Side by Side Comparison of: School Smart vs Top Quality Art Supplies

My husband needed a basic, plug-in sharpener. This was his choice. It's just like one he used for years. He's satisfied. Side note: my 8 yr. old granddaughter tested it. Grandpa gave her a couple of boxes of old pencils that were in dire need of sharpening. She stood there for over half an hour sharpening every single one of those old pencils and enjoyed every minute of it! She loves tasks! Anyway, this is a good, dependable pencil sharpener!

I bought this pencil sharpener 2 years ago and absolutely love it! It sharpens well and is reliable. We use it daily in our homeschool. Unfortunately, one of my children accidentally stuck a pencil in eraser side first and the eraser broke off in the sharpening mechanism. After unsuccessfully trying to get it out, we decided to just get a new one. There was no question as to which sharpener to order. I've tried various sharpeners in the past and none of the others compare. This is the best, hands down - especially at such a reasonable price! The only regret you'll have is not buying it sooner.

This thing is amazing! The pencils come out super sharp, and it is fast too! Other reviews say it's loud, but I think it's just average in noise, nothing obnoxious at all. It replaced a pencil sharpener I'd bought just a few months ago, that thing does not even compare to this beauty. And speaking of beauty, it looks awesome on the desk, handsome design. It's nice and heavy, so it doesn't move when I use it, and the whole office loves it! I might buy another one for home use, I love it so much!

Purchased for my school-aged son who likes to have super sharp pencils for math homework. Holding up well after a few months and accidentally drops onto a hardwood floor. Recommended.

It's nice and heavy and puts a fine point on the pencils. Mine leaves slightly more wood on one side so I try to turn it once while sharpening to even out the points. It comes with a nice long cord so doesn't have to be located too close to an outlet. I haven't owned it long enough to know if it will last - it already outlasted the last pencil sharpener I bought which didn't even make it through the back-to-school pencils for my 3 kids! This one handled that easily.

The parameters for my pencil sharpener search were for something reliable, sturdy, and affordable without going "cheap". The sharpener will only be needed for occasional use but shouldn't be something that dies after a few years. The School Smart Sharpener definitely falls into my requirements and I must say "Heavy Duty" is a proper description.If you're looking for a whisper quiet sharpener then don't even consider this one. When sharpening a pencil the sound emitted could be compared to a piece of oak being run through a wood chipper. The grinding sounds communicate to the operator that this machine means business and will heartily handle the task at hand. The end result is a quickly sharpened pencil with pointed tips and a smooth taper. Most sharpeners labor for a time to grind a fresh, out-of-the-pack pencil to a point, but not this bad boy. It grinds away like a voracious beaver, making quick work of the task.I have no doubt this will be the last sharpener I buy/

If you are looking for a sharpener you MUST buy this one. I have never had a sharpener work so flawlessly. Super sharp tip every time!!

This little sharpener works as promised. Easy to use and costs little to operate. I can use AA batteries or use the USB cable that comes with the unit. I connect the USB cable to my laptop and sharpen pencils effortlessly. IT also comes with a spare blade.All in all, it is a great buy.

I love it! It sharpens fast and at a great sharpness

[...]I bought this to use for our homeschool. We have a large family and were constantly breaking pencil sharpeners. Found this one while looking around on Amazon and figured we would give it a try. I was very impressed with how well it worked. It works really well for being so tiny. It takes up very little desk space and is very portable!It leaves a very nice strong tip on the pencil when it is sharpened. We were constantly breaking brand new tips off with our other sharpeners.We are constantly using this pencil sharpener. I have recommended it to friends and family as well as given it a positive review on my blog.We have only had it a few weeks. I have been impressed with it so far...and look forward to see how it holds up to our daily use over time.My only small complaint would be that the shaving compartment fills up quickly...but then again..it could just be the volume of people who regularly use it at our house.This large family gives this a big thumbs up!

I'll be honest with you: I purchase what I thought was a cheap pencil sharpener. I did it on purpose because my boy loves sharpening pencils and has a long history of wearing out even the most expensive sharpeners. After a quick cost-benefit analysis, hubs and I decided $10 (the cost of this sharpener) a month was well worth the indulgence.I thought at this low price, the blade would be dull or would sharpen unevenly. I was wrong. This may be the best sharpener we have ever purchased! We've had this sharpener for a while now, and I think I severely underestimated its sturdiness. It's not delicately built. The shavings cup fits snugly and doesn't fall off, but is easy to remove for emptying.The listing says "battery operated," and it is, but it also comes with an USB charging cord. Score! I keep it "plugged into" my computer, but have also installed batteries so my boy can sharpen pencils in his room when he likes.I feel ridiculous being so enthusiastic about a pencil sharpener, but if you happen to be an Autism mom/dad, I think you'll understand. The rest of you? Take my word for it: this little sharpener is the one you want.

 Wow! I'm not hyping this product up and I'm not easy to please, but this sharpener is fantastic! Interestingly enough, I just spend a lot of money on a Bosch electric sharpener and it was a piece of crap. I was skeptic about this one because it's not a "brand" that I would buy - but take a look at the video when I tested this product - it will speak for itself!The is a compact sharperner that you can place in the corner of your desk - doesn't take a lot of room. It's powered by either 4 AA batts or by a USB cable attached to your computer or wall - awesome idea! It's a no fuss sharperner that works really well. I inserted the sharperner for less than 5 seconds and the outcome was sooo sharp and fine! The blades are super sharp. It actually comes with a tiny screw driver which will help you change the blade or sharpen it. Absolutely love this electric sharperner and highly recommend it.I purchased this as a bundle with the coloring book and set of coloring pencils. The bundle will make a great gift. I purchased it as a discounted rate in exchange for product testing and unbiased review and feedback. Glad that I had the opportunity to do so.

So far we are liking this pencil sharpener in our home school. It is on the louder side, but I keep the sharpener in the kitchen rather than the school room, so it doesn't interrupt us. It isn't quite as fast as I'd like, but it does make a nice point. Unfortunately, it only seems to sharpen one side, but you just have to rotate the pencil a little while it's sharpening. You do have to make sure that the pencil shaving tray is popped in completely. If it's even open a crack, pencil shavings will come flying out. For the price, though, we are satisfied with what we have.

Finally after many, many years and numerous falls from a desk, my Panasonic sharpener was no more. I love writing with pencils. I have at least 6 different types on my desk right now, so you can image how unhappy I was to read the crappy reviews most sharpeners received on amazon. To my surprise, some people have gotten desperate enough to purchase, and not cheaply, a used Panasonic from this site. I ordered this sharpener expecting very little but a stand-in before I could get my Panasonic fixed. Surprise, surprise-it's great. Very sharp pencils which are evenly sharpened.UPDATE to the above. There are two things to be aware of: it makes pencils almost too sharp to write with so a little itty bitty piece of the tip comes off and it tends to use a lot of the pencil itself up when you sharpen them. I still like it and recommend it...but it's not my Panasonic.

You have to hold it to keep it from sliding but it does sharpen your pencils. You also have to empty it after every 2-3 sharpenings so I wouldn't recommend for school or business use. Good, economical option for home office or student use, though.

I bought this electric pencil sharpener after going through several cheap ones, including a battery-powered single-blade one that cost more and tended not to sharpen the pencils properly or else break the lead near the end of the sharpening. My 2nd-grade son loves to sharpen pencils, whether they need it or not, since his teacher required us to send in several boxes of pre-sharpened pencils. I guess most 2nd-graders love to sharpen their pencils in class which is likely why she made the requirement :). Anyway, he went through several mechanical pencils before we switched back to the tried & true wooden pencils, since I can buy a box of those for the price of one mechanical pencil. Plus he loses pencils everywhere - found one in the sofa after I sat down - OUCH!This sharpener is very well-built and looks to be durable for years if not decades. It uses the helix sharpening blades like the old & reliable mechanical sharpeners that mounted on a wall or desk. Gives a precise sharpened point and does not break the lead even in the unskilled hands of a 2nd-grader. Fairly quiet operation as well - I guess mine is not as loud as some other reviewers here. The shavings tray also appears reasonably sized, and I don't worry about it anyway as my son also loves to empty it into the trash. Now if he would just get a job so he can pay for these "luxuries", I'd be all set :).

For years, I have been buying another brand of pencil sharpener for my classroom. The quality and lifespan of that product had always been high (up to 140 middle school kids using several of these sharpeners on a daily basis). Lately, they haven't been surviving as long as they had in the past. Then, I looked at different brands and their reviews on Amazon and found this School Smart model. Never heard of the brand. There were so many positive comments, until I had to give it a try. Solid construction. Quick sharpening mechanism. Nice size for crowded classroom ledges or the tops of bookcases. And the kids like the way it gives them that 'quick' point. So far, so very good!

We love our pencil sharpener. The first time we used it, my kids tried to sharpen every pencil they own, so it over heated and stopped working. I read over the manual which gave the reason. We let it sit for a half hour to cool down. Now it is back to functioning perfectly. We know now to not sharpen too many pencils at once. Gives a great tip and it is easy to use.

Top Quality Art Supplies Battery Operated Pencil Sharpener (TQEPS-0815) Nice sharpener for desktop. I'm not a power user, but this unit works well and does not "bog down" when sharpening a pencil. I use #2 and colored pencils at work, and find this to be handy, non-obtrusive and small and stylish enough to keep out on the desktop. I appreciate the ability to use a USB connection for power if you do not want to use batteries, but batteries are nice so that this unit can travel nicely. For USB power I plug it into a power bank, not my computer, although I'm certain that would work as well. I've used it several months without any issues. The waste container that holds the shavings detaches and reattaches easily. An extra blade is provided on the bottom of the case for that time when the cutting starts to dull, a nice extra bonus. I anticipate this working for my needs for several years. Having the immediate ability to sharpen pencils with a motorized device is better than what I can do by hand with a manual pencil sharpener. Fast, well-balanced sharpening at your fingertips. Helpful device.

I was kind of excited to try this because I hate manual pencil sharpeners. The very compact and thin and easy to carry in a bag and doesn't take up much space on a shelf. I love that there are 2 ways to operate it, with batteries or a USB port with the cord it came with. Very nice to have both options. Inside the battery slot was a tiny screw driver which is nice to have as well. My only issues is that it was really wobbly and it wouldn't consistently sharpened until I got the hang of how to keep it down but not pushed down too far. It's very fast at sharpening and perfect for our house with as many pencils as we go through for school and work and etc.I did get to try this free but these are my own opinions and experiences.

This is a small, compact battery-operated automatic sharpener which can also be powered by the USB cord included in the pack. I like that I can just plug it in my laptop, using the USB cord, because it saves me from using batteries. There is an extra blade included at the bottom which is nice. This is easy to use, although I have to grip the pencil a bit hard to prevent it from "turning" when the blade turns. Also, the clear case which holds the pencil trimmings doesn't have any side/bottom support so when I pull it out, I have to make sure that I'm beside the trash can so that the trimmings wouldn't spill out. My daughters, who are 5 and 7, tried to sharpen their pencils but needed my help. I tried sharpening pencils and colored pencils here with no problems. Overall, I give it a 4-star since it does what it's supposed to do and sharpens pencils and colored pencils nice and sharp.

So far I am very impressed with this product. The innocent looking box does not tell you that the designers have imagined every situation in which you might need a pencil sharpener and have provided you with the tools to adapt. The device is compact and can be used with batteries, a USB port, or an electrical outlet. It comes with the USB cable connection. (I use the power adapter that came with my iPhone to plug it into an indoor power outlet).The sharpener comes with a second blade plus a tool to remove the blade from a secure location. AND it works beautifully. I only tried it once, though.The reason I did not give it 5 stars is that I have not used it enough to know if I love it and I have not tried to change the blade nor emptied the shavings. I bought this product because I bought colored pencils and a coloring book. I don't normally use pencils so have no way to judge its utility yet.

Not a bad little sharpener- it runs well from a USB adapter (without any batteries inside); be aware they include the special cord (nice 1m. long) but you have to furnish the USB power supply. I don't recommend using your laptop; get a little "brick" like an iPhone charger or the generic equivalent- they're all the same. The sharpener quickly puts a nice point on, with minimal pencil length consumption! The point is a little short, versus say a Panasonic desk unit; it's more comparable to a hand-held sharpener, see photo. The unit seems to be well-made and should last since I use it infrequently and will keep it from abuse. It's 100% plastic and a herd of middle-schoolers might kill it in a few days, but they could likewise kill a block of solid iron on a few days, eh? This sharpener is a good value. Hey, its "#1 SELLER" brand for a reason, right!

Though on the cheap side, this sharpener does the job. It says it can be used with an ac adaptor not included. Make sure your computer is powered on or the sharpener won't have juice to work. It's not very powerful and is slow and sluggish to sharpen but I did get nice sharp points on my pencils. When you receive this, you will hear a rattling noise coming from the battery compartment don't panic as it is the screwdriver included to change out your blade when it gets dull. There is a spare blade stored in the battery compartment. When emptying out the pencil shavings, trying to put the cover back on is challenging. Don't force it as it is thin plastic and could crack easily. The sharpener itself is on the small size which I personally prefer as it doesn't waste desk space.Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

It came damaged! Even with all the packaging support inside the box, the sharpener was dented the drawer that holds the pencil shavings is extremely difficult to put back in once you've taken it out. If it weren't for the damages, I would leave a better review because it sharpens very well.

very well made.i am sharpening #2 pencils.sharpens well;however,pencil points are a little rough afterwards,and at times,do not write smoothly at first.overall,rates better than my previous sharpeners by other manufacturers.

I was hoping the would be great because of the reviews- but when sharpening pencils it seems to sharpen one side more- the lead doesn't seem to be even all around the pencil - it does get it nice a sharp

The motor strength works well in this sharpener, however, you have to sometime get the pencil in just right for it to work well. Also, the trap for the shavings will pop off at times so I have to hold it in place while sharpening a pencil. Just has a few quirks.

This would be a great item except for the safety feature of the little knob on the back of the tray, mine broke off and I had to stick something in the back of the machine to hold the button down and now my tray of course wont go all the way in. Sharpens great.

It's not battery powered, so you need to be near an outlet.Not the most powerful I've used, but it works great.There must be a better one out there for the money, but we'll stick with this one until it breaks down.

I needed a new pencil sharpener and wanted a hand crank model, but thought maybe electric or battery powered one would be easier to deal with. So, I ended up getting this one here. It's easy to use after you insert the 4 "AA" batteries [not included] or USB cable [included]. This sharpener does not sharpen my pencils very sharp...until you actually have to rotate the pencil some while it's being sharpened to get it sharp. It did not indicate that in the instructions & I found this out by mistake. Easy to dump bin for pencil shavings. I think there are better pencil sharpeners out there, but for the money, this one is just fine and will do the job alright with some effort.

My department has used up its supply budget for the year and my pencil sharpeners were broken, so I decided to invest a little personal money in one to get me through the rest of the year but didn't want to pay the big bucks for a nice one. This sharpener was smaller than I expected it to be...I can see why other reviewers said it was a good backpack sharpener now! It works great with regular pencils. However, the product description specifically says that it does work with colored pencils and I did not find that to be the case. I tried with 4 or 5 regular Crayola colored pencils that had already been sharpened before but didn't have a point. 3 of them broke off in the sharpener, and one sharpened somewhat but the wood of the pencil cracked. This is using battery power; I have not yet tested using the USB cable, though I will update this review if I find the results to be different depending on the power source. Ultimately, fine for the price, and much less time consuming than hand sharpeners, but not everything it's cracked up to be.

it works, but only barely. Have tried replacing batteries over and over to get more power, but this thing just can't seem to sharpen a pencil anymore after a week or so of use.4/15/16 - I'm updating this based on support by the supplier. This is one of the most concerned suppliers I've ever dealt with. When they saw my negative review they called me and sent me a new sharpener. They also relayed there was a spare blade in the device. With their input I found it, I wondered what the small screwdriver was for. The blade is almost too small to be believed. I was able to change it out and my original sharpener worked fine again. When the new device came I tried this one out as well. It works, but really only with the USB power cord. Unfortunately I could not close the battery compartment. I tried both bottom panels on my first sharpener and they both worked fine. I then tried both panels on the new sharpener and neither can hold batteries in place, they immediately drop out if the sharpener is picked up and you have to slide it onto the table to keep it closed. Had the second one worked properly I would have rated this a 4 however the need for quick changeout of blade on first one (obviously a known issue since a replacement blade and screwdriver is sent with every device) combined with the defect on the second device necessitates a lower rating. This vendor is one of the best I've worked with and is generally concerned about customer experiences.

From the picture I could not tell how small this sharpener is. It is tiny! (you can see by the picture how small it is when sitting next to a sharpie marker) It requires 4 double A batteries unless you plug it in. The plug that comes with the sharpener is a USB cord so I have to have it by my computer or purchase an adapter. The door that you remove to empty shavings is very flimsy and you must bring the sharpener to the trash can because it is just a door, not an actual tray that holds the shavings. The sharpener itself does a nice job, so far. I was just not expecting it to be so small. I wanted it for my classroom and the description led me to believe it would be good for that. It would be fine as a home sharpener, but not one for a classroom of 20 8 year olds.

I don't understand how this sharpener has like a 4.5 star review. It is small and compact and can be operated by battery or by plugging into a USB port which is nice. However, it doesn't get my colored pencils nearly as sharp as I was expecting. I have used on various different brands as well. I have yet to get a good point. It does sharpen, but not enough. Comes with an extra blade for when the current goes dull - perhaps I need to try this now.

Recently picked up this sharpener to use with some colored pencils. Here are some pros & cons that i've found:PROS:+ Great small size, takes up very little space on the desk or in your bag+ Does a great job at sharpening regular pencils or colored pencils that aren't too soft+ Large container to hold lots of shavings+ Great price for an electric sharpenerCONS:- Pencils tend to wobble a bit when being sharpened making this not the best sharpener for softer or weak pencils. Tends to break weak pencils consistently.- The container for shavings isn't self contained, if you open it shavings will go everywhere so just open it over a garbage canOverall this is a very good sharpener for the money. If you are looking for a compact pencil sharpener for regular pencils this should do a great job for you.I was provided this product in exchange for my honest review.

Seems durable enough but never able to get a symmetric point - always leaves one half of the point wood. I've tried many pencils, all the same result. It seems good pencil sharpeners are a thing of the past, maybe it's a sign of the times.

I spent over $30 for a pencil sharpener and it didn't last a year. It now sharpens the pencils roughly and makes a struggling noise. I sharpen multiple (5-10) pencils daily and I am the only person to touch it.

I bought this sharpener about 6 months ago. It worked great and the kids used it several times a week. Then it just died. It is a solidly built device, but it must have cheap inner parts. I am very disappointed it didn't work out. If it hadn't died so quickly, I would have given it 5 stars.

I returned this pencil sharpener, because it does not sharpen the pencils symmetrically. Significantly more wood is shaved off of one side than the other. This makes it much easier to break the lead.

Powerful sharpener, but it eats up pencils and not all the shavings go into the bin. We debated returning the sharpener but got lazy.

First sharpener lasted 2 weeks. I exchanged it for another, however after 2 months this one has broken as well. Why can't I find an electric sharpener that will last? I have 3 kids, so I need something fairly heavy duty. What is out there?

I was impressed by the price of this sharpener considering it was electric and had good reviews.I bought it for my boys ,one who is in 1st grade.Its small and did the job.It sharpen as well as any other sharpener I've used but it was fine.It had a weird noise while it sharpened.so it definitely was useful until today.(4-26-2016) It stopped working.Even with the cord.I empited out the shaving.I used another wall outlet and nothing.I ordered this back in February.

I'm impressed. I wrote a negative review Below). Was called by Top Quality Art Supplies. They had a bad batch and I rec'd one. Within a week a had a brand new sharpener which works. That's service!!!After 2 weeks it stopped sharpening pencils to a point.I've tried everything (cleaning it out, taking the blade out) and I only get a "dull" point.I'm disappointed. I need a razor sharp point every time.Will you replace it or do I need to put it in the trash and try someone else?

What a piece of junk! I usually don't give items that I order such a harsh review but this time I am making an exception! I could gnaw the pencils to a point better than this thing! It's also difficult to get the front off to empty shavings (seriously, what shavings?) and I fiddled with it for five minutes before the cover fit back on again. And they give you this stupid screwdriver so that you can fiddle around with this some more in order to change the blade. Seriously? I wouldn't bother! It would take more time and effort than this piece of garbage is worth! People who claim here that this is "awesome" and "the best pencil sharpener ever" must have been using old sandpaper to sharpen pencils prior to using this. Seriously. I suppose if you only sharpen one pencil a week then it might suit your needs, but for multiple pencils that you need at some point in this lifetime, not so much.

Pure crap for the money. Cheap Chinese plastic. This thing is teeny tiny {fits in palm of your hand} and looks and feels like one of those "free" gifts you get for sitting in a hellish 3 hour Time Share presentation. It sharpens SOME pencils. This sharpener cannot handle pencils that have images or designs printed on them as it just grinds and grinds but cannot produce a point. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra $10 or so and get the hand cranked gear sharpener.

barely sharpens..U have to hold pencil down very firmley to sharpen..sharpens sometimes sometimes id doesn't. low quality..took a week to be delivered by UPS.I have prime..will probably send back..not worth 10.00. usb charge does not work..24 hrs..still not sharp.

I wanted to like it based on the reviews, however, within a week the pencil sharpener started to make this awful whine noise while sharpening. It also does not seem to sharpen consistently. I get a great point one time, then broken pencils, or one-sided sharpening the next. It is also very small, which I actually initially liked because I wanted something compact, however, it feels somewhat flimsy, and cheaply constructed. I continually got the sense that it was just a matter of time before it something would break. The final straw was when the battery door broke last night.

Worked pretty well, until it stopped working. Just came on here to see how long ago I bought it, and it was 4 years. We don't sharpen THAT many pencils (maybe 15-20 per year, just at back-to-school time), so would've thought it'd last much longer. Bummer.

Died after only 5 months. Absolutely not heavy duty! I had a Panasonic that lasted for 18 years. This one not even 5 months properly. This was being used by 8 year old at least twice a week, maybe. I certainly don't recommend it!!

This pencil sharpener is not sturdy at all. within sharpening just a few pencils it jammed. no way to unjam it. had to return it. same thing happened with the first one i bought. i thought it was me, but with this second try, i just don't think its sturdy enough.

I must have received a lemon because this sharpens very unevenly...consistently uneven not due to off-center lead as it occurs for all pencils I tried.

This stopped working after we sharpened 5 pencils the afternoon we received it. I do not recommend it.

I purchased this about 18 months ago and literally sharpened less than 10 pencils. I just tried to use it and nothing happens when I put the pencil in. It seems like the motor is out, but I can't find any way to fix it. Very disappointed, considering it was advertised as a "heavy-duty" sharpener!

Purchased this for light home use for my son's homeschooling. It worked ok at first, not wonderfully powerful but got the job done good enough for a six year old to use for his school work. It has seen light use and now, after nine months, it stopped working. I would not recommend this at all. It was a waste of money. I just purchased a different brand for $15 on sale (regularly $18) and so far it is much more powerful and gets the pencils nice and sharp. We will see if it holds up better than this one. If it doesn't, I'm starting to think a nice manual sharpener might be the way to go.

This sharpener is AWFUL. They are right. It is the No.1 seller just because it is CHEAP. Specifically, my every pencil got stuck inside and break their tips. You know what, it is EVERYTIME. Besides, my pencil became shorter and shorter even though I just put it into the sharpener for few seconds. Actually, it is not bad for the regular pencil. However, as for the colored pencils, it is just a disaster. The sharpener cannot sharpen my colored pencil at all. Moreover, this teeny tiny sharpener occurred a large sound while using it, which is so annoying. I am wondering why so many people are satisfied with this purchase. For me, this experience is BAD, EXTREMELY BAD. Guys, please, don not buy it. Or you would stare at the computer screen and type a bunch of disappointing words with anger just like what I am doing now. Thanks for reading.

AWFUL! Absolutley the worst pencil sharpner I have ever bought! I bought it because the reviews were so good. I'm having the opposite experience. It worked ok when we first got it, now it just chews pencils and snaps the lead. If your lucky to get the pencil sharpened it's so pointy and brittle that it breaks. If I could of given no stars or negative stars I would have. Throwing it out

I cannot get this to work. Almost every time a pencil is sharpened, the tip snaps off and gets stuck in the blade. Then I have to take off the cover, knock the graphite out, and try again. I've started with several unsharpened pencils, and repeated this process until the pencil was a 2" nub before I could actually use it. I've tried several different brands and types of pencils and all of them have had the same issue, so I don't think they are the problem.

After all of the positive reviews, I figured I would buy it. I do like the fact that it can be powered by USB. It is noisey, but it is for home use, so who cares. The biggest issue is that it does not do a good job sharpening. It has literally eaten several pencils. I have tried holding the pencil lighter, but then it just spins in circles, so you have to hold it in pretty hard. When you do, it warbles and then the pencil gets torn up. I have had it get a nice point and then the led falls out!It is nice and compact and is easy to empty, so I will give it that.I used to have manual one and we did not have these problems. I wish that it worked better because we really need a good sharpener. I think I will return this and get a more expensive one. I guess you get what you paid for! Also pretty annoyed that 3 days after I receive the item, it goes down by $2. But I guess it doesn't matter, as it is getting returned.

I opened this as soon as I received because my son has so many unsharpened pencils at home. I was so excited, but very disappointed. I tried to sharpen one of his new Halloween pencils and the shavings got all caught up in the blade and it wouldn't even continue to turn. I had to clean out the compartment and clear out the blade twice before it would sharpen one pencil. I am sending back.