Makers Cabinet Sharpener Hovel Pencil Plane

The Høvel is a pencil planer made from solid brass, constructed after the model of traditional woodworking hand tools. The slightly inclined blade plane removes wood and graphite in controlled, thin layers – rather than grinding the pencil in a rotating motion. The result: a point that is precisely as long, as sharp or as flat as the work demands. At around 90 grams, it sits heavy and steady in the hand.

Features

• Planing blade instead of rotating mechanism: The inclined blade scrapes the material laterally without transmitting rotational movement to the core – the graphite remains intact, even with soft or brittle pencils.
• Free choice of angle: By varying the holding angle during planing, you create long drawing or writing points, short, stable working points or flat chisel points – all without changing tools.
• Solid brass, milled: The body is machined from a single piece of solid brass. The weight stabilises hand movement, and the cool, smooth surface sits firmly in the palm. Over time, the brass develops an individual patina.
• Carbon steel blades, replaceable: The blade is secured with a single thumb screw and can be changed without tools. The package includes 10 replacement blades made of carbon steel.
• For all pencil shapes: Works equally well with round pencils, soft pastel sticks and flat carpenter's pencils.

Use & Tips

• Long point for draughtsmen: Apply the planer flatly and guide it over the pencil with even, slow strokes – the removal is finer than with rotating sharpeners, and the core remains exposed for several centimetres.
• Flat chisel point for calligraphy: Reduce the angle to the pencil axis so that the blade creates a flattened, wedge-shaped core – ideal for broad-edged lettering with pencil, without a stub nib.
• Spare soft pencils: Pastel or watercolour pencils with soft cores react to rotary sharpeners with breakage. The Høvel removes the wood before the core experiences significant lateral pressure.
• Maintain patina or polish: If you appreciate the developing golden tone of the brass, simply leave the Høvel as is. If you want the high gloss back, polish it with a soft cloth and standard metal polish.
• Collect shavings: A matching tray or base (available separately) catches the shavings directly at your workspace.

For Pencil Enthusiasts

The design principle of the Høvel is borrowed from the classic hand plane of woodworking: a fixed blade protrudes at a defined angle from a guide plane and lifts an evenly thick layer with each stroke. This planing mechanism does not transfer torsional forces to the core – the crucial difference from the rotating sharpener, in which blade and graphite run against each other in a screwing motion, creating stress peaks in the graphite core. This is particularly noticeable with pencils of high hardness grades (6H and above) or very soft grades (6B and below): hard graphite splinters under torsion, soft graphite breaks under lateral pressure. The Høvel avoids both. The blade inclination in the Høvel is slightly inlined, which optimises the cutting angle and produces a clean, burr-free planing finish.

Technical Specifications