Faber-Castell Hand Crank Sharpener Review: A Lightweight Long-Point Option for Colored Pencil Artists

Introduction

Hand crank sharpeners occupy a useful middle ground between cheap handheld sharpeners and bulky desktop models. The Faber-Castell hand crank sharpener tested here is a small, lightweight plastic unit that aims squarely at colored pencil artists, particularly those who favor the long point format. After putting it through a full set of sharpening tests with brand-new pencils, here is how it performs and who it actually suits.

One thing worth flagging up front: this model could not be found on the official Faber-Castell website, and an inquiry sent to the company went unanswered. The box carries the Faber-Castell name and logo, but its authenticity as an official product could not be fully confirmed. That does not change how it performs, but it is a detail buyers should be aware of.

First Impressions and Build Quality

Out of the box, the sharpener is genuinely small and very lightweight, with a body made entirely of hard plastic. The Faber-Castell logo appears on both the front and back of the casing. It feels like a portable tool rather than a studio anchor, which has clear advantages for artists who work at different desks or like to keep their kit minimal.

A rubber pad on the underside helps keep it steady on the desk while you crank. Because the body is so light, you still need to hold it while sharpening, but the grip does not slide around the way it might on a hard plastic base alone.

Easy Emptying and Everyday Use

One of the standout design choices is the emptying mechanism. Instead of the pull-out drawer found on many hand crank sharpeners, this one has a small square button on the back. Press it and the bottom of the sharpener flips down on a spring, letting shavings drop straight into a bin. Push the flap back up and you are ready to continue.

The chamber also holds a decent volume of shavings, so you will not need to empty it after every pencil. If anything clogs inside, the blade assembly can be pulled out for cleaning, just like on most traditional crank sharpeners.

No Pins, No Fuss

The biggest usability difference compared with typical hand crank sharpeners is what is missing. Most models use two small pins at the top that you squeeze together to open the jaws holding the pencil. For anyone with arthritis in their hands or wrists, that pin mechanism can be genuinely difficult to manage.

This sharpener has none of that. You simply slot the pencil in, set the point dial, and turn the crank. The mechanism is light and low-effort throughout, making it one of the more accessible crank sharpeners around for anyone with limited hand strength. You do lose one feature in exchange: there are no mounting holes for clipping the unit to a desk, so it must be held by hand during use.

Seven Point Settings, Three Icons

On the back, three icons suggest three point types: dull, medium, and sharp. In practice, the dial actually offers seven positions. The icons are simply reference markers, and it takes a bit of experimentation to realize you can stop anywhere between them. From dullest to sharpest there is a real difference, but it is not dramatic, and the intermediate settings produce only subtle changes.

Testing with brand-new Derwent Studio pencils across the range showed that every setting produces a long point. That is the defining character of this sharpener: it is a long point design through and through. The Derwent Drawing, with its larger barrel, also fits and sharpens well, producing an extremely long, fine point that layered colored pencil work benefits from.

Who the Long Point Suits

A long point has a specific artistic purpose. It forces very light pressure when laying down color, which suits artists who build up layers gradually. For them, this is a genuinely good tool.

For artists who work with a heavier hand or prefer a short, sharply detailed core for fine detail work, the long point format can be frustrating. The delicate tip is easy to snap, and the point tends to feel slightly squared off at the very tip compared with what a small handheld sharpener can produce. If you tend to press hard, you may find yourself wasting a lot of pencil in broken tips.

Pencil Compatibility

Barrel size matters with this sharpener. Standard round and hexagonal pencils up to roughly an 8mm barrel fit and sharpen without issue, including slim barrels like the Derwent Studio and the larger Derwent Drawing.

Triangular or unusually girthy barrels, such as the Koh-i-Noor Aquarelle Magic, do not fit. If your pencil collection leans toward chunky or triangular barrels, this sharpener will not accommodate them.

Buying Advice

This sharpener makes sense for three kinds of buyers: colored pencil artists who specifically like the long point format, anyone with arthritis or limited hand strength who struggles with pin-style crank sharpeners, and artists who value a light, portable tool with an easy press-button emptying system.

If you prefer short, razor-sharp detail points, or you need a desk-mountable sharpener with pencil guides, this is not the right pick, and a compact handheld sharpener or a traditional desk crank will serve you better. The unresolved question over whether this is an official Faber-Castell product is also worth weighing, though the tool itself performed consistently across all test pencils.

Conclusion

The Faber-Castell hand crank sharpener is a light, easy-to-use long point sharpener with seven subtle point settings, a clever spring-loaded shavings door, and an unusually accessible pin-free design. It will not suit every sharpening style, and heavy-handed artists in particular may struggle with the fragile long tips it produces. For long point enthusiasts and anyone who finds conventional crank sharpeners hard on the hands, though, it is a strong, practical choice.