Tsunago: the pencil sharpener that creates a never-ending pencil

It’s an odd thought. Pencil sharpeners make pencils shorter, bringing them one step closer to their inevitable last day. But this pencil sharpener actually creates a never-ending pencil.

The inherent problem with the humble pencil is that you can never use it till the end. There are always leftover humps that become too small for your hand and must be thrown out. Sure, in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t seem like a huge deal. But through the lens of the Japanese spirit of mottainai – a sense of regret over waste – there were some who would not rest till this problem was solved. And now, it looks like a small pencil sharpener manufacture has come up with an ingenious solution.

Osaka-based Nakajima Jukyudo is one of the only companies in Japan focused on making only pencil sharpeners. They use high quality blades and their sharpeners are renowned for being easy to use. But their latest product, called Tsunago (or, let’s connect) solves the age-old problem of having leftover pencil stumps.

The pencil sharpener has 3 different holes: one is a regular sharpener but the other two create a hole and a protrusion (often written as dekoboko, or 凸凹, in Japanese) that creates a perfect interlocking joint. A little wood glue seals the bond completely and you have a brand new pencil. The company is still working out distribution, but plans to begin selling the sharpener shortly (pun intended) for 1,620 yen.