Pencil Pusher

As for the discussion about pencils:

I like a point. Mechanical leads have edges. Don't like. Besides, 20 years ago, R. Crumb told me to get over pencil preciousness. So I use yellow pencils. But I do have a slight preciousness preference:  I prefer Ticonderoga Soft 1.5.

I bought 5 boxes (12 in a box) and sharpened them up all at once. Put them in a big cup, point up. When they get dull, I put them back in the cup face down until I need to sharpen them all again. On a classic hand cranker by Chicago.

I got into the cup method from when I taught First Grade. To eliminate that constant 'he took my pencil' bickering and/or 'Look-at-me-I'm-out-of-my-seat-to-go-to-the-sharpener' drama, on a little table in the center of the room, I provided a cup of fresh, newly pointed pencils every morning. Then when they broke the leads or they wore them down, in the cup face down.