After reading all of the mostly positive Amazon reviews for the Bostitch QuietSharp Glow Electric Pencil Sharpener, I couldn't help but make the dive and purchase it. It seemed like the king of all pencil sharpeners - fast, quiet, and sleek. What else could I ask for? And I got it at a decent price through Amazon. As a first-year teacher, I was excited to make this purchase for my first classroom.
Well, turns out I was completely wrong about this sharpener. When I plugged the unit in and sharpened my first pencil, some unexpected and extremely disappointing things happened. Skeptical? I would be, too, because this sharpener seems so awesome, and the positive reviews are abundant. Here's what I found...
First, I noticed that the unit, contrary to its title, isn't really all that quiet. I've heard plenty of electric sharpeners in various classrooms, and this one isn't really much quieter than any other sharpener I've used or seen. It's sad because its selling point, in my opinion, is the quietness with which it's supposed to sharpen, but that's not what happens. I expected something much quieter for its being advertised as a quiet sharpener.
Second, and also contrary to its title, the point on the pencil is not sharp after sharpening. I tried four pencils before I was too disgusted and had to stop, and each time I sharpened a pencil that thing happened where the wood comes up over the top of the lead; this is completely inexcusable for the price of this sharpener. A pencil sharpener is supposed to sharpen pencils the last time I checked, not make them dull. I was using top-quality pencils (Ticonderoga), so I can't even blame the brand or quality of pencils. And what makes things worse is that after the sharpener thinks it's sharpened your pencil fully, it shuts off automatically, and to sharpen it again you have to pull the pencil out, wait a couple of seconds, and put it back in, only for it to mess up yet again. It's a vicious and frustrating cycle. Sure, the blue illuminated ring looks pretty cool, but that's MAYBE this sharpener's only redeeming quality. I wish the sharpener wouldn't automatically shut off because sometimes you might want to fine-tune your point and leave it in a bit longer to make sure it's completely sharpened. With this sharpener, you have to remove the pencil and reinsert it. I could see this frustrating the students in my class, and it would only prolong the trips to the sharpener during class, thus frustrating ME in the end.
Third, while sharpening, the unit shook up and down in a sort of bouncing motion. I expected for its size, weight, and the fact that it has suction pads on the bottom that it would stay at least fairly still while sharpening. The shaking is not a huge deal, but it's just another annoyance to add to the list.
Fourth, it's hard to determine this from the pictures, bit this thing is HUGE. A pencil sharpener in a classroom should be somewhat compact, discreet, and out of the way, and you should be able to move it anywhere because the classroom could change at any point. I could see this device being in the way all the time and taking up way too much space. At first glance it looks like some kind of kitchen appliance.
The bottom line: the Bostitch QuietSharp Glow Electric Pencil Sharpener is certainly a good idea and a cool concept (who wouldn't want a quiet, fast pencil sharpener in the classroom?), but its poor functionality and poorly executed design leave me no choice but to give it 1 of 5 stars. I can't even think of any redeeming qualities for this sharpener. It is not very quiet, it does not leave a sharp point, and it's way too big for most classrooms. If anything a pencil sharpener should leave nice, fine points on pencils and then I could tolerate other minor flaws, but this product does not even sharpen pencils adequately, especially for the high cost. For less than half the cost of this pencil sharpener you could find something much more convenient and efficient for your classroom. Don't make the same mistake I did by being drawn in by Bostitch's deceptive advertising strategies. Simply stay away! Stanley Bostitch QuietSharp Glow Classroom Electric Pencil Sharpener (EPS11HC) - Manual Pencil Sharpener - Pencil Sharpener - Pencil Sharpeners - School Supplies'
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