Automatic Pencil Sharpener Co., 58 E. Washington St., Chicago, IL [Downtown / The Loop]
This was the pencil sharpener of your youth . . . if your school was like mine and failed to pay for the widely available electric alternative.
The classic “Chicago” hand-crank sharpener is actually one of five Automatic Pencil Sharpener Co. (aka, APSCO) pieces in our museum collection, all dating from the 1920s or earlier. You can read out full-length history on APSCO over on the page for the “Giant” brand sharpener.
MORE OF THE GREEN “CHICAGO” SHARPENER:
I have a yellow “Midget” sharpener that has exactly the same design as this. Came with the old house I bought in Tempe, AZ. Says made in Rockford, Illinois on it. Wondering how old it is. Guessing it’s from the 50’s. I love it! Use it all the time for the kids pencils. Makes a very sharp scalloped point that is hard to find in modern sharpeners unless you buy a Carl Angel from Japan. They don’t make them like they used to!
I have a Chicago pencil sharpener similar to the one pictured. However, there is no patent date more recent than 1907 on it. And it has a sliding retention piece on the side you insert the pencil affixed to the shavings holder. Is mine simply an older version of the pictured above?
I have the one pictured.
I have a 1920s or older chicago pencil sharpener made in chicago, USA and was wondering the approximate value.it looks exactly the same as the one in the photo above.
I have a Chicago pencil sharpener from around 1920. That is made in Canada just wondering if worth any thing. It is in very good condition