THANK YOU Jason. Finding quality advice about sharpeners was such a difficult thing when I started with pastels. There is so much unhelpful advice online, and like you mentioned you do need different tools for soft and hard leads. The M&R blades work perfectly for the Derwent I bought - except for one color which I suspect is faulty and has internal damage. In fact if you buy the dual sized M&R sharpeners they work great for both soft and hard lead pastel pencils, since different brands have slightly different pencil widths.
I bought a Derwent that you reviewed in your previous video and it’s been just as durable as the one you describe here. It handles the larger diameter pencils, too. Also, I frequently use the School Smart electric sharpener for my Carbothello pencils when I need a super-sharp point for very small detail work, but it doesn’t accept the larger width pencils. Thank you for the tips and tricks videos, I think they help us a lot.
hi, just found how to sharpen the dreaded contes in the swordfish. the issie seems to be the wood casing. solution expose 1-2cm of pastel with a knife and cut off more wood so its thinner again around 1-2cm. so all your doing is shaping the pastel core. prob works with other cranks too.
Like most people I too found my Pitt pencils blunted my pencil sharpener, even the one you recommended Jason. I have had mine for six months and it is now pretty useless. I found this info on the Faber Castell website: Electric and handheld sharpeners should not be used when sharpening the Pitt Pastel Pencil. The lead contains quartz sand which makes the blade go blunt. A sharpening knife should be used for best results.
Six months is not bad. Mine lasted over a year and just £6 for a new blade or less than £10 for a new sharpener in the UK. I'm happy to pay that price not to sharpen with a knife. Works out less that £2 a month
My Rapesco 64 is a few years old and has sharpened 1000's of pencils of all types and makes. However, I used Pitt pastel pencils for the first time this week and it's gone completely blunt after 5 uses. I switched to hand held sharpeners and they too all went blunt almost imediately. I had to resort to a blade to finish the project. I've bought a new sharpener but reluctant to use the Pitt pencils again. Do any of your followers have any success with Pitt pastels and sharpeners?
Great tips! Especially for, don't wait until auto stop. If I did that I'd lose like half a pencil. XD I literally count the number of turns when sharpening my cp for min. waste. Recently got 2 hole KUM Magnesium hand held sharpener (sells on Jackson's as Caran d'Ache sharpener) to see if I can use that on my breaking Carbothellos. Thinking about getting a separate sharpener for my pastels (very happy with Helix for cp), so might try this one, will see.
I had a battery powered electric sharpener that worked for me flawlessly for about 5 years sharpening regular graphite and Prismacolor pencils, then I bought some PITT pastel pencils and sharped about 7 or 8 in the sharpener and then the sharpener suddenly just stopped sharpening and went blunt. So, after seeing your video review on sharpeners, I bought the Derwent Super Point manual sharpener (the larger one) and sharpened about 13 or 14 PITT pencils with ease and then it too, just stopped and refused to sharpen another pencil. I attempted to sharpen a woodless graphite pencil in hopes of getting it to work again, but it refused to sharpen that also. I disassembled the sharpener and thoroughly cleaned and inspected the blades and then again attempted to sharpen another pencil, but still, NO LUCK! So, then I went and bought another electrical sharpener (this time with a cord that plugs into the wall, thinking it would be more powerful) and tried to sharpen the PITT pencils. It sharpened 5 PITT pencils and then completely stopped working and I can even see that the blades have worn down and now barely make contact with the pencils! I have gone through 3 sharpeners in 3 days! So tell me Jason, what kind of unearthly, Super-Steel are the blades on your Swordfish sharpener made of that they don't go blunt after 1 or 2 years of sharpening PITT Pastel Pencils?
Hi Jason, I'm new to pastels and just joined your Patreon channel. I'm learning so much from your tutorials. I'm in the United States and we are unable to purchase the swordfish here. Do you have any other suggestions
I have a Swordfish and it breaks my Carbothellos. All others are fine. Ah. Will try the pure graphite pencil. Just donated several to my former high school because I hadn’t used them in years! 🙄
Never knew about the Graphite tip, will definitely start doing that. My problem is a couple of the pencils I have I'm sure are broken inside, you sharpen them and the pastel inside just falls out. Might try supergluing it back in!
My patreon art channel - LOTS more full length videos - HUNDREDS of members from beginners to advanced - www.patreon.com/wildlifeart
Ordered my swordfish pencil sharpener today. I can’t wait!
THANK YOU Jason. Finding quality advice about sharpeners was such a difficult thing when I started with pastels. There is so much unhelpful advice online, and like you mentioned you do need different tools for soft and hard leads. The M&R blades work perfectly for the Derwent I bought - except for one color which I suspect is faulty and has internal damage. In fact if you buy the dual sized M&R sharpeners they work great for both soft and hard lead pastel pencils, since different brands have slightly different pencil widths.
I bought a Derwent that you reviewed in your previous video and it’s been just as durable as the one you describe here. It handles the larger diameter pencils, too. Also, I frequently use the School Smart electric sharpener for my Carbothello pencils when I need a super-sharp point for very small detail work, but it doesn’t accept the larger width pencils. Thank you for the tips and tricks videos, I think they help us a lot.
thanks for the input
hi, just found how to sharpen the dreaded contes in the swordfish.
the issie seems to be the wood casing. solution expose 1-2cm of pastel with a knife and cut off more wood so its thinner again around 1-2cm. so all your doing is shaping the pastel core. prob works with other cranks too.
Jason, Do Conte pastel pencils fit the swordfish? I think they are a little broader than carb-othellos. Thanks
Hi Jason.
Thanks for the graphite tip will do that evey 5 pencils lived your video
Tom.
Like most people I too found my Pitt pencils blunted my pencil sharpener, even the one you recommended Jason. I have had mine for six months and it is now pretty useless. I found this info on the Faber Castell website: Electric and handheld sharpeners should not be used when sharpening the Pitt Pastel Pencil. The lead contains quartz sand which makes the blade go blunt. A sharpening knife should be used for best results.
Six months is not bad. Mine lasted over a year and just £6 for a new blade or less than £10 for a new sharpener in the UK. I'm happy to pay that price not to sharpen with a knife. Works out less that £2 a month
My Rapesco 64 is a few years old and has sharpened 1000's of pencils of all types and makes. However, I used Pitt pastel pencils for the first time this week and it's gone completely blunt after 5 uses. I switched to hand held sharpeners and they too all went blunt almost imediately. I had to resort to a blade to finish the project. I've bought a new sharpener but reluctant to use the Pitt pencils again. Do any of your followers have any success with Pitt pastels and sharpeners?
Carol Doran I use Pitt with this.
The Swordfish is no longer available in the US. Any ideas which is a good alternative one?
Great tips! Especially for, don't wait until auto stop. If I did that I'd lose like half a pencil. XD I literally count the number of turns when sharpening my cp for min. waste. Recently got 2 hole KUM Magnesium hand held sharpener (sells on Jackson's as Caran d'Ache sharpener) to see if I can use that on my breaking Carbothellos. Thinking about getting a separate sharpener for my pastels (very happy with Helix for cp), so might try this one, will see.
I had a battery powered electric sharpener that worked for me flawlessly for about 5 years sharpening regular graphite and Prismacolor pencils, then I bought some PITT pastel pencils and sharped about 7 or 8 in the sharpener and then the sharpener suddenly just stopped sharpening and went blunt. So, after seeing your video review on sharpeners, I bought the Derwent Super Point manual sharpener (the larger one) and sharpened about 13 or 14 PITT pencils with ease and then it too, just stopped and refused to sharpen another pencil. I attempted to sharpen a woodless graphite pencil in hopes of getting it to work again, but it refused to sharpen that also. I disassembled the sharpener and thoroughly cleaned and inspected the blades and then again attempted to sharpen another pencil, but still, NO LUCK! So, then I went and bought another electrical sharpener (this time with a cord that plugs into the wall, thinking it would be more powerful) and tried to sharpen the PITT pencils. It sharpened 5 PITT pencils and then completely stopped working and I can even see that the blades have worn down and now barely make contact with the pencils! I have gone through 3 sharpeners in 3 days! So tell me Jason, what kind of unearthly, Super-Steel are the blades on your Swordfish sharpener made of that they don't go blunt after 1 or 2 years of sharpening PITT Pastel Pencils?
Hi Jason, I'm new to pastels and just joined your Patreon channel. I'm learning so much from your tutorials. I'm in the United States and we are unable to purchase the swordfish here. Do you have any other suggestions
I have a Swordfish and it breaks my Carbothellos. All others are fine.
Ah. Will try the pure graphite pencil. Just donated several to my former high school because I hadn’t used them in years! 🙄
Thank you Jason awesome tips 👍
Can they work on Conte Paris?
And don't let your pencils fall to the ground, this will avoid many problems during the sharpening process.
Never knew about the Graphite tip, will definitely start doing that. My problem is a couple of the pencils I have I'm sure are broken inside, you sharpen them and the pastel inside just falls out. Might try supergluing it back in!