Oh, I know, I’ll find a way to have a pencil sharpener on my belt too! If you want to join the pencil posse, here’s a DIY:

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First, get a pencil sharpener that fits in a pouch.

Dux makes this little brass job. It’s hefty for its size, has great knurling, feels super between your fingers, and is adjustable–for three degrees of pencil pointedness. And, look, it comes with a small leather pouch.

Photo courtesy of TOPCOLOR PENCIL SHARPENERS, a great little web shop with amazing customer service. ( I don’t get any kickback or affiliate commission for mentioning this. I’m just telling you because it’s true.)

And Kum just came out with this marvelous two-stage sharpener called The Masterpiece. It’s made of magnesium, which is shiny. And the “stop” is removable, so you can strip the wood off almost an entire pencil’s worth of graphite, or you can make your pencils insanely sharp. In any case, this one comes with a cloth pouch.

At the time of this posting, The Masterpiece is not available from any US retailers. However, Heirloom Pencils has smuggled a few of these sharpeners to their secret headquarters–for trading with readers of this blog! Contact us if you want one…

Next, go to your local thrift store and get an extra belt, one with a loop that fits the belt you intend to wear your sharpener on. You won’t be using the extra belt, just its loop. Make sure it has a complete loop, and try to find one with a loop that will fit snugly on your soon-to-be-utility-belt. You don’t want your sharpener drooping or sliding around on your waist. That really wouldn’t be cool.

Talk the cashier down to 99 cents if you can.

Cut the loop free with your tiny scissors.

Slide the loop off the belt–to freedom! (Just a few minutes of freedom.)

Using an awl, make some holes in the loop. The holes will enable you to sew through the loop, which is rather thick. Get an awl at a thrift store. If you’d rather not poke holes in your fingers, use a stick to hold the loop. Get a stick off the ground, not off a tree.

When using sharp tools, keep your work area clear and free of distractions.

If necessary, make some holes in the pouch as well. The leather used for the DUX pouch is crumbly, so be careful.

Stitch through the holes a bunch of times, fastening the belt loop to the back of the pouch. I used upholstery thread, which is very strong.

Now you have a pouch with a belt loop attached. Trim the threads and put the finished holster on your belt!

Watch out, this guy’s packin’ a miniature saw and an adjustable pencil sharpener!

Ready for a shootout with David Rees.