If you use a handheld pencil sharpener and encounter lead breakage, check to see if the sharpener is still sharp. Check the length of the pencil shaving to see if your sharpener is in good working order. If your pencil sharpener can generate a single long, continuous pencil shave (as shown in the image above), it is in good working order. That means you’re less likely to break something as a result of sharpening.