I’ve tried many different brands before but every pencil I have starts smudging and breaking into the sharpener just before it gets sharp. I’m not sure what am I doing wrong, it’s blunt then it breaks and makes a mess inside the sharpener and on my hand. Am I supposed to use a specific type of sharpener or am I missing any other trick? I would still prefer pencils over the pens as they run out too fast. Thanks for any suggestions.
In addition to freezing before you sharpen- I’ve been told that the core can fracture during use, so it’s not a bad idea to periodically warm them with like a hairdryer to fuse it back together. I have yet to prove this out, but it seems plausible.