I recently saw this pencil sharpener from Makers Cabinet , a stationary manufacturer based in the UK.
Their design is based on a Hand Plane tool that is commonly used by carpenters.
It inspired me to apply the same concept on a Chalk Sharpener:
I personally dislike the current designs on the market for the following reasons:
Too many blades: This is just bad design and increases cutting hazard.
Big gap between blades and edges of the box: Small chalks are impossible to sharpen.
Deep boxes: This allows for the collection of A LOT of chalk which in turn makes the removal process a terrible mess.
Bad chalk removal mechanism: Many of them require you to unscrew components.
Size: They don't have to be any bigger than necessary.
Price: Fancy designer markets aside, an essential tool like this in its basic form should not cost any more than £30 (including profit for the maker).
I have made the sketch above to start the conversation and to see if you are interested in developing something together.
It would be nice if people can make and sell these in their country. It will help tailors to have an accessible (and well designed) tool to increase efficiency. Besides that, it can be a great side hustle!
If you have access to carpentry tools and are interested in developing this idea or have a different concept in mind regarding chalk sharpeners, comment below and who knows where it will get us!
We can improve the construction and aesthetics. Our industry will eventually benefit from it.
Reza.
Thank you this helps.
This design may need something to change the height of the blade, like in the plane and the sharpener. Another point of view would be helpful.
Otherwise; I would like to take this design further. How should I proceed?
Do you have a source for the blade in the sketch?
With that blade it would be very easy to produce a design and have it manufactured in a very sustainable, ethical way supporting other small businesses.
Though if the specific blade is also a concept then it slightly complicates the design because we'd have to work around something that we can source. For example Stanley snap-off blades, which aren't usually rectangular.