Hello Teachers! I have been in this business of elementary education for almost 30 years! I have used this AFMAT sharpener for the past few months with great satisfaction. I have also used the X-acto brand sharpener for about twenty years because it appeared first to be the only electric pencil sharpener on the market that would sharpen giant primary pencils. I use primary pencils for K and 1st grade because you do not have to sharpen these pencils as often due to their larger writing tip! I have written a review about one of the primary pencil brands.
I bought my first AFMAT at a discount and have thoroughly enjoyed it! It is a third of the size smaller than the Xacto brand with a smaller shavings reservoir, but that is fine because the AFMAT sharpens much more quickly and accurately. I still have my X-Acto sharpener, but I use it as an extra one in the classroom.
2 AFMAT sharpeners cost less than the original cost of one X-ACTO brand sharpener! I bought two more AfMAT sharpeners because my class loves colored pencils, and they dull relatively quickly. I can now sharpen two pencils at a time, which cuts the sharpening significantly. Watch for specials on colored pencils to help make buying extra pencil sharpeners worth it. The AFMATS take up less space than the X-Acto brand, so it fits much more comfortably on my desk! The suction seems adequate to help it stay in place. I even purchased one of these sharpeners for my daughter, a new teacher, as a gift! Finally, these sharpeners will make a sound, inexpensive teacher gift! Another excellent teacher gift I have given over the years is a metal Rapid Stapler! Put either of them on your Amazon Wish List!
