The waxy core of a soft-lead pigment snaps with a dry crack just as you finish blending a shadow. It happens right in the middle of a detailed portrait, leaving you with a ruined point and a frustrating mess.
Finding the Best Sharpeners for Colored Pencils saves your artwork from turning into a series of broken leads and uneven shavings.
Let us look at three reliable models that handle delicate color cores without chewing them to pieces.
Key Takeaways
- Prioritize models featuring an auto stop mechanism to prevent the motor from over-grinding softer pigment cores.
- Look for adjustable hole sizes if you regularly use both standard graphite pencils and thick jumbo colored sticks.
- Check the motor speed and torque specifications to ensure the device sharpens quickly without twisting the soft lead inside the wood casing.
- Choose a heavy duty design with a safety switch if you plan to share the sharpener in a busy studio or classroom.
- Select a generous shavings reservoir to minimize frequent trips to the trash can during long drawing sessions.
| Ultimate Workhorse |  |
AFMAT Heavy Duty Electric Sharpener | Extremely durable motor | High total lifespan | Consistent fine points | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Speed Demon |  |
AFMAT Super Fast Electric Sharpener | Very fast sharpening cycle | Smart auto-stop mechanism | Accommodates thicker barrels | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Jumbo Specialist |  |
AFMAT Large Hole Electric Sharpener | Quick three-second sharpening | Handles jumbo sizes | Reliable plug-in power | View on Amazon | Read Review |
More Details on Our Top Picks
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AFMAT Heavy Duty Electric Sharpener
Colored pencils demand a lot from their sharpeners, and you need a machine that handles heavy workloads without breaking down. This heavy-duty model is built for intense art sessions and busy classrooms, surviving over 10,000 sharpenings while keeping a consistent edge.
You will appreciate how it accommodates standard sizes ranging from 6.5mm to 8mm. But keep in mind that this unit stays at a fixed diameter range, so jumbo pencils will not fit inside the opening.
- Brand:AFMAT
- Type:Electric
- Pencil Diameter:6.5-8mm
- Power Source:Plug-in
- Target Audience:Classroom and Home
- Additional Feature:UL listed for safety
- Additional Feature:Heavy duty internal motor
- Additional Feature:Built for high volume
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AFMAT Super Fast Electric Sharpener
When your creative momentum is flowing, waiting around for a slow motor feels like watching paint dry. This fast-acting sharpener gets you back to coloring in seconds, using a smart auto-stop function to prevent wasted pigment.
It handles a broader range of widths, taking on barrels up to 12mm wide with ease. The only catch is that you need to be mindful of pressing too hard, which can sometimes trigger the safety stop prematurely.
- Brand:AFMAT
- Type:Electric
- Pencil Diameter:6-12mm
- Power Source:Plug-in
- Target Audience:Office and Studio
- Additional Feature:Auto stop function
- Additional Feature:Extra sharp blade
- Additional Feature:Wide barrel compatibility
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AFMAT Large Hole Electric Sharpener
Thick artist pencils are notoriously tricky to fit into standard classroom sharpeners, often leading to chewed-up wood and broken cores. This large hole unit solves that exact problem by powering through thick barrels in just three seconds flat.
You get the convenience of a plug-in design that never runs out of batteries mid-project. Just remember that smaller standard pencils might rattle around in the oversized opening, so it is best reserved for your fatter sketching tools.
- Brand:AFMAT
- Type:Electric
- Pencil Diameter:6-12mm
- Power Source:Plug-in
- Target Audience:Artists and Schools
- Additional Feature:Fast three-second cycle
- Additional Feature:Large diameter opening
- Additional Feature:Auto stop safety feature