I've been looking for a good manual pencil sharpener that used a spiral rotary cutter like this one. My brother has one of these and when I tried it I really liked it. The price was great so I bought one.

So why only 4 stars? Well, the one my brother has stops grinding the pencil once it's sharp! That a really nice feature and the primary reason I bought this brand and unit. It automatically feeds in the pencil and is supposed to stop feeding and grinding when the pencil is sharp. My unit didn't, it kept feeding and grinding down the pencil as long as you turned the crank. If you didn't pay attention you could grind through 2 inches of pencil pretty fast.

I removed the crank mechanism from the sharpener and saw how it was designed. I figured out why it didn't stop sharpening the pencil and was able to make an alteration to the mechanism to stop the pencil from feeding in once is was sharp. The fix I did was not trivial and is beyond what most people could do at home. This sharpener is supposed to work this way and obviously had not been properly quality controlled at the factory.

Pencils come out super sharp! (Too sharp if you are worried about small children ;) )
I get very excited about sharpening my pencils b/c they come out so crisp/sharp.
Attachement that comes in the box to secure on a desk is a nice add-on.
(FIY my 3 yo managed to undo the attachment lol)
I sharpened about a dozen of pencils and still the pencil shavings were only like 1/3 of the way so this would be perfect if you plan on using the sharpener for multiple pencils at once.

Sharpens like a champ! I got this for my Art classroom. But the kids still jam it by breaking lead in there. It's easy to fix by pulling out the crank and banging it once or twice on my desk. But I get frustrated when I have to do that too many times during the class period. All in all, the best pencil sharpener I have had in my classroom. And the kids are fascinated by it. I have had about a million pencil sharpeners and this one is the best so far! Once I determine it's longevity I will consider buying more to keep around the room.

My 7th graders figured out how to use it quickly, and they can sharpen a pencil in no time with not a lot of noise. It sharpens even those plastic coated/wrapped pencils with ease that typically ruin sharpeners. Easy to clean, sturdy, and easy on the ears. The clamping mechanism is not the greatest, and I can not clamp it to a desk or table without it becoming all wonky (especially the tapered edges of our desks). However, this isn't as big of a deal breaker as it could be. I have bought $200.00 electric sharpeners with my own money only to have them crap out after 2 years, or the kids manage to do something so crazy (sharpen a pencil backwards when there is a substitute), to break the sharpener. This one probably can be broken but it looks like I can manage to fix it easily. This is the best money I have spent on a sharpener that gets pencils, even colored pencils, super sharp.

I love this sharpener for my 4th grade students. In the past, I have had SUCH bad luck with electric sharpeners. They are loud and annoying, get jammed, quit working, and/or simply don't retain their sharpening powers. Upon receiving this sharpener, I was a bit confused as to how it works, since it did not come with instructions. However, after reading other reviews and messing with it for a few minutes, I figured it out. Other teachers in my district who have also purchased this sharpener do not allow their students to use it, but I am not one who wants or has time for pencil-sharpening duty. So, I taught and retaught my students how to use it correctly and it has been a wonderful addition to our classroom. It is quiet and once students get the hang of using it correctly (I also posted a how-to note by it), it has kept pencils super sharp for weeks already. The only advice I will give is to forget about the vice thing which is supposed to hold it in place on a desk or table. It came off and undone several times a day due to repeated use by students and it became super annoying to put back on. So, I took it off and the sharpener sits freely on a table and students can still use it effectively. Time will tell how long it will last but I am optimistic and it was well worth the money!