Professional Electric Sharpener From AFMAT
Professional Electric Sharpener From AFMAT
I will keep this review as short as I possibly can, there really isn’t that much you can write about a sharpener, it either works or it doesn’t. On that basis, this will not be my usual, “War and Peace”, writing style, which I apologise for regarding all previous posts, I know I need to get to the conclusion much faster. Any hoo, this will be a short and sweet written review but don’t forget to watch the AFMAT Professional Sharpener in action, producing result after result in my YouTube video review.
A month or so ago I tested, demonstrated and reviewed a different sharpener from AFMAT, a more jovial sharpener, but nevertheless a really capable sharpener with auto-feed abilities. To read or watch my review on this other. sharpener from AFMAT, simply click the link.
When AFMAT reached out to me on this occasion, I was really looking forward to testing, demonstrating and reviewing the AFMAT Rechargeable Pencil Sharpener, Model No. PSD1. When AFMAT sent me the details of the PSD1 sharpener and I researched it, I certainly got the impression that this sharpener was so much more aimed toward the professional colored pencil artist.
AFMAT Rechargeable Sharpener Features
The AFMAT Rechargeable Sharpener is quite a hefty unit, it definitely looks more professional than the previous AFMAT sharpener I reviewed. However, in side this sturdy, minimalistic, aesthetically pleasing electric sharpener lays a powerful motor, operating a razor sharp cylindrical blade.
The over all dimensions of the sharpener is 6.9 inches x 3.3 inches x 4.6 inches. On the base of the sharpener there are strong, reliable suction pads, firmly attaching the sharpener to your studio desk. The good thing about these suction pads is that they are screwed on the base of the unit, some similar styled sharpeners have flimsy suction pads which remove from the base when trying to move the sharpener.
The AFMAT Sharpener sports a 2500mAh rechargeable battery, meaning that as soon as the battery is fully charged, the sharpener can be moved anywhere without the need for a power cable. AFMAT say a single full charge will sharpen between 600 and 700 pencils. To charge the battery fully it can take two and a half hours with an overall shelf life of 10000 pencil sharpens.
There is a fairly large and easy to remove container which collects the waste sharpening’s, the container is dark in coloration but semi transparent, allowing for the user to see exactly when it needs to be emptied. Removing and replacing the container is incredibly easy and can only be replaced one way. There are small guide rails along the bottom of the container to allow for a smooth transition every time.
AFMAT Rechargeable Sharpener Performance
For the section of the written review I am only able to provide a small amount of information, however, to get the best understanding, simply click the link and you will automatically be taken to the YouTube video review.
To sharpen a brand new unsharpened pencil, the AFMAT rechargeable sharpener will fully sharpen in 4 seconds, for a pencil that sports a core and just needs a refining point, only 2 seconds will refine the point. One of the things I love about the AFMAT Rechargeable Sharpener is that whilst creating a sharp point on the core for the artists to work with, the sharpener does not eat away half the pencil. I appreciate that there are some artists that prefer a super long exposed core, similar to that of the Derwent Super Point.
As you can see from the images, the AFMAT sharpener sports six different sized holes on a rotatable dial, three of which are triangular shaped and three that are round. This makes sharpening triangular barrelled pencils and square barrelled pencils an absolute walk in the park, not unfortunately the experience using a simple handheld sharpener.
Obviously, when measuring a round, square or hexagonal barrel it is fairly straight forward, but a triangular barrel can be slightly more complicated. The round, hexagonal or square barrel pencils can be sharpened easily in the AFMAT rechargeable sharpener, with a maximum radius of 10.5mm. For triangular barrel pencils, of which there are surprisingly quite a few, the largest girth is 11.2mm and this, like I suggested is down to the complicated way triangular barrels are measured.
The dial on the front of the sharpener allows you to easily select the relevant size hole for the pencil that needs sharpened. Selecting the correct hole means that, should a pencil have an uncentered core, the hole in the dial will help to keep the pencil steady, allowing the blade to turn around the core sharpening the pencil without breakage.
I used a series of pencils, all different sizes and shapes, to demonstrate the AFMAT’s sharpening abilities. Among this selection of pencils I also tested sharpening three different pastel pencils. I must advise that AFMAT recommend that pastel pencils are not used in their rechargeable pencil sharpener, so whilst I continued with the test, I would highly recommend that should you purchase this sharpener for your studio, that you avoid sharpening pastel pencils.
The largest triangular barrelled pencil I sharpened was the Koh-I-Noor Aquarelle Magic with a 6.1mm core and an 8.9mm barrel. The largest square barrel was the Marco Square 800 with a 3.4mm core and a 6.3mm barrel. I also sharpened the Caran d’Ache Fluo, a hexagonal barrel with a 6.2mm core and a huge 9.0mm barrel. Along the same size was the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer Magnus, a hexagonal barrel with a 6.1mm core and a 9.1mm barrel.
The smallest barrel pencil sharpened was the Prismacolor Verithin with a 2.5mm core and a 6.4mm hexagonal barrel. Keeping with the Prismacolor theme I also sharpener the Prismacolor Premier pencil given the nightmare reports of sharpening such pencils. I sharpened a selection of other round, hexagonal and triangular barrelled pencils finally finishing with a Stabilo Carbothello Pastel Pencil, a Derwent pastel pencil and a 5.0mm core of the Conte Pastel Pencils and a 8.5mm round barrel.
When actually sharpening the pencil, there is no autofeed as was the case in the previous AFMAT, simply apply a little bit of pressure to the pencil pushing it into the hole and holding the pencil barrel tight. The blades will automatically stop sharpening the pencil no matter how long you continually push the pencil into the sharpener. Once the core is at the correct length the blade lifts away from the core and whilst it still rotates, it does not remove any further wood from the barrel or core from the pencil.
To charge the AFMAT sharpener, you need to use a USB C type connection which comes in the box with the sharpener. When you connect the cable a small light on the rear of the sharpener will blink blue and red until it is fully charged. Once the sharpener is fully charged the light remains blue. You can also use the sharpener with the cable connected or without the cable, allowing the user to place the sharpener anywhere they see fit.
Small Caution
There is one small caution I would like to highlight and whilst this is a slight caution, it is also what makes the AFMAT sharpener so incredibly effective. The power of the motor inside the sharpener, that turns the blade is very powerful, I would suggest that artists with arthritis or other such ailments in their hands or wrist, just prepare yourself for this when you first use it. The pencil spun out of my hand when I very first used it and whilst this was nothing dramatic at all, I just feel it is worth a quick mention for the above artists.
AFMAT Electric Rechargeable Sharpener Conclusion
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, before I received the AFMAT Rechargeable Sharpener, it looked like a professional unit to me and now that I have tested, demonstrated and fully reviewed the sharpener, I can highly recommend this sharpener to all colored pencil artists.
As you all know, my favourite sharpener is my little handheld M&R, however, there is no denying that when I am working on a larger project that requires a lot of pencils, stopping to use my handheld all the time, does take time and slows the work flow. However, with the AFMAT Rechargeable Sharpener, this process will be sped up significantly and thus allowing the working time to increase .
As I have mentioned, I have added a YouTube video review where you can see in real time the sharpening of the various pencils selected and the final results. To watch the video simply select the link and you will be taken there automatically.
