The Pencil/sharpener Conspiracy

Is it me or are pencil manufacturers not doing a good enough job at producing pencils that last? The same goes for sharpeners that get dull quicker than I remember as a child. We have at least 100 sharpeners in the house, but only one that works! In the case of pencils, we use at least 3 pencils a week/per child. Each sharpen reduce the pencil down by a third.

I notice that they break more often and the more you sharpen the duller the sharpener becomes as well. It's also true that the erasers often finish before the pencils do as well. So you have to change pencils because you need an eraser. Those add-on erasers are not dependable either. We spend a good amount of money on pencils and sharpeners; often monthly. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but this does add up. I have at least a few hundred pencils in my house. Some are too short to continue sharpening. I give those and the dull sharpeners away; not sure what those people will think of my donation. I just do not like to throw away things that I think someone might able to use. I give away a bag full of pencils monthly. I would be interested in reading how much money pencil manufacturers make. I’m sure it’s well into the trillions. It’s not just purchasing for schools, but maintaining a useable tool to learn with is what increases their sales. Dixon, HB, MegaBrands, and Office Depot are not as different as they would like you to think. They have succeeded in manufacturing products that keep you buying more.