The Pencil Sharpener
The pencil sharpener is probably one of the most common things found in all students pencil case. It is an essential part of student life, it’s almost like a person ID that they carry everywhere they go. The purpose of a pencil sharpener is simple, it only objective is to sharpen a lead pencil until the point of being able to write again without breaking, not to mention sharpening your pencil is a great time waster in class and allows you to get up and walk around.
The pencil was first invented by a French mathematician named Bernard Lassimonne in 1828, before to when people used knives to sharpen their pencils. Lassimonne’s invention wasn’t popular among the masses due to the fact that it was not easier or faster than the original method of using a knife (Information Source: History). What his invention did however, was provide the base for other inventors like Thierry des Estivaux who produced the modern version of the pencil sharpener which many students use today. His Sharpener included a block of wood or some base that had one blade in cased in a conical housing that provides that perfectly sharpened pencil, which is known as the prism sharpener. This design was later improved by Walter K. Foster who was able to mass produce the product and make multiple copies in various sizes, colours, and shapes that were shipped all around the world (Information Source: History).
Since those essential basic improvements of the pencil sharpener there has not been much deviation from the original design. The most significant improvement to the pencil sharpener is the electrical sharpener, which was commercial produced in 1917 by a company called Farnham Printing and stationary Co. There have been some changes to make the electric version smaller but the majority of students still use the Prism sharpener because of its size and affordability (Information Source: Evolution).
With all these improvements and variations to the pencil sharpener, I believe that it is a dying business and invention. This is due to other forms of writing like pens and mechanical pencils which have become a more popular alternative that do not need a pencil sharpener. Another factor for why pencil sharpeners are no longer needed is due to improvements in technology such as tablets and laptops. These digital devices allow students to have all materials needed at their fingertips. As tablets become smaller and more affordable most teachings will be done through technology and their will no longer be a need for pencil sharpeners or pencils entirely.
