Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener Explained
The Blackwing One-Step Long Point is a small handheld pencil sharpener that cuts a long, curved point in a single hole. Blackwing says it has a machined aluminum body, a German steel blade and a canister for three sharpenings; Cass Art lists it at 3 × 5 × 3 cm, and Milligram says it is made in China.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener
- Brand
- Blackwing
- Brand origin
- United States
- Made in
- China*
- Material
- Machined aluminum body, German steel blade
- Released
- January 2020*
- Price range
- $$$$20–75 per item
Notes on these facts
- Made by California Cedar Products Company (Cal Cedar), Stockton, California. Made in China: Blackwing's own pages don't name the factory country. Milligram says it is designed in the USA and made in China, and the MoMA Design Store's listing gives China as its origin. "German steel" describes the blade's material, not where the sharpener is made. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Blackwing's store listing went live in late January 2020, and its February 3, 2020 blog post calls it the new sharpener. GetNavi reviewed the Japanese release on August 24, 2020.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
- One hole does the whole job, unlike two-step long-point sharpeners such as the KUM AS2.
- Cass Art lists it at 3 × 5 × 3 cm (about 1.2 × 2 × 1.2 in); Blackwing doesn't publish dimensions or a weight.
- Blackwing says the canister holds 3 fresh sharpenings, and sells replacement blades in sets of 3.
- Reviews from June 2020 were mixed: The Pen Addict's first unit sharpened badly, and Blackwing's replacement worked as expected.
- Blackwing launched it in January 2020 at US$20 (now US$25, our $$$ band); Milligram lists it as designed in the USA and made in China.
What is the Blackwing One-Step Long Point sharpener?
It’s a small handheld sharpener that cuts a long, curved pencil point in one hole. Blackwing says the body is machined aluminum and the sharpening unit has a German steel blade, and it sells the sharpener in black, grey and white.
It went on sale in late January 2020 at US$20, the price The Pen Addict and The Well-Appointed Desk both quote in June 2020; Blackwing now lists it at US$25. The Well-Appointed Desk describes a matte black body with an off-centre hole, and GetNavi’s Japanese review describes a hexagonal machined-aluminum body joined to a knurled cylinder.
Blackwing One-Step specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Blackwing (California Cedar Products Company) |
| Steps | One hole: wood and graphite together |
| Point | Long, curved (concave) |
| Body | Machined aluminum; black, grey or white |
| Blade | German steel, screwed on; replacements sold in sets of 3 |
| Size | 3 × 5 × 3 cm (about 1.2 × 2 × 1.2 in), per Cass Art |
| Weight | Not published |
| Canister | 3 fresh sharpenings (Blackwing) |
| UPC (black) | 820933120305 |
| Made in | China (per retailers) |
Blackwing publishes no dimensions, so the size comes from Cass Art. Milligram gives 3.1 × 3.1 × 6.8 cm and the Philadelphia Museum of Art store 2.75 × 1.18 in, possibly measured with the box. Blackwing’s official Japanese store sells it for ¥5,280 (about US$33); GetNavi reported a 2020 Japanese launch price of ¥3,400 (about US$22) before tax.
How is it different from a two-step sharpener?
A two-step sharpener cuts the wood and the graphite in separate holes; the One-Step does both at once. The KUM Automatic Long Point, which Blackwing also sells in its own two-step version, stops the first cut with a brake before you finish the graphite in hole 2.
| Blackwing One-Step | KUM Long Point (AS2) | |
|---|---|---|
| Holes | 1 | 2 (wood, then graphite) |
| Body | Machined aluminum | Plastic with flip-top container |
| Point | Long, concave | Long, straight cone |
| Made in | China (per retailers) | Germany (per retailers) |
| Price band | $$$ ($20–75) | $$ ($5–20) |
One step is quicker, and there’s no second hole to snap the lead in. The trade-off is less control over how much wood and graphite you expose.
What kind of point does it make?
A long point whose wood curves inward, a concave shape that leaves more graphite exposed. The Well-Appointed Desk said it was the only sharpener it knew, besides the Möbius+Ruppert Pollux, that makes this shape.
Blackwing says the curved point resists breakage. That suits soft pencils such as the Blackwing Matte.
Is the Blackwing One-Step any good?
Reviewers liked the point, but early units varied. The Pen Addict’s first sharpener, reviewed on June 15, 2020, sharpened poorly; Blackwing sent a replacement, which the reviewer said worked as well as expected.
Readers’ comments under The Well-Appointed Desk review are split too, from “the worst pencil sharpener I’ve ever owned” to “it works pretty well”. Blackwing’s FAQ says broken leads usually mean a dull blade, and suggests checking the blade screw’s tightness on a new sharpener.
How do you empty it?
Unscrew the top, lift out the blade unit, and empty the canister below. The Well-Appointed Desk found this simple, and the removable blade unit also makes it easier to clear a jam. Blackwing says the canister holds three fresh sharpenings, so empty it often.
To change the blade, Blackwing says to unscrew it from the sharpening unit, keeping the nut and screw, then fit the new blade and tighten. Its replacement blades come three to a set.
Which pencils fit?
It’s made for Blackwing pencils, which are about 7.5 mm across, like the Blackwing 602; Milligram says it suits pencils under 8 mm in diameter. Blackwing publishes no official list, so jumbo and triangular pencils are unlikely to fit. The Well-Appointed Desk sharpened a Hi-Uni, a Tombow Mono 100, a Mars Lumograph 8B and a Caran d’Ache Supracolor in it.
Where is the Blackwing One-Step made?
Milligram and the MoMA Design Store list it as made in China; Blackwing’s own pages don’t name a country. Milligram adds that it was designed in the USA. “German steel” in listings describes the blade, not where the sharpener is made.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Blackwing One-Step and Two-Step sharpeners?
The Two-Step (the Blackwing Long Point made with KUM) has two holes: one cuts the wood, the other the graphite. The One-Step cuts both in a single hole, in an aluminium body.
How do you empty the Blackwing One-Step sharpener?
Unscrew the top and lift out the blade unit, then empty the canister underneath, as The Well-Appointed Desk describes. Blackwing says it holds three fresh sharpenings.
What kind of point does the One-Step make?
A long, curved, concave point. The Well-Appointed Desk compared it to the point from the Möbius+Ruppert Pollux, a brass long-point sharpener.
Does the Blackwing One-Step work with other pencils?
Yes, if they are slim enough: Milligram says it suits Blackwing pencils and pencils under 8 mm in diameter. The Well-Appointed Desk sharpened uni, Tombow, Staedtler and Caran d'Ache pencils in it, though it notes the sharpener is meant for graphite.
Why does my Blackwing One-Step sharpen badly?
Defective units have been reported. The Pen Addict's first sharpener performed poorly and Blackwing replaced it; the replacement worked as expected. Blackwing's FAQ blames broken points mostly on dull blades and suggests replacing the blade or adjusting the screw tightness.
How big is the Blackwing One-Step sharpener?
Cass Art lists 3 × 5 × 3 cm (about 1.2 × 2 × 1.2 in). Other shops give 3.1 × 3.1 × 6.8 cm or 2.75 × 1.18 in, and Blackwing publishes no official size or weight.
Where is the Blackwing One-Step sharpener made?
Milligram and the MoMA Design Store list China; Blackwing doesn't say. The blade is German steel.
Sources
- Blackwing: One-Step Long Point Sharpener (machined aluminum, German steel blade, canister holds three sharpenings; black, grey, white)
- Blackwing: One-Step Sharpener replacement blades, set of 3
- Blackwing: Sharpener FAQ (turn clockwise; broken leads and blade screw tightness)
- Blackwing blog: Say hello to our new look (February 3, 2020; links the new sharpener)
- Blackwing Japan: ワンステップ ロングポイント シャープナー ブラック (One-Step Long Point Sharpener, black; ¥5,280; German steel blade)
- GetNavi: 芯の尖り具合から見た目までシャープなシャープナー登場！「ブラックウィング」の鉛筆削り (Blackwing's sharp-looking sharpener arrives; review, August 24, 2020, ¥3,400 before tax)
- The Well-Appointed Desk: Sharpener review, Blackwing One-Step Long Point (June 2020)
- The Pen Addict: Blackwing One-Step Long Point sharpener review (June 15, 2020)
- Milligram: One-Step pencil sharpener (designed in the USA, made in China; 3.1 × 3.1 × 6.8 cm; pencils under 8 mm)
- MoMA Design Store: One-Step Long Point pencil sharpener (origin China)
- Cass Art: Blackwing One-Step Sharpener (product size 3 × 5 × 3 cm)
- Philadelphia Museum of Art store: Blackwing One-Step Long Point sharpener (2.75 × 1.18 in)
- Larry Post: Blackwing One-Step Long Point sharpener (canister holds three sharpenings)
- Akar Design: Blackwing One-Step Long Point pencil sharpener (US$25)