Apsco Fishing Reel Pencil Sharpener
A slight handsome lad shuffles to the front of the classroom to a wall-mounted pencil sharpener beside the blackboard. Pencil inserted, he slowly engages the planetary sharpener, called thus because the mechanism revolves around a stationary pencil. While he does not yet understand the principle within the mechanism which rotates a set of helical cylindrical cutters set at a diverging angle to each other, he does appreciate this opportunity to covertly observe Lori in the front row. If only she knew . . .
Another American Pencil Sharpener Company product is embedded in the memory of a 5th grader, along with the smell of chalk dust, cedar shavings, and graphite. Nothing smells like a pencil, and recalls to me the timeless experience of grade school. The magic of childhood forever with us. But what of APSCO, of Chicago, Illinois? Ahh, stay tuned for Part II of this fascinating story . . .
The Fishing Reel APSCO imaged at the top of this article ended up in the same Dumpster® as the Revere Ware. Yet another 
piece of Americana inadvertently tossed on the rubbish heap! Fortunately, the intrepid author was there for rescue, triage, research, and restoration. ***Cue heart-pounding triumphant music*** Uncle Curt, up there with Saint Peter threading another worm, smiles through a wreath of pipe smoke . . .
American Toolbox 
April 30, 2016 at 8:33 am
Found the original patent document … https://americantoolbox.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/usd206777.png
May 30, 2017 at 4:12 pm
[…] is hooking another worm with Curt. Time moves forward. Again I find myself along the 45th Parallel, at Mammoth Hot Springs […]
June 7, 2017 at 6:34 pm
I have a question: How do you empty this!? I don’t know if it is just stuck or what, but I can’t figure it out. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thank you,
June 7, 2017 at 6:37 pm
You turn the “tension spokes” behind the winder/crank counterclockwise.
March 25, 2019 at 4:08 pm
Just picked one of these up at my local antique store. Looks awesome in my wood Shop!
March 25, 2019 at 8:26 pm
Same here. With a supply of quality pencils left over from my brother’s architectual phase, I’m always point-on with Uncle Kurt’s pencil sharpener.