Do all pencil sharpeners require the pencil to be turned clockwise?

Answer 1

in australia they turn the other way due to the rotation of the earth,like water down a plug hole

Answer 2

Does it really matter which way they turn? Its just a convention... Left handed people can quite easily turn a pensil clockwise in each hand. Its a very basic task and offers no advantage to left handers or right handers in either direction. Try for yourself by sharpening a pencil and swapping hands. The thing with a pencil sharpener is that its a task which involves two hands not one. Unlike a pair of scissors it will work in either hand it only depends upon you turning the pensil clockwise. A lefthanded person will have no problem turning something clockwise, just like a right handed person will not have a problem turning something anti clockwise.

Answer 3

The direction to turn the pencil depends on the way the blade inside is facing. As the majority of people are right handed and turning the pencil clockwise is the most natural direction to turn it, is why the sharpeners are made that way. Bit hard for left handed people but you cant have everything.

Answer 4

If a right-handed person holds the sharpener with the opening facing away from them. Turning the pencil in that position will seem anti clockwise from their point of view. So in fact there's no clockwise or anti clockwise. It's all a matter of perspective.

Answer 5

No! not all pencil sharpeners have to be turned clock wise, The majority of them aredue to the large amout of right handed people being the dominant user.
Left handed pencil sharpeners are more rare but are now becomming more required.
You can Hold a Left-Handed sharpener in your right hand. With the pencil still in your left hand, just insert into sharpening hole and twist the pencil counter-clockwise, the natural sharpening motion.

Answer 6

The blade is usually facing in such a way that it is necessary to turn the pencil in a clockwise direction.

There should be a left handed pencil sharpener somewhere. I have heard of a company that makes almost everything for the left hand.

Maybe you could find them on-line, if you want to try it out. It's the cost which is probably prohibitive, it being left handed and all.

Answer 7

Boston brand sharpeners don't require the pencil to be turned at all rather they are stationary and the blade rotate around the pencil clockwise.

Answer 8

Hi Teddy. It all depends on if you are left handed or right handed. I knew a boy at School, who had a left handed pencil sharpener and his turned anti-clockwise. But unfortunately a majority are clockwise.

PS, I think I would get confused if I were to use one that went anti-clockwise.
David

Answer 9

No! If you try really hard you can find left-handed ones. As 90% of humans are right-handed things like pencil sharpeners and tin-openers are designed that way. The human wrist is better designed to turn outwards.
If you want to try it. Get a screw-driver and notice, which way is it easier for you to turn the screw? It should be clock-wise for right-handers, anti-clockwise for left. Look at your wrist, is it going outwards or inwards?

Answer 10

Most do, but some grip the pencil, and the sharpening is achieved by turning a handle to rotate the blade rather than the pencil... and I think you have to turn the handle clockwise.

Just use a penknife! It's so much more satisfying :)



You can scare your teacher if you get too enthusiastic though... be discreet.

Answer 11

No, normally handheld ones do. There are desktop models where the pencil remains stationary, but the handle is turned clockwise.

Exception: there are special pencil sharpeners for left handed people (about 8 to 15% of the population, at least in societies where teachers are not so stupid to try to convert left handed people as in the 50s in europe). You will find shops for left handed people in big cities. I saw one in London a few years ago. It is a humbling experience for right handed people.
I am right handed.