RIP | Boston Manual Pencil Sharpeners

For over 50 years the best-selling manual desk/wall pencil sharpener has been the Boston KS. Hunt Manufacturing produced the Boston Ranger, Boston KS, Boston Self-Feeder #4, Boston L and some plastic-cased models. They were made in the USA, were durable and some were produced with vacuum mounts. So popular was the Boston KS model, that Hunt chose to gold plate an edition in 1999 to commemorate its 100th anniversary!

Things changed. X-Acto bought out Hunt's line of sharpeners. X-Acto continued manufacturing the critical parts to high standards and slightly changing the cosmetics to reflect its brand. Replacement cutters were always available -- and needed, particularly in high-use situations, such as offices, factories and schools. Elmer (the glue company) bought out X-Acto and, sad to report, discontinued making replacement cutters available.

The bottom line is this. If you need a manual pencil sharpener for home use, or light office use, you should still feel comfortable purchasing an unused old-stock manual Boston sharpener, or a new manual X-Acto (Boston) sharpener. They will outlast you! If you make heavier use of a manual sharpener, however, you'll need to replace the entire unit every few years.

One glimmer of brightness: PencilThings.com stocks and seeks to replenish a limited supply of new old-stock Boston sharpeners and replacement cutters.

12/22/07 UPDATE: PencilThings just acquired over 100 vintage new, unused old stock Boston KS and Boston L model pencil sharpeners in their original boxes. These were manufactured by Hunt in the USA. We will have them inspected, lubricated and ready for purchase in early January 2008.

Comments

[Heather Brissette]

I would like to purchase the replacement blades for the Boston sharpener, but I can't seem to find an order/purchase page. Also, how much are they and will the new X-Acto blades work in it?

Reply by Don, Proprietor of PencilThings.com:
Thank you for asking. Just now there is not a way to get the replacement blades at a decent price. The currently manufactured X-Acto cutters are soft, consequently they wear out too quickly and I refuse to carry them. But, over time I've had good success at finding good quantities of new old-stock Hunt-made cutters and I have great confidence that they will be back in stock within a few months.

Meanwhile, here's something you can do to prolong your cutters (which will last for several years even if you do nothing). Every month put just a drop or two -- not much -- of a very light oil on the wood of the pencil you are about to sharpen. It will help keep the cutters clean and lubricated. Any light oil works just fine, even canola oil or other cooking oil from the kitchen! I use "shredder lubricant" I purchase at Office Depot because it sounds like the right kind of thing to use on our paper shredders and pencil sharpeners, but I'm not really sure if "shredder oil" differs from 3-In-1 or other common light oils.

[Gary Cimera]

I found an old Boston KS sharpener in a closet I was cleaning out, it has a wooden crank handle, how old is it?

[J C Notestine]

I'm looking for a replacement rubber pad for the vacuum mount on a Boston manual pencil sharpener.