For editors everywhere

[ellen_datlow]

The Art of Sharpening Pencils

I covet "Sadie" but although she's on ebay, the auction is on and there's no way I could afford whatever she goes for...

Comments

[sclerotic-rings.livejournal.com]

You know, it's a shame that you don't know any former incompetent writers who moved into sculpting, because Sadie wouldn't be that hard to reverse-engineer.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Or even competent writers who have a second calling :-)

[sclerotic-rings.livejournal.com]

Well, if you can find one of them, let me know. As far as the incompetents are concerned, though, I'd be glad to give it a shot if you're interested. Do you have a particular taste in doll heads?

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I suspect you know my taste in doll heads--from my photos...although...hang on, maybe I'll try to make my own (although I don't know how one would get the shavings out of the mouth!) Any ideas on how that works?

[sclerotic-rings.livejournal.com]

Actually, I have a few ideas involving inclined wedges and a spring-loaded button in back to return the wedge to its original position once the shaving strip started moving. I suspect that the original was made of either porcelain or very hard plastic, but we have Possibilities. Would you want this with a metal core so that it'll stand upright more easily when you put it down on your desk?

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

I think you could probably just put in a "slide" from the exit of the sharpener to the mouth and it would just slide out.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Ooh. Why don't we see how the auction comes out first :-) But ideas are good.I have a bisque doll head (well, several) but I notice that NONE have mouths that are that large so the "Sadie" might have been made specially for this purpose.

[sclerotic-rings.livejournal.com]

Thinking about it yesterday while cleaning the house (it's either cleaning on Saturday or experiencing the pain of the Czarina's sharp elbows coming down atop the soft, tender fontanelle I've helped her produce in the top of my skull from my various smart comments), I realized the same thing. Again, though, I could talk to a few people about this, because you're also not limited to bisque. A good glass might work just as well, and I know several incredible glass artists in the Dallas area. I'm helping the Czarina with a jewelry show next weekend, and I know several of these folks will be there, so I'll start some cross-pollination and reverse engineering.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

She went for $69.

Glass is a bit too fragile to have lying around my "desk" (aka cocktail table) with cats roaming among my things, although I think a head pencil sharpener would produce a very interesting result--more artful than utility oriented. You can certainly ask around though for opinions :-)

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't have to be a sculptor. That's a standard doll head with the sharpener behind the eye. The scraped off stuff can just be fed out the front. If I was still allowed to use heat tools, I could make one.