Carl Angel 5 Royal, Pencil Sharpener, Red

When I was a kid back in 1980s, my mom got me a Carl pencil sharpener (similar model, also made in Japan). I had been using it for 25 years. It was one of the finest pencil sharpeners I could get at that time. Unfortunately I lost it after grad school. Now I become a parent and my kid uses a lot of pencils. I have been looking for a good pencil sharpener that is similar to that one I used in my childhood. Although this is not the perfect one, it is close enough and it is probably the best you can get today.First, this pencil sharpener is made in Japan. Unlike the crappy sharpeners from China, this pencil sharpener represents one of the finest craftsmanship on the planet. Unlike people from other countries, Japanese think very different. They are those who spend lots of effort to improve from 99.9 to 99.99999. I am speaking as a user who has used their sharpener for 25 years.One thing that I really missed is the way how to adjust the sharpness. My old sharpener had this feature. It had a switch at the handle that is similar to this one. Personally I prefer medium (not too sharp, not too dull). However, this option is no longer available in this model. The adjustment switch in this model adjusts the shape of the sharpen area (the "slope" of the pencil head, i.e., more wood or less wood). Both options produce the sharp pencil. It has nothing to do with the sharpness of the head.Overall, I am happy with this sharpener. It is not perfect but it is probably the best sharpener you can get in US. Japanese usually keep their best products in their country. The one they export is not the best, but already way better than those from other countries like China. FYI, the one I used in my childhood was a gray market model.If you are a serious pencil user like me. Get this model. Don't get the other Carl models that are made in China. You get what you've paid for.

As a school teacher for over 20 years, this is the best, most reliable pencil sharpener I have ever had in my classroom. I value it so much that I always sharpen pencils for the students rather than risk a student damaging the sharpener. They love how effective it is in bringing every pencil to an amazingly sharp point.

Pencil sharpening, whatever the device, what could be more basic? This sharpener is exceptional. There is a difference! Exceptionally smooth operation, consistent "perfect" results every time. I suspect it's a tool that will last a lifetime, appreciated throughout the journey. Expensive? Yes. Potential longevity of use easily normalizes the initial expense, creates a noteworthy value. Now that I've used it, paid for it, would I buy it again? Absolutely yes! Effectively a valued tool well worth passing along to the next generation. Who-da' thunk? A keepsake!

Not all of the Carl 5 models are made in Japan. This one - the Carl Angel 5 Royal - is. It's not the cheapest, but it is very clearly high quality and will out live me. Love it. Get it. I use it for woodworking and it's perfect.

I was tired of the plastic pencil sharpeners that kept falling apart. I love that this one is primarily made of metal and that the blades are replaceable. It sharpens pencils to a fine point. Just what I was looking for!

This is just the one I was looking for. Very high quality.

Quiet operation and sharpens to fine point during very use.

I own both the Angel-5 Royal (hereafter, "Royal") and the Angel-5 models, so I decided to post a quick comparison for those who are wondering if spending the extra money on the Royal is worth it. I use these sharpeners mostly for colored pencils, mostly Faber-Castell Polychromos.I found that, in terms of sharpening, there's little difference between the two models. I did two tests: one with colored pencils and one with regular graphite pencils (not artist grade). For the colored pencils, the Angel-5 sharpened the same as the Royal's "sharp" setting. The Royal's "blunt" setting is ever so slightly blunt. The three pencils I sharpened were new out of the box like the blue pencil. In the graphite test, the Angel-5 sharpened the same as the Royal's "blunt" setting. I began sharpening all the pencils with the mechanism at my finger width. Note that colored pencils sometimes sharpen differently depending on the color; I didn't spend time working that out here.Someone stated that the Angel-5 is a knock-off made in China, but I think it's an actual Carl sharpener, just maybe Carl's lower tier model that's probably cheaper to make in China. The Royal's mechanism is stamped "Made in Japan" and does appear more elegant, if one can say that about pencil sharpener machinery. The collar and pinchers on the Royal are metal, whereas those on the Angel-5 are plastic. A key difference for some people may be that the Angel-5 comes with a clamp to attach it to a table, while the Royal does not. The two sharpness settings on the Royal are interesting, but I personally wouldn't base my purchase decision on that feature. The red Royal is a deep cranberry color with a subtle sparkle in direct light; the red Angel-5 is a straight-up red, like the Showtime logo I see below on the screen right now but a touch brighter. The pinchers on both sharpeners will leave faint but noticeable small indentations in the pencil wood.In conclusion, I love these sharpeners. Both sharpen super sharp. If you're budget-minded and take care of your things, go for the Angel-5. Although it has more plastic, I think it will hold up fine (I've dropped mine on a tile floor from about four feet), plus you get the table clamp to help you take care of it. If you're keen on Japanese manufacturing, feel safer with more metal, need needle sharpness for your graphite pencils, and don't care about a table clamp, go for the Royal.p.s. The Angel-5 refused to sharpen a Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolor pencil just now. Result being dropped? I don't know, because I don't remember if I sharpened watercolor pencils in it before dropping it. I can't imagine why it wouldn't sharpen a watercolor pencil if it sharpened the others. The diameter of the watercolor pencil seems a tiny bit larger than the others, but it fit in the Angel-5 fine. The Royal sharpened it, no problem.

Schöne, schwere Qualität. Funktioniert prima. Habe mir lange überlegt, ob ein manueller Anspitzer 33 Euro kosten darf. Jetzt steht er auf meinem Schreibtisch und ich freue mich über das harmlose Vergnügen meinen Bleistift ständig nachzuspitzen.

This one is amazing. Although the price is sharp. My kid likes to use it everyday