the høvel by brahman design is a fresh take on traditional pencil sharpeners

london-based studio brahman design released its first-ever product called ‘høvel’,which is a complete redesign of the traditional pencil sharpener. ‘the overall shape was carefully deliberated to achieve the perfect combination of ergonomics and functionality, while also expressing our passion for beautifully crafted objects,’ explains the designers. 

høvel  pencil sharpener in brass

translated into ‘hand plane’ in norwegian, the høvel by brahman design offers users the freedom to sharpen any pencil at any point. indeed, drawing on inspiration from traditional woodworking tools, the product emerged as a result of a dissatisfaction with the everyday pencil sharpener. the latter would often break the lead and become discarded once the blade goes dull.  

reflection in brass

avaialble in both in both anodised aluminium and  polished brass, høvel can be used on its own or with a base to catch the shavings. as for the base, users are free to choose between a wooden base in ash or cherry with a linseed oil finish. ‘after completing over fifteen physical prototypes and many more digital iterations, høvel has been meticulously designed to feel natural and intuitive with a perfectly angled blade making a new technique efficient and accessible to all’. 

for more information about the product, you can visit the kickstarter page here. 

the perfect gift for any creative

testing out the pencil after being sharpened

after numerous prototypes and iteration, the perfect combination of form and function was reached

the product available in both anodized aluminium and polished brass

høvel can also be used with a base to catch any shavings

anodized aluminium design

polished brass design

brass sharpener in a cherry wood base

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.