Alvin Brass Bullet | $8
First popularized by German pencil-sharpening giant Möbius & Ruppert, the Alvin Brass Bullet has been honing graphite writing implements for more than a century. Mechanically, it’s as simple as it gets: Twist the pencil against the low-angled razor to sculpt a perfect point. But what sets the Bullet apart is its design. Made of solid brass, with a diamond-knurl grip, it won’t show its age for decades. Dull blades are easily replaced, and the off-center alignment of the sharpening chamber allows for shaping a needle-fine tip without breaking the lead. It’s an honest tool, heavy and rough like a carpenter’s handshake. It won’t make you a better writer, but the sweetness of its rewards—the satisfying scrape, the long curl of shaved wood that emerges as you twist—will make you want to write more.