The Pencil Plane
Course Project: Nature of Material and Processes, IDC Bombay
The Pencil Plane is an alternative to a regular pencil sharpener providing better control and safety. The Pencil Plane works like a woodworkers plane where the user sharpens the pencil by carving the pencil.
The product was created in a period of 1 week in October of 2020 as a team project. The members of the team were me and Aryan Gajwe.
One of the objectives of the course was to create a stationery product using our newfound material processes knowledge. In which, this project was created.
The Planer went through several iterations. Initially it had a more traditional wood worker's plane design, changed to make it work as a pencil carver. Another iteration played with the idea of a semi-portable plane.
The final design has a contoured front to allow for easier sharpening by allowing the user to approach the blade by multiple angles. The cut out on in the front catches the pencil shavings and collects them inside the plane, providing a cleaner sharpening experience.
The grippy rubber base and back prevents the Plane from moving around while in use.
The position of the blade can be adjusted as needed, accommodating pencils of all sizes.
An alternate CMF variation with circular recycled plastic pellets.
The front of the plane is magnetically attached and comes off when it's needed to empty the shavings container.
The custom semi-circular blades are easily replaceable
The use of recycled plastics strikes the balance of being environmentally conscious while being strong to last long.
Grippy rubber material allows for optional handheld operation.
A poster created for the product.
