I find that traditional sharpener disappear very quickly. This sharpener is about 2 inches high and the same in width. To finish the sharpening I find it works putting in the “graphic/graphic”—it works betterYou don’t need to empty the sharpener until you’ll fully sharpened the pencil, but then you need to dump the shavings. To do that you need to need to lift the lever with two circles back and forth for the lid to come off so you can empty the shavings. It’s quite a bit of work for a little over S7.00, but it is easy to spot when you try to find it.

This is a very handy pencil sharpener. Some good things about it are:– It holds a lot of pencil shavings, so you don't have to empty it as often as the basic Staples hand sharpener.– It's easy to grip and rotate, so your pencil stays aligned and sharpening goes faster.– The blades are sharp, and the two slots make it easy to get a sharp point.– It's easy to clean broken leads out of the blades.– Works nicely on colored pencils like Prismacolor, as well as lead pencils.Here's what is not-so-good, and why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5:_ The latch for emptying the canister is attached to the blue top, but the design makes it look like it's attached to the bottom. This may be frustrating the first time you want to empty the canister and are trying to pull the ... MoreThis is a very handy pencil sharpener. Some good things about it are:– It holds a lot of pencil shavings, so you don't have to empty it as often as the basic Staples hand sharpener.– It's easy to grip and rotate, so your pencil stays aligned and sharpening goes faster.– The blades are sharp, and the two slots make it easy to get a sharp point.– It's easy to clean broken leads out of the blades.– Works nicely on colored pencils like Prismacolor, as well as lead pencils.Here's what is not-so-good, and why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5:_ The latch for emptying the canister is attached to the blue top, but the design makes it look like it's attached to the bottom. This may be frustrating the first time you want to empty the canister and are trying to pull the latch away from the top.

Unfortunately, the search continues for a sharpener for colored pencils. The Prismacolor bullet shaped sharpener worked for a few days before making gouges in the wood casings. The School Smart electric is too narrow for anything wider than a Prismacolor Premier. This Staedtler has two holes, a plus because it accommodates pencils of varying thickness. It can sharpen Prismacolors, Derwent Inktense,Faber Castell Polychromos and Albrecht Durer, but I've been unsuccessful in my attempts to open the lid in order to empty the shavings container ...and I lift weights! Update: I finally opened it after five days but my thumb is scratched raw, so I won't close it again. Keeping other fingers crossed in hopes it will continue to sharpen well. I've read hundreds of reviews on ... MoreUnfortunately, the search continues for a sharpener for colored pencils. The Prismacolor bullet shaped sharpener worked for a few days before making gouges in the wood casings. The School Smart electric is too narrow for anything wider than a Prismacolor Premier. This Staedtler has two holes, a plus because it accommodates pencils of varying thickness. It can sharpen Prismacolors, Derwent Inktense,Faber Castell Polychromos and Albrecht Durer, but I've been unsuccessful in my attempts to open the lid in order to empty the shavings container ...and I lift weights! Update: I finally opened it after five days but my thumb is scratched raw, so I won't close it again. Keeping other fingers crossed in hopes it will continue to sharpen well. I've read hundreds of reviews on various sites. Considering the size of the market and the need for a versatile reliable automatic (electric) sharpener for expensive pencils, the company that meets this demand should do very well indeed!