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Niche Biz: Pencil Sharpening
According to Fast Company, David Rees may well be the world’s first and only artisanal pencil sharpener.
Yes, it’s real,” says David Rees of his budding pencil-sharpening business.
“It’s as real as artisanal cheese-making or artisanal honey production or artisanal anything else that’s part of this movement.” Unlike his electric counterparts, Rees promises the “care and attention” your No. 2s deserve.
For $15, he’ll whittle one to a fine point, and mail it back with a baggie of shavings and a certificate of authenticity. To date, roughly 80 lead-heads with a well-honed sense of irony have used the service.
“I’m hoping I get some repeat customers — people who need touch-ups or resharpening,” he adds, noting that, over time, one No. 2 could yield revenue north of $100.
Photo by David Rees.
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Angela Shupe on November 16th, 2010 9:00 pm
I’m not sure how he managed to get 80 people to pay $15 to sharpen one pencil but that is definitely interesting. $2 would get a pencil sharpener that requires you to do the work and will sharpen many pencils during its life. I doubt there will be much demand for his business, but we’ll see.
jeffrey byer on November 17th, 2010 7:26 am
at least with a pet rock you are left with a souvenir of your stipidity.here all you have is a dumb pencil point.
Rich Whittle on November 17th, 2010 9:02 am
Angela, for the same reason that a guy buys a $10,000 Rolex watch. A $10 Timex will also give the correct time, but the Rolex means ‘I’ve made it” while the Timex means “I need to know the time”.
Angela Shupe on November 17th, 2010 5:11 pm
LOL, good point Rich. :-) I’m definitely on the “need the time” side of the spectrum, and didn’t think of it that way. Admittedly, there is money to be made when you approach people that are money rich, time poor.
Jorge on November 17th, 2010 10:00 pm
I am thinking in becoming the first artisanal pencil eraserer
What do you think? ….. LOL
Clay Bryant on November 18th, 2010 7:51 am
As P.T. once said”There’s one born every minute”.Theoretically this guy can do 1440 a day and he can stay on schedule…That’s over 21 grand a day.He needs to talk expansion already.Branch out into lead futures and eventually the mines themselves.Lead,copper,then Gold!!It’s staggering where just a pencil sharpening business can lead to.He needs to get the White House’s business.That place hasn’t had a sharp pencil in two years.
Rüdiger Guhl on November 19th, 2010 8:21 am
Perhaps I should join the business. I own the original “Jupiter 1″ the first “must have office machine” of the year 1900, i.e. the pencil sharpening machine invented by my great-grandfather and manufactured by his company GUHL & HARBECK.
It’s point is PERFECT every time! ;-)
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