X-ACTO KS Manual Pencil Sharpener

Excellent pencil sharpener

2-3-18I'm reviewing the X-acto Ranger 55 KS model. I wanted to purchase a sharpener that was quality made and did not need to rely on electricity or battery power.I have a daughter who loves to draw and seems in constant need of a sharpener. She has a few handheld ones that came with art kits and others that were purchased for school throughout the years. The handheld type always seem to break the point, right before the pencil becomes sharp. This has lead to a lot of wasted lead. No adjustments can be made to correct this issue either. The electric ones are nice too, and we have one, but somewhere over the years we lost the tray for the shavings, so it's not the "go to". Plus, she tends to over sharpen on those.I looked at a few brands and models and came across this. I read how heavy this model was, how it felt to be durable in construction.... well, I have to agree. The whole base and roller portion are the heavy and solid pieces of this item. The shaving collector is only a thick tin, but I'm totally OK with that. The rollers, crank, and base are what matter.I have already mounted it, and boy does it remind me of the old solid sharpeners we had in school, although.... this one doesn't wobble or squeak while using it. My daughter, my niece, and I have already tried it out. This thing is awesome! Within 3 or 4 rotations the pencils have a decent amount of point, especially with colored pencils. I posted photos of before and after, with the sharper pencils being shown are only after 3 to 4 crank rotations. For a writing pencil, I'd crank a couple more times though, but I had none on hand to test out.This came well packaged and even came with mounting hardware (3 screws), which I found convenient and overall EXCELLENT for the price. Under $10. shipped, for a decent, rugged tool! One more advantage, the face plate turns to accommodate different size pencils. You could properly sharpen the huge round preschooler pencils, which I always found hard to do in the past.I bought this from the seller "Amazon", which I feel is important to list this info. I've come across sellers with variances in their items, including knockoffs, even if listed as same brand. I'll post an update with a durability review.***UPDATE***11-5-19I've now had it for decent amount of time and the sharpener is holding up well. I expect it to last just as long as the ones we had in school. It's my daughter's favorite sharpener, as it usually does a better job than most of her handheld portable ones she'd keep in her pencil case. If I had to choose over again, I'd still make this exact purchase.I still plan to update as time progresses.

Works great. I listened to other reviewers and used larger screws. Great quality and easy to use.

I grew up with a pencil sharp like this so I was very excited to get this for my house and my kids. The installation was difficult because the screws it came with are so weak and terrible they ALL broke and stripped while trying to install and we even drilled pilot holes. We had to use our own screws to secure it. Also, the position of the screw holes is VERY difficult to get to. It wasn’t easy but doable. The only saving grace is that it sharpens a pencil to a dangerous level of sharpness!! It does the job and does it well!! Super fine tip on all the pencils!!

X-ACTO KS Pencil SharpenerWe own two of these sharpeners -- one is mounted on a wall in the garage and the other one in our tool storage room.Pros:- each sharpener brings a pencil to a fine point with little effort or time. Like most sharpeners, if you keep at it, the pencil will get shorter and shorter. It only takes a few turns for a nice point. One turn if the pencil is almost sharp.- adjustable for pencil diameter and easy to empty wood shavings.- wood shavings bin can be attached horizontally or vertically (see customer image).- inexpensive, making it a good buy.Cons:- the “frame” for the hardened steel cutters is zinc. Zinc is easy for manufacturers to work with as it’s plentiful, inexpensive, and has a low melting point -- but it’s among the weakest metals on the planet. E.g., zinc’s tensile strength is only 5,370 psi versus aluminum’s 42,000 psi or stainless steel 304's 90,000 psi. That zinc “frame” is a weak point. The frame should be aluminum.- the tiny screws provided are way too small. Mine went directly into the trash.Here’s one way to mount it to a masonry wall, for do-it-yourselfers:- Enlarge the base’s three holes to accommodate #8 or #10 machine screws, 7/8" long.- Use a scrap piece of 3/4" thick oak or maple 3.5" x 6" (approximately) for a base.... route an edge on the oak, via an ogee, round-over, or similar bit. (See Customer Image).... drill three holes in the oak aligning with the sharpener base.... install three Tee nuts on the rear of the oak base to receive the machine screws. Increase the hole size from the rear, ½ of the wood depth to receive the tee nuts. Use a Forstner bit to a depth of 1/16" for the tee nut base – so that the oak will lay flat.... mount the sharpener base to the oak using the machine screws and grind those screws flush from the rear.... remove the sharpener handle and set it, the mounting screw, and the cutter assembly aside.... drill two 1/4" holes into the oak to receive 3/16" concrete screws at least 2.5" long.... using the oak as a guide, drill a hole into the masonry (cinder block, brick, etc.) to proper depth using hammer drill and masonry bit.... put a washer on a the masonry screw and attach the oak to the wall.... level the oak, drill the second hole, and attach with a masonry screw – tighten both screws.... attach the cutter and handle to the sharpener – attach the wood chip bin – and you’re done.