--- title: "KUM Masterpiece Sharpener: The 8-Degree Long Point" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kum-masterpiece-sharpener/" description: "KUM Masterpiece (Meisterwerk) long point sharpener: the 8-degree cone, magnesium body, removable stop, size, which pencils fit, and how it differs from the AS2." category: "Accessories" type: "Pencil sharpener" published: 2026-10-21 updated: 2026-10-21 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 7 products: - name: "KUM Masterpiece (Meisterwerk) long point sharpener" brand: "KUM" brand_origin: "Germany" made_in: "Germany" material: "Milled magnesium body, plastic stop, carbon-steel blades" released: "2015" price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "KUM (Erlangen, Germany)" model: "105.72.11" url: "https://kum.net/shop/kum-meisterwerk/" --- # KUM Masterpiece Sharpener: The 8-Degree Long Point > The KUM Masterpiece (Meisterwerk, item 105.72.11) is a handmade German two-hole long point sharpener with a milled magnesium body. Hole 1 cuts the wood, hole 2 shapes the graphite into an 8-degree cone, and a blue stop can be slid or removed for more exposed lead. It suits good 8 mm pencils with centered cores. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kum-masterpiece-sharpener/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-21 - Updated: 2026-10-21 ![KUM Masterpiece magnesium sharpener beside a pencil with a long point, drawn to scale](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/kum-masterpiece-sharpener-16x9.png) *The Masterpiece at 1 mm = 4.6 px, from Lexikaliker's measured size; blades and stop drawn by eye.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | KUM Masterpiece (Meisterwerk) long point sharpener | KUM (by KUM (Erlangen, Germany)) | Germany | Germany | Milled magnesium body, plastic stop, carbon-steel blades | 2015 | $$$: $20–75 per item | - Made in (KUM Masterpiece (Meisterwerk) long point sharpener): Germany. KUM's German shop page gives the origin as "Made in Germany" and calls the sharpener 100% handmade in Germany; its German art-materials catalogue says every step from making the blade to final assembly happens in Germany. Luiban lists it as manufactured in Erlangen. Source: https://kum.net/shop/kum-meisterwerk/ ## Key takeaways - KUM's German catalogue says the Masterpiece forms an 8-degree cone; its Automatic Long Point (AS2) forms 9 degrees. - Lexikaliker measured the body at 35 × 27 × 12 mm, with an 8.5 mm first hole and a 6.8 mm second hole. - Lexikaliker measured a 16-degree point angle, against 19 degrees for the KUM AS2 and 22 degrees for a standard sharpener. - KUM's German shop sells it in gold or silver for €24.99 (about US$28) to €25.99 (about US$29), with two spare blades. - KUM says every Masterpiece is handmade in Germany and passes eight quality checks. ## What is the KUM Masterpiece? **It's KUM's premium two-hole long point sharpener: a small block of milled magnesium that cuts a longer, slimmer point than the company's plastic Automatic Long Point.** KUM sells it in Germany as the Meisterwerk, item 105.72.11, in gold or silver. KUM is a family-run sharpener maker in Erlangen, Germany. Its German shop calls the Masterpiece 100% handmade in Germany and says each one passes eight quality checks. ## How does the Masterpiece sharpen? **In two phases: hole 1 removes only the wood, and hole 2 shapes the exposed graphite.** KUM says hole 1 uses its Thin Cut system, which takes off very thin shavings; Lexikaliker measured them at 0.21 mm on average. The pencil stops turning in hole 1 once the wood is cut back. In hole 2, a blue plastic stop limits how much lead is exposed. KUM says the stop slides to set the length and can be removed completely, which artists use for long, flat shading. ![KUM Masterpiece front face to scale, with point angles measured against a standard sharpener and the KUM AS2](https://stationerytimes.com/images/kum-masterpiece-sharpener-angles.svg) *Hole sizes and point angles as measured by Lexikaliker (2015), drawn to scale.* ## KUM Masterpiece specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | KUM (Erlangen, Germany) | | Model | Masterpiece / Meisterwerk, item 105.72.11 | | Finishes | Gold, silver (KUM's German shop) | | Body | Milled magnesium; blue plastic stop | | Size | 35 × 27 × 12 mm (1.4 × 1.1 × 0.5 in), measured by Lexikaliker | | Weight | About 17 g (0.6 oz), per JetPens | | Holes | 8.5 mm (wood) and 6.8 mm (graphite), measured by Lexikaliker | | Cone | 8 degrees (KUM) | | Blades | Carbon steel, over 62 HRC (shop page; the catalogue says over 65 HRC); 2 spares in the stop | | In the box | Neoprene case and a wooden presentation box (KUM catalogue) | | German price | €24.99 (about US$28) to €25.99 (about US$29) | | Price band ($$$ = $20–75) | $$$ | JetPens lists 3.5 × 2.2 × 1.2 cm, so the two published widths differ by 5 mm; our drawings use Lexikaliker's measurement. KUM's own pages don't give a size or weight. ## How long a point does the KUM Masterpiece make? **One of the longest of any handheld sharpener: KUM gives it an 8-degree cone, and Lexikaliker measured a 16-degree point angle.** That compares with 19 degrees for the KUM Automatic Long Point and 400-5L, and 22 degrees for a standard sharpener, in Lexikaliker's measurements. Lexikaliker reports that the wood never splintered and the point never broke in its tests, even with soft grades up to a [Staedtler Mars Lumograph](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/staedtler-mars-lumograph/) 4B. It also notes the Masterpiece doesn't suit STAEDTLER's WOPEX or Noris eco, which need a sharpener that takes a thicker shaving. ## Which pencils fit? **Standard wood-cased pencils about 8 mm across, with a centered core and good wood.** KUM says second- and third-grade pencils fail in it, because an off-center core breaks under such a long point. Lexikaliker found the 8.5 mm first hole also takes slightly thicker pencils, useful for some older and Japanese pencils. A hexagonal pencil such as the [Blackwing 602](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/blackwing-602/), at about 7.5 mm, is in range. ## How is the KUM Masterpiece different from the KUM Automatic Long Point? **Same two-step idea, different build and a slimmer cone.** The [KUM Automatic Long Point (AS2)](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kum-long-point-sharpener/) is a plastic sharpener with a flip-top shavings container and a fixed brake; the Masterpiece is a bare metal block with a removable stop. | | Masterpiece (105.72.11) | Automatic Long Point (AS2) | |---|---|---| | Body | Milled magnesium | Plastic, with shavings container | | Cone (KUM) | 8 degrees | 9 degrees | | Stop | Sliding, removable | Built-in brake | | Spare blades | 2, in the stop | 2, in the container | | German price | €24.99 (about US$28) to €25.99 (about US$29) | €5.09 (about US$5.70) | | Band | $$$ ($20–75) | $$ ($5–20) | Reviewers split on whether the step up is worth it. Bleistift, reviewing it in June 2015, got only slightly better results than with the AS2 but found them easier to achieve. A Fountain Pen Network user reports a longer point from the Masterpiece. Our [best pencil sharpeners roundup](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-pencil-sharpeners/) names it the pick for the longest point. ## Is the KUM Masterpiece worth the price? **If you sharpen good pencils for drawing or fine writing, it's the long point sharpener reviewers rate most highly; for everyday pencils the AS2 does nearly the same job.** It has no shavings container, so you sharpen over a bin. Prices have risen. Lexikaliker and Bleistift paid €9.25 (about US$10) in 2015; KUM's shop now lists €24.99 (about US$28) to €25.99 (about US$29), and Berlin shop Luiban €22.90 (about US$26). For a single-hole metal alternative, see the [Blackwing One-Step](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/blackwing-one-step-long-point-sharpener/). ## Where is the KUM Masterpiece made? **In Germany: KUM's shop page lists its origin as "Made in Germany".** KUM's catalogue says every step, from making the blade to final assembly, happens in Germany, and Luiban says it is made in Erlangen. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the KUM Masterpiece better than the KUM Long Point? It makes a slightly slimmer point: KUM gives it an 8-degree cone against 9 degrees for the Automatic Long Point (AS2), and its stop can be removed. Reviewers disagree on how much better it is; Lexikaliker was delighted with it, while Bleistift found it only slightly easier to use. ### What is the difference between Masterpiece and Meisterwerk? None: Meisterwerk is KUM's German name and Masterpiece the English one. The sharpener itself is engraved "The Masterpiece", according to Lexikaliker, and KUM's item number is 105.72.11. ### How big is the KUM Masterpiece? Lexikaliker measured it at 35 × 27 × 12 mm, about 1.4 × 1.1 × 0.5 in. JetPens lists 3.5 × 2.2 × 1.2 cm and about 17 g, so it fits in a pencil case. ### Which pencils work in the KUM Masterpiece? Good-quality wood-cased pencils about 8 mm across. KUM says the core must be centered and the wood first-rate, and that second- and third-grade pencils fail in it. ### Can you remove the stop on the KUM Masterpiece? Yes. KUM says the blue stop slides to set how much lead is exposed and can be removed completely to expose even more graphite. ### Can you replace the blades on the KUM Masterpiece? Yes. It comes with two spare blades stored in the blue stop, and you change them with a Phillips screwdriver, per Luiban and JetPens. ### Is the KUM Masterpiece made in the USA? No, in Germany. KUM calls it 100% handmade in Germany, and Luiban says it is manufactured in Erlangen, where KUM is based. ## Sources - [KUM (Germany): KUM Meisterwerk, Langkonusanspitzer (shop page: gold or silver, €24.99 (about US$28) to €25.99 (about US$29), Made in Germany, two phases, Thin Cut, 8-degree cone, over 62 HRC blades, eight quality checks)](https://kum.net/shop/kum-meisterwerk/) - [KUM (Germany): Katalog Künstlerbedarf (art-materials catalogue, PDF: Meisterwerk 105.72.11, 8-degree cone, two spare blades, sliding stop, neoprene case and wooden box)](https://kum.net/documents/katalog/kum-art-materials-de.pdf) - [Lexikaliker: KUM Masterpiece (March 28, 2015: 35 × 27 × 12 mm, holes 8.5 and 6.8 mm, measured 16-degree point, history of the two-step design)](https://www.lexikaliker.de/2015/03/kum-masterpiece/) - [Bleistift: KUM Masterpiece (June 2015 review, removable stop, comparison with the Automatic Long Point)](https://bleistift.blog/2015/06/kum-masterpiece/) - [Luiban: KUM sharpener Meisterwerk (milled magnesium, 8 mm pencils, 62 HRC, removable stop, made in Erlangen, €22.90)](https://luiban.com/en/KUM002-kum-sharpener-meisterwerk) - [JetPens: KUM Masterpiece Sharpener (105.72.11, 3.5 × 2.2 × 1.2 cm, 17 g; read via search, the page blocks automated reading)](https://www.jetpens.com/KUM-Masterpiece-Sharpener/pd/17557) - [Fountain Pen Network: Good pencil sharpeners (KUM Long Point vs Masterpiece)](https://fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/332618-good-pencil-sharpeners)