Vintage Pencil Sharpeners In All Their Glory

Vintage pencil sharpeners are exciting. Though I never thought I would make that statement, it’s true – old pencil sharpeners vary from sleek and fancy to wild and zany in their designs.

Panasonic Pana-Point KP-22A

This 1970s pencil sharpener fetches a pretty penny on Etsy. Its minimalist, rounded design is hard to hate and it comes in several colors. My personal favorite is this orange colorway.

Source: pinterest.com

Staedtler No. 5400 Lead Pointer

This lead pointer was made in Germany at some point in the 20^th century. Its burgundy paint lends it a distinguished, elegant look. It’s a manual sharpener, but the pencil insert is guarded and must be opened by squeezing a lever, similar to the Caran d’Ache Pencil Sharpening Machine.

Source: pendemonium.com

1960’s Rotary Phone Sharpener

It’s only shaped like a rotary phone – this pencil sharpener uses knobs instead of levers to point a pencil, and it includes a decorative little rotary phone. Talk about artisanal.

Source: etsy.com

Headlike Pencil Holder/Sharpener

Not sure where this one comes from, but its design is a bit demented. This little orange plastic head holds seven pencils on its top and has a sharpener for a mouth. Those beady metal buttons make for some creepy eyes.

Source: livejournal.com

Eating Dog Sharpener

This cute little dog-shaped pencil sharpener sharpens pencils through the dog’s mouth. The shavings collect near the dog’s behind. Some novelty sharpeners operate the other way – this one is a great compromise between humor and humility.

Source: weirdomatic.com

Camera-esque Vintage Sharpener

While not exactly vintage, this sleek black sharpener looks like an old camera. It’s an elegant stand-up sharpener that I wouldn’t mind displaying on my desk! With its nice drawer and well-placed sharpening handle, this pencil sharpener is stylish, made with design in mind.

Source: coolmaterial.com

Chelsea MFG Co. Blade Sharpener

With its exposed blade and rustic metal, this vintage sharpener might be the oldest – and coolest – of all the sharpeners on this list. With a giant, naked circular blade sharpening your pencil, who can tell you that collecting pencil sharpeners ‘just isn’t cool?’

Source: collectorsweekly.com