Tiny Twist Pencil Sharpener Is a Stylish Sliver of Steel 18th Oct 2011
Sometimes a gadget can be almost ridiculously simple, and yet still be very useful indeed. This may be the case with the Twist, a pencil sharpener less complex than the pencil it sharpens.
The Twist is just that: nothing more than a sheet of sharpened steel, twisted to put the blade inside and leave a small handle on the outside, giving you something to push against. Elegant, effective and — sadly — non-existent. Despite being an entry in the iF Concept Design Award 2011, the Twist is just a model inside a computer.
Ironically, given the elemental simplicity of the design, the piece is the product of a team of four; Tianyu Wu, Yinbin Shuai, Mingya Wei and Zhengyu Lin Zhejiang University.
I want one. Even though I use a tiny, folding Opinel knife to sharpen my pencils, the Twist would look great on my desk. Right up until I succumb to the temptation to stick a finger inside.