Stad T’Gaal Pencil Sharpener

Pencil sharpening is very nostalgic to me.  Before I abandoned wooden pencils for the supposedly cool mechanical ones, my mother would sharpen all my pencils by blade every night when the bookpack was packed.  For some odd reason, I envied kids with sharpeners that came in various shapes, castles, animals, you name it, without considering the thought my mother put into a trivial detail, such as pencil sharpening.

When I regain my obsession with wooden pencils, I too sharpen them with a blade for nostalgic reason, but I do get lazy, since I am only human.  I tried a sharpener by Kum that is meant for hexagonal and triangular pencils, I was a bit disappointed.  It not only eats the wood, but also makes the lead look a bit awkward.  Back to the market to look for a small portable one.  When I see T’Gaal Pencil sharpener by Stad on JetPens, I am intrigued by different sharpening that this little sharpener can do.

T’Gaal sharpener is smaller than it appears, measures 5.72 cm ( 2.25 inch) on the longest part.  The shape of it makes it easy and comfortable to hold, for both children and adults.  The dial that adjusts different sharpening angles is a transparent but matching color to the body, and one would turn counterclockwise to adjust.  There is a printed chart on the back of the packaging tells you which angle is suitable for which pencil.  1 and 2 are for colored pencils, 3 and 4 for other graphite.  The larger the number, longer the lead core is sharpened.  There is also a closing mechanism so none of the pencil shaving would spill.

To open the sharpener, turn to its back and you will find a piece with grip mark/ grooves imprint.  Gently slide it open, and voila, you can empty the sharpener.

So, how does it sharpen?  I have to say that I am quite impressed.  I grab a handful of random pencils I can find in the pencil holder for test.  The picture on the left shows how they look like before getting a hair cut by the T’Gaal sharpener.

If you look at the Rhodia pencil (the bright orange with black Linden Wood center), it was previously sharpened by Kum specialized sharpener.  The lead core looks a bit awkward, isn’t it?  The

If you look at the Rhodia pencil (the bright orange with black Linden Wood center), it was previously sharpened by Kum specialized sharpener.  The lead core looks a bit awkward, isn’t it?  The Lorex Project pencil (the one with the sunflower imprint) was a pain in the neck to sharpen by most sharpeners (even blade) due to the composite wood chip material. Now, look at the picture on the right.  Do they not look a bit happier?  The wooden shaving looks a bit more uniformed and the lead core are pointed and spiffy.

How does it do with colored pencils?  This is the first time I ever sharpen these Staedtler Ergosoft, so I am a bit nervous as to how they would turn out.  You can see the result in the right picture.  The sharpening looks almost identical to the manufacturer’s.

Most people who adore wooden pencils love wood, so they feel the pinch on the heart when the pencils need to be sharpened.  How much wood does T’Gaal taken away?  From the above picture, it does not look much.  Each pencil is sharpened in about 2 complete rotation, if not 3.  Even if you are an avid pencil user, the pencils will not melt away right before your eyes.

T’Gaal definitely outperforms the Kum I bought previously and I would recommend this little sharpener to any pencil users.  It is portable, lightweight, and effective.

Want to see it for yourself?  You can find this dandy sharpener at JetPens and selected Kinokuniya stores.

DISCLAIMER:  This sharpener was purchased with a generous sponsorship provided by JetPens.  All opinions on the products are entirely mine.  I am not compensated monetarily otherwise, nor am I affiliated professionally with the company.