Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05 pencil sharpener
Finally - a modern design aesthetic applied to the desktop pencil sharpener!
The Bungu Ryodo BR-05 from Carl is a marvel - it costs less than some handheld sharpeners from Faber-Castell and KUM - and it performs amazingly well and has a compelling modern design.
The mechanism is easily understood, and offers two point choices - blunt or sharp. Both are in the “wow” category compared to most available sharpeners. The pencil shavings are held in a removable tray.
The little touches are just amazing - the point adjustor switch itself looks like a pencil crown - there are tactile dots on the grip points - every small detail has a consistent look.
Did I mention that the retail price is $21?
I find it to be just amazing. The pencil is inserted and clamped, and the handle is rotated. Sharpen, and you’re done when there is no feedback pressure. That’s it.
Here are the results with both ’sharp’ and ‘blunt’ sharpenings:
It has a single rotary blade cylinder which is applied against the pencil. I don’t know how long the blade will stay sharp. The sharpener is lightweight, and the whole unit has to be gripped while sharpening, unless it is attached to a desk surface. It does have clamping-capable infrastructure, though no clamping hardware is supplied with the unit.
It is definitely a functional office accessory that also looks great.
September 1st, 2008 at 5:51 pm
You did not mention how the actual clamping mechanism works (inside) - and the pictures don’t reveal this. Is it one of those metal teeth-of-death mangle types? Or, the more gentle angled edges covered with rubber padding?
I really don’t like the “mangle” type: it bites into the pencil wood and damages the pencil - something quite unnecessary. That would detract from the other nice features.
September 1st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Dion, there are three cylindrical rubber coated grips that hold the pencil. They did not leave any marks that I was able to discern. The photo shows Eyeball Hi-new pencils, but I also tested with other brands. No pencils were damaged - just sharpened!
September 1st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Wow. That looks fantastic. Is there an English-language site or internationally-shipping online retail source? I think I need one of these, for sure.
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:29 am
This looks like a great sharpener, the DAHLE sharpeners seem to mangle the finish of the pencils. I have the model 166, which was disappointing in the design of the point adjuster which is a small cheesey knob.
I found out that there may be a distributor in North America for this sharpener. Here is the URL for the company website in English.
http://www.carl-officeproducts.com/frames.asp?Category=Desktop&SubCategory=Bungu+Ryodo
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:55 am
Thanks for the review and the great pictures!
This sharpener seems to be perfect. I have a Carl sharpener too, namely the “Decade”, and is has the rubber coated grips as well. I wasn’t able to find a desktop sharpener in Germany that doesn’t have “teeth of death” – even the one by Faber-Castell (which is sold for amost twice the price of the Carl models) leaves severe bite marks on the pencil.
I would like to add that the Carl sharpener is sold in a very nice box and takes pencils with a slightly larger diameter as well, e. g. the Caran d’Ache Grafwood that don’t fit into a standard sharpener.
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:45 am
[…] Bei pencil talk gibt es eine ausführliche und reich bebilderte Besprechung des Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05, einer anderen hervorragenden Spitzmaschine des gleichen […]
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:29 am
That looks pretty cool! ;-)
September 6th, 2008 at 4:32 am
I have just tested my Carl Sharpener (Decade DE-100) thoroughly and was happy to see that this one – as well as yours – produces a slightly concave tip (I assume that both share the same internals). Although this isn’t really necessary it gives the pencil an extra something.
Regarding Dahle: I have their electric sharpener 0230, and although it looks quite promising it is a little disappointing all in all – it wobbles so the resulting tip is never exactly axially symmetric. This may be nitpicking but at the price of about 20 Euro I wasn’t expecting that.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Yes, yes, where can one buy online? I can’t find it, though . . .
September 9th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Diane, they are here at bundoki.com.
And the model Gunther has is here.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I’m so intrigued I almost talked myself into hoping I was clicking on the right buttons, but at last sanity prevailed.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Diane, I think you want this English language ordering description page. Sorry, I probably should have mentioned it.