Ramesh Sujanani, Contributor

To sharpen a pencil is a simple joy. It imputes precision and accuracy. It suggests neatness of script. A sharp pencil that glides along glorifies the paper on which it writes with evenness and fluency. It often states concisely all that you wish to articulate. It is a glorious tool to any writer worth his reputation.

But sharpening a pencil is an art. There are many types of pencil-sharpeners, manual and electrically operated. The nemesis of many a good pencil is the type of sharpener used. The old and trusted way is using a razor blade or sharp penknife and shave the end of the pencil until the graphite emerges, and grows. Here it becomes tricky; too much force will break the emerging point. You need to rotate the pencil while you shave the wood off the graphite. Then, when you have a point, you place the pencil point on a hard surface and gingerly sharpen the graphite to a point. Then you have a sharp pencil.

A simple mechanical sharpener needs to be turned slowly until the graphite grinds to a point. But here's the rub: Do not waver the hand holding the pencil or let the sharpener shift lest the point cracks. If it does, you have to sharpen further, or break and start again.

Electric sharpeners can be good or bad. Bad ones you push in and the pencil never comes out, or you get such a short pencil that it leaves you wondering where the point went. What is the point of this argument? The point is that you may have to break a stubby point and start all over again. Good electric sharpeners are few and far between. Some of them, however, are so good that the point splinters at the first write. The really efficient ones give a nice, even tip, but what is the point of this mechanical event?

The best ones, I think, are the teeny manual ones that were used at school back in the day. You can see the pencil slowly sharpen as you turn it. You see the point as it emerges. Back the pencil out and push it in, wiggle it until you get a nice, thick and even peak. Get the point?

Then satisfaction, rapture. You have something to write with, to do sums without worrying about sliding into an error. Having said all this about sharpeners and pencils, are you aware that there are varying degrees of hardness in a simple pencil, and those different companies make differing grades of pencils with or without erasers?

Faber is the pencil you want! They make a 2H, (too light), a 2B(too dark), and an HB (just right). Unfortunately, their erasers leave much to be desired. They leave dark- stained marks on your paper, and you have to use a white eraser for your paper if you wish to be neat. To summarise: Sharpen your HB Faber pencil in a little sharpener (green), like the one I have, taking time and skill to grow the point, and you will write successfully for all time. That's the point!