Review: Pico D47/04 Lead Pointer

[BayesianPrior]

Yesterday, after reading so many positive reviews, I picked up a Staedtler 502 rotary lead pointer and - as predicted - it did a fantastic job on my Staedtler 780. But, the sections of my Rotring Rapid Pro and my Staedtler 925-35 20 didn't fit in the plastic sleeve and therefore I couldn't point the leads without transferring them to the 780, pointing them, and then transferring back. A tedious and dirty job.

So I went back to the shop today and picked up the Pico D47/04 for $22 Canadian. I believe it had been sitting on the shelf for some time (or Pico's marketing budget was frozen in 1965).

Basic cardboard box, no instructions.

Inside was the big red plastic machine and a metal bar to clamp it on the side of your desk. The mechanism to point leads is functionally equivalent to the Staedtler 502.

However, upon opening the soft underbelly of the great red beast, I discovered three more plastic cuffs of varying diameter and two spare sponges for errant shaving dust. The cuffs are arranged in the photo left to right from widest to narrowest.

You can see that the smallest cuff (black) holds my 780, while the larger green cuff securely holds my 925-35 20 and my Rotring Rapid Pro. You can also see the grooves in the black rotary mechanism to guide exposed lead length, in order to obtain a longer or shorter point (same as the 502), except that there is almost no risk of breaking the tip of your lead in these guides.

The black disc is easily removed to reveal a fairly large grinding wheel and reservoir for shavings.

And here is a photo of the points on my two larger-sectioned lead holders.

I'm delighted with the end result, the novelty of a desk-mounted pointer for about $20 (less than $20 USD), and the ability to fit a number of differently sized lead holders. I have only tested it on 2mm lead, so I cannot say if would work on smaller or larger leads.

[flatline]

That looks like an amazing deal to have a rotary sharpener that can handle wider gripped pencils.

 

I'll have to look around to see if I can find one of these.

 

--flatline

[BayesianPrior]

If you're interested I'd be happy to pick one up for you and send it along.

 

Estimate postage at $10, plus $20 for the sharpener?  Roughly...

[spuriousgeorge]

Thank you for the review, BP!

 

Is it heavy enough to use without mounting it to a desk?

[BayesianPrior]

3 minutes ago, spuriousgeorge said:

Thank you for the review, BP!

 

Is it heavy enough to use without mounting it to a desk?

Not unless you hold it with your other hand (which is entirely possible).  It is all plastic except for the grinding wheel.

[spuriousgeorge]

Thank you again, BP!

 

Are the plastic cuffs able to be stored in the base?

[BayesianPrior]

1 minute ago, spuriousgeorge said:

Thank you again, BP!

 

Are the plastic cuffs able to be stored in the base?

They sure are.  My third photo (with the pointer on its side) shows the cavity where the spare cuffs and extra....filings sponges?...are stored.

[flatline]

I wish the Staedtler rotary had storage for spare...white cleaning things... I always end up stuffing rolled up paper towel in mine because i can never find the spares that came with the sharpener.

[Darkman]

BayesianPrior suggested that I post the following since it looks very similar to his Pico unit, just in case anyone is interested...

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/264263055155?hash=item3d874e3733:g:f24AAOxyQqBRGZSe

 

I have ordered one of these.

 

-DM

[bsenn]

Looks very similar to the Berol Turquoise 17 and the Castell 60 (shown here in two different vintages). One of the Castells was NOS and included the clamp in the box. Great sharpeners, good that they're still available in some form.

Brian