.

reesel504d ago

dianaanderson really nailed it with calling those kits a trap. I've been burned by those cheap pencil sets more times than I can count. The wood always splinters weird and the leads just crumble under normal pressure. It's like they design them to fail on purpose so you buy another pack in a month. And yeah, the sharpeners are just a joke. You're better off buying a box of decent pencils from a brand you know.

dianaanderson4d ago

I had that exact thing happen with a 5-pack I bought from an office supply chain for twelve bucks. The sharpener cap stripped the wood on the third pencil and then just jammed up permanently. The leads snapped constantly even when I was barely touching the paper. You basically pay extra for the privilege of getting angry every time you try to write. Those kits are a trap, plain and simple.