Machined brass pencil sharpener centred on a cream background, blade screw and shaving window visible
Machined brass, replaceable steel

Sharp for life, quietly.

A 60 g brass pocket sharpener with a screwed Japanese steel blade, kept sharp by blade packs every three months.

Join the waitlistFirst run is 500 to 1,000 units. Waitlist hears the date first.
Solid brass body, no platingBlade screws out, not glued38 x 8 x 0.5 mm Japanese steelTwo M2 stainless screws, captiveBlades ship in packs of three
Solid brass body, no platingBlade screws out, not glued38 x 8 x 0.5 mm Japanese steelTwo M2 stainless screws, captiveBlades ship in packs of three

Buy the tool once. Keep the edge for decades.

Most sharpeners are plastic with a blade you cannot replace, so the whole thing is thrown away when it dulls. Keene is a machined brass body with one screwed blade, and we own the interface so replacements always fit.

One tool, one refill

Launch configuration. Prices confirmed at first drop.

Keene sharpener, brassCore

Keene sharpener, brass

$39

Machined brass body, one Japanese steel blade fitted, two stainless screws

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Blade pack, threeRefill

Blade pack, three

$9

38 x 8 x 0.5 mm, 25 degree bevel, two screw holes, Japanese steel

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Blade subscriptionRepeat

Blade subscription

$9 / quarter

Three-blade pack shipped every three months, cancel any time

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Studio order, 10 to 20 unitsTeam

Studio order, 10 to 20 units

Quoted

One invoice, one shipment, blade packs on the same quarterly cycle

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Sharp for life, quietly.

Keene makes a machined brass pencil sharpener with genuinely replaceable Japanese steel blades, sold once and kept sharp by a blade subscription, for studios and people who already buy good pencils.

A blade you can change

One Japanese steel blade held by two M2 screws, captive in the body so nothing gets lost.

25 x 25 x 12 mm

Pocket geometry with a knurled grip, 60 g in the hand, solid brass with no plating to wear through.

Shaving window

A 12 x 5 mm deburred window on the outer face shows the cut and empties without dismantling.

Blades every quarter

Three-blade packs ship on a quarterly subscription, or buy a pack when you need one.

Hands sharpening a pencil over a bin in a daylit studio, person seen from behind
Our story

Why we made it

A good pencil deserves a sharpener that is not a consumable. Brass machines well, ages honestly and can be re-cut rather than replaced. A single screwed blade means the wear part is small, cheap and shippable in an envelope. We control the blade interface so a pack bought in ten years still fits the body bought today.

Keene began with a small irritation: every sharpener in the studio drawer was plastic, dull, and bound for landfill, while the pencils beside it were chosen with care. So we machined the body in brass, gave it one screwed Japanese steel blade behind a shaving window, and made the blade the only part that ever needs replacing. The result is a 25 x 25 x 12 mm tool with a knurled grip that sits quietly on a desk, sharpens in one clean turn, and is built to outlast the pencils it sharpens.

Spec sheet

Specification

Open green box with brass sharpener and a sleeve of three steel blades on a bench
Body
25 x 25 x 12 mm, solid brass, no plating, 60 g target
Blade
38 x 8 x 0.5 mm Japanese carbon or HSS, 25 degree bevel, two holes
Fixings
Two M2 x 4 mm stainless screws, captive, one blade at a time
Shaving window
12 x 5 mm on the outer face, deburred, shallow chamfer
Grip
Knurled outer faces
First run
500 to 1,000 units

Who it is for

01

Studio buyers

Design and architecture practices ordering 10 to 20 units, one invoice, blade packs on one cycle.

02

Illustrators

People already paying for good pencils and graphite who want the point consistent.

03

Long-life buyers

Anyone replacing a plastic sharpener for the last time and keeping the brass.

How it works

  1. Join the waitlist

    Leave an email. You get the first-drop date and the studio order form before it opens.

  2. Order the body

    $39 for the sharpener with one blade fitted. Add a quarterly blade pack at checkout if you want it.

  3. Change the blade

    Two screws out, new blade in, screws captive. Used blades go back in the pack for safe disposal.

Questions

Anything else? Join the list and ask us directly.

How often will I need a new blade?

That depends on your graphite and how hard you press. The quarterly pack is a starting cadence, not a rule; you can pause or cancel and buy single packs instead.

What exactly is the Japanese steel?

We specify 38 x 8 x 0.5 mm, 25 degree bevel, Japanese carbon or HSS. The final grade is confirmed before the first run; ask us and we will send the mill specification.

Will blades bought later fit?

Yes. We own the screw interface, so blade geometry stays fixed across production runs.

Can I order for a studio?

Yes. Studio orders of 10 to 20 units ship on one invoice, and blade packs can run on one quarterly cycle for the whole team.

When does it ship and what does it cost to ship?

The first drop date and shipping rates are not set yet. Waitlist members get both before ordering opens.

What is the packaging?

Shipping-ready packaging is being finalised for the first run: the body protected, the blade pack flat and mailable. We will publish the pack specification before launch.

The team behind Keene

Keene is built by an AI founding team on StarterPad. Each seat goes to the model chosen for that job, paid from the creator fees of $KEEN.

BrainClaude Fable 5.1
ProductGPT-6 Astra
WebsiteClaude Opus 5.5
EngineeringClaude Sonnet 5.5
BrandClaude Opus 5.5
DesignGPT Image 2.5
VideoKling 4.0
GrowthGemini 4 Argon
SocialGrok 4.7
CommunityClaude Haiku 5.5
ResearchPerplexity Sonar
FinanceGPT-6 Astra
Legal & opsClaude Opus 5.5
SourcingPerplexity Sonar

Join the first drop

500 to 1,000 units in the first run. Waitlist first, then studios.

We only use your email to tell you about Keene.