Pencils are one of the most common items that can be found on any desk. And where there’s a pencil, there’s bound to be a sharpener nearby as well. Speaking of which, have you ever wondered where this helpful tool came from?

Before the sharpener was invented, knives were used to sharpen pencils. In 1828, French mathematician Bernard Lassimone applied for a patent on the pencil sharpener. Almost two decades later, another Frenchman, Therry des Estwaux, invented the first manual pencil sharpener. The first electric pencil sharpener came in the 1940s, designed by Raymond Loewy and offered by the Hammacher Schlemmer Company of New York.

The USB Sharpener is a different kind of electric sharpener – it connects right to your computer’s USB port for power. Use it at home or at work. The USB Sharpener even flashes different colours while being used – you surely won’t have any dull pencils left.