Derwent Twin Hole Pencil Sharpener
£2.95
A small 2 hole sharpener with reservoir
Made in Britain at the Derwent factory in the picturesque Lake District. First established in 1832, the company began making pencils from local graphite deposits found in the hills nearby. The company has grown over the years and now has a very modern factory producing a large range of pencils and art materials. We visited the factory in 2012 and watched the pencils being made. The lead, or core, is made from a combination of clay, graphite and pigments. This is then sandwiched in two sides of red cedar, known as slats, which are glued together. These completed cedar slats are then cut to a round or hexagonal shape, depending on the pencil type.The pencil is then cut to size, spray painted and then the tops are dipped in paint, the colour of which denotes the series and colour of the pencil. Each pencil is dipped twice, the end colour denotes the colour of the lead and the stripe denotes the pencil type. Finally the pencils are sharpened to a point and put into tins or boxes which are shrink wrapped, ready for dispatch.
