A Calibrated Point

A blunt cedar drafting pencil lay idle beside a compact brass wedge sharpener on the edge of the study desk. Securing my bayoneted rifle against the lip of a heavy oak bookend, I gripped the solid metal sharpener firmly with both gloved hands. Bracing the unsharpened pencil against the desk blotter, I guided its tip into the conical port and applied measured, clockwise torque. The steel blade sheared smoothly through timber and graphite, peeling away a continuous, fragrant spiral of pale cedar ribbon. With three steady rotations, a razor-sharp point emerged, restored to complete geometric precision.