Lead Pointers

A lead pointer is like a pencil sharpener, but for clutch pencils. With no wood to shave away, it just puts a sharper point on the lead itself. Is that necessary? Depends a lot on how thick the lead is - thinner lead pencils, usually mechanical, don't need them. But if you're using a mechanical pencil or clutch pencil with 2mm lead upwards, you might want a sharper tip than that.

The simplest ones are just a blade or multiple blades, angled to put a point on your lead. More complex ones, like the Staedtler 502 Lead Pointer Tub are a bit more of an acquired skill to use, but can be very quick to add a nice clean point once you've got the hang of it.