Best Pencil Sharpeners for 2027: KUM, CARL & More

Seven pencil sharpeners in a row, labeled with their pick: X-ACTO School Pro classroom, CARL Angel-5 Classic desk crank, Angel-5 Grand Conic colored pencils, Angel-5 Royal 3 two settings, KUM AS2 overall, KUM Masterpiece long point and Blackwing One-Step pocket — The four desk sharpeners are drawn to scale at 1 mm = 0.8 px; the three handhelds are enlarged 2.5 times so you can see them.

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
KUM Automatic Long Point Sharpener (AS2)KUM	Germany	Germany^*	Price range: $$
KUM Masterpiece (Meisterwerk) long point sharpenerKUM	Germany	Germany^*	Price range: $$$
CARL Angel-5 Classic hand-crank pencil sharpener (A5CL)CARL	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$
CARL Angel-5 Grand Conic hand-crank pencil sharpener (A5GRC)CARL	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$
CARL Angel-5 Royal 3 Pencil SharpenerCARL	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$
Blackwing One-Step Long Point SharpenerBlackwing	United States	China^*	Price range: $$$
X-ACTO School Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener (1670)X-ACTO	United States	China^*	Price range: $$$

Notes on these facts

KUM Automatic Long Point Sharpener (AS2): Made by KUM (Erlangen, Germany). Made in Germany: KUM's German shop page for the AS2 and AS2M says "Made in Germany", and its German art-materials catalogue is headed "Hergestellt in Deutschland" (made in Germany). Jackson's Art has also listed Germany. Source. Price: example listing.
KUM Masterpiece (Meisterwerk) long point sharpener: Made by KUM (Erlangen, Germany). Made in Germany: Luiban's listing says it is handcrafted and manufactured in Erlangen, Germany, and KUM's German art-materials catalogue, headed "Hergestellt in Deutschland", describes the Meisterwerk as handmade in Germany. Source. Price: example listing.
CARL Angel-5 Classic hand-crank pencil sharpener (A5CL): Made by CARL Office Machines Co., Ltd. (カール事務器株式会社), Japan. Country of manufacture not stated: CARL Japan's A5CL page lists size, weight, price and JAN codes but no country of manufacture, and we found no retailer spec sheet that states it. The plain Angel-5 sold in US office-supply channels (19016) may be a different model; Blue Dog Ink lists China for it. Price: example listing.
CARL Angel-5 Grand Conic hand-crank pencil sharpener (A5GRC): Made by CARL Office Machines Co., Ltd. (カール事務器株式会社), Japan. Country of manufacture not stated: CARL Japan's A5GRC page says the special-steel blade is made in Japan but doesn't state where the sharpener itself is made. Price: example listing.
CARL Angel-5 Royal 3 Pencil Sharpener: Made by CARL Office Machines Co., Ltd. (カール事務器株式会社), Japan. Made in Japan: CARL International's Royal 3 page says Made in Japan, The Journal Shop lists Japan as the country of origin, and the Amazon US listing says Original Made in Japan. The plain Angel-5 sold in US office-supply channels (19016) is a different model; Blue Dog Ink lists China for it. Source. Price: example listing.
Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener: Made by California Cedar Products Company (Cal Cedar), Stockton, California. Made in China: Blackwing's own pages don't name the factory country. Milligram says it is designed in the USA and made in China, and the MoMA Design Store's listing gives China as its origin. "German steel" describes the blade's material, not where the sharpener is made. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Blackwing's store listing went live in late January 2020, and its February 3, 2020 blog post calls it the new sharpener. GetNavi reviewed the Japanese release on August 24, 2020.
X-ACTO School Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener (1670): Made by Newell Brands. Made in China: Newell's product-data record for the 1670X gives CN as the country of origin, as PartsSource did when we first checked; both pages have since stopped showing the field to us. McKesson's listing gives "Unknown", and xacto.com doesn't state it, so check the box if it matters. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

KUM says its AS2 forms a 9-degree cone and its magnesium Masterpiece a slimmer 8-degree cone; both cut the wood and the graphite in two separate holes.
CARL Japan lists the Angel-5 Classic (A5CL) at 73 × 124 × 130 mm and 450 g, with no point adjuster, for ¥2,750 (about US$17).
CARL Japan's discontinued list includes the Angel-5 Royal 3 (A5RY3) with no successor; the stepless Angel-5 Grand, from about 0.5 to 0.9 mm, costs ¥4,400 (about US$28).
The Blackwing One-Step is about 3 × 5 × 3 cm, per Cass Art, and Blackwing says its canister holds 3 sharpenings.
The electric X-ACTO School Pro has a six-size dial and weighs 3.67 lb (about 1.66 kg), per Staples.

What is the best pencil sharpener?

The KUM Automatic Long Point (AS2) is the best pencil sharpener for most people, but the best pick for the longest point, a desk crank, colored pencils, your pocket or a classroom is a different one. Picks are based on published specs and maker claims; we haven’t tested them yet.

Best overall and on a budget: KUM Automatic Long Point (AS2). Hole 1 cuts the wood and hole 2 the graphite, for a 9-degree cone per KUM; KUM’s German shop lists it at €5.09 (about US$5.70), made in Germany.
Longest point: KUM Masterpiece (Meisterwerk). KUM gives it a slimmer 8-degree cone and a stop you can adjust or remove, in a milled magnesium body handmade in Germany.
Desk crank: CARL Angel-5 Classic (A5CL). CARL Japan’s current fixed-point hand-crank model, 450 g with a metal body, at ¥2,750 (about US$17) in Japan.
Colored pencils: CARL Angel-5 Grand Conic (A5GRC). CARL says it cuts a straight cone suited to drawing and coloring, with a stepless point from about 0.5 to 0.9 mm and a resin holder that grips non-hexagonal pencils.
Two point settings, while stock lasts: CARL Angel-5 Royal 3. A sharp 0.5 mm or blunt 0.9 mm point, made in Japan, but CARL Japan has discontinued it.
Pocket: Blackwing One-Step. One hole cuts a long concave point; Cass Art lists it at about 3 × 5 × 3 cm in machined aluminum.
Classroom: X-ACTO School Pro. An electric sharpener with a six-size dial, an auto-stop cutter and an extra-large shavings bin.

How do the seven sharpeners compare?

Three are handheld long-point sharpeners, three are CARL hand cranks, and one is electric.

Sharpener	Type	Point	Size	Made in	Band
KUM AS2	Handheld, 2 holes	Long, 9° cone	Not published	Germany	$$
KUM Masterpiece	Handheld, 2 holes	Longest, 8° cone	Not published	Germany	$$$
CARL Angel-5 Classic	Hand crank	Fixed	73 × 124 × 130 mm, 450 g	Not stated	$$$
CARL Angel-5 Grand Conic	Hand crank	Stepless 0.5–0.9 mm, straight cone	124 × 73 × 132 mm, 540 g	Not stated	$$$
CARL Angel-5 Royal 3	Hand crank	0.5 or 0.9 mm	73 × 121 × 132 mm, 484 g	Japan	$$$
Blackwing One-Step	Handheld, 1 hole	Long, concave	3 × 5 × 3 cm	China	$$$
X-ACTO School Pro	Electric	Auto-stop, six-size dial	4 × 7.5 × 7.5 in, 3.67 lb	China	$$$

CARL figures are from CARL Japan, except the Royal 3’s, which come from retailers. Cones are KUM’s own figures; the other sizes are from Cass Art and Staples. Bands are $$ ($5–20) and $$$ ($20–75).

Which sharpener makes the longest point?

A two-step KUM: the Masterpiece makes the slimmest cone, and the AS2 makes nearly the same point for far less. Both trim the wood in hole 1 until a brake stops the cut, then shape the bare graphite in hole 2. A Fountain Pen Network user reports a longer point from the Masterpiece than from the Long Point.

Long points break more easily. The Pen Addict broke leads in the second hole of the Blackwing-branded version and recommends very light pressure. Luiban notes the Masterpiece needs a pencil with a centered core and good wood.

Is the CARL Angel-5 Royal discontinued?

Yes, in Japan: CARL Japan’s discontinued list includes the Royal 3 (A5RY3) and names no successor. US shops still sell remaining stock. If you want a CARL crank that’s still in production, the Classic makes one fixed point and the Grand adds a stepless adjuster in Sharp (A5GRS) or Conic (A5GRC) versions, per CARL Japan.

US availability of the A5CL Classic is patchy, and the plain Angel-5 in US office-supply catalogs may be a different model, so check the model code.

Which sharpener is best for colored pencils?

The CARL Angel-5 Grand Conic, set toward its blunt end. A shorter, straight cone supports soft cores, and CARL Japan says the Grand’s resin holder grips non-hexagonal pencils, though it may leave marks. The Classic’s metal clamps mark pencils too, per CARL.

Soft wax cores need gentle sharpening; our colored pencil roundup notes that Prismacolor’s breaks under heavy sharpening. Avoid the 8-degree Masterpiece for them.

Which sharpener should you carry?

The Blackwing One-Step if you want metal and one step, or the KUM AS2 if you want to spend less. Blackwing says the One-Step’s canister holds three sharpenings, so empty it often. Milligram says it suits pencils under 8 mm, like the Blackwing 602.

Do you need an electric sharpener?

Only for volume. The X-ACTO School Pro’s SafeStart stops the motor when the bin is out, and its cutter stops when the point is formed. For one person’s pencils, a hand crank is quieter and lets you choose the point.

Where are these sharpeners made?

KUM makes both its sharpeners in Germany, and the Royal 3 is made in Japan; the Blackwing and X-ACTO are made in China. CARL Japan doesn’t state where the Angel-5 Classic or Grand Conic is made, though it says the Grand’s blade is Japanese.

Frequently asked questions

What pencil sharpener gives the longest point?

A two-step long-point sharpener. KUM says its Masterpiece forms an 8-degree cone, slimmer than the 9 degrees of its Automatic Long Point (AS2), and its stop can be removed to expose even more graphite.

Is the CARL Angel-5 Royal discontinued?

In Japan, yes: CARL Japan's discontinued list includes the Angel-5 Royal 3 (A5RY3) with no successor. Some US shops still sell remaining stock; the current Japanese range is the Angel-5 Classic and the two Angel-5 Grand models.

What is the difference between the Angel-5 Classic and the Grand?

The Classic makes one fixed point and has metal pencil clamps, per CARL Japan. The Grand adds a stepless point adjuster from about 0.5 to 0.9 mm and a resin pencil holder, and comes as the Sharp (A5GRS) or Conic (A5GRC).

What sharpener is best for colored pencils?

One that leaves a shorter, sturdier point and holds round pencils: the CARL Angel-5 Grand Conic, which CARL says makes a straight cone suited to drawing and coloring. Soft wax cores, such as Prismacolor's, break under a very long point.

Which pencils fit a KUM long point sharpener?

Standard wood-cased pencils up to 8 mm across, per retailers. Hexagonal pencils such as the Blackwing 602, at about 7.5 mm, fit; jumbo and most triangular pencils don't.

Is an electric or a manual sharpener better?

Electric for volume, manual for control. The X-ACTO School Pro is built for classrooms that sharpen many pencils a day, while a hand crank or a two-step handheld lets you choose the point.

What is the best pocket pencil sharpener?

The Blackwing One-Step, about 3 × 5 × 3 cm with a screw-off canister, or the cheaper plastic KUM AS2, which has a flip-top container for shavings.

Sources (16)

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