A long time ago I switched to using a mechanical pencil for writing and drawing. One of the main reasons for this was that I hated sticking my pencil in a sharpener, and losing half of it in the process. The only one that really ever did the trick properly was a tiny handheld one with a single razor blade (which I still keep in my desk drawer). So if you’re determined to keep your old-fashioned wooden pencils, and want the best sharpener that money can buy, I might suggest the Caran d’Ache Pencil Sharpener.

It’s hard to get excited about a device that does little more than add a point to a writing utensil. However, this Swiss-made piece of machinery was designed to create the perfect point every time. Featuring a pencil clamp the holds the pencil firmly in place, and an adjuster that lets you specify how long the point should be, it’s enough to make me want to switch back to my old wooden pencils. Then again, for the $165 price, I could buy a lot of mechanical ones.