About X-ACTO
X-ACTO began as a precision craft knife brand, and the name today covers hobby and utility knives, pencil sharpeners, paper trimmers, and other office and craft tools. X-ACTO is now owned by Newell Brands, which acquired the brand as part of its 2015 purchase of Elmer's Products.
The pencil sharpener line spans manual, electric, and battery-operated designs built for different settings, from wall-mounted classroom units to desktop electrics. The two models we've reviewed, the School Pro electric sharpener and the KS manual wall-mount sharpener, sit at opposite ends of that range: a plug-in sharpener built around a SafeStart safety motor, and an outlet-free mounted sharpener built around dual helical cutters.
Brand website: xacto.com
What X-ACTO makes
X-ACTO's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Knives & Blades
precision hobby and utility knives built around the original X-ACTO blade design, used for crafting, modeling, and general cutting tasks
Pencil Sharpeners
manual, electric, and battery-operated sharpeners built for classrooms, offices, and studios — featured on DeskRated
Paper Cutters & Trimmers
guillotine, rotary, and razor trimmers for cutting paper and card stock
Tools & Accessories
self-healing cutting mats and other desk tools that pair with the knife and blade line
Why we recognized X-ACTO
The DeskRated Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our hands-on category reviews. X-ACTO earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: bought, used at a real desk, and judged on merit.
X-ACTO products we rated highly
X-ACTO School Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener, Black
A flyaway cutter disengages automatically once the pencil reaches its point, which keeps the sharpener from grinding a pencil down to a stub if a user leans on it too long. A SafeStart motor will not run unless the shavings bin is installed, addressing a common safety concern in classrooms where young users share the tool. The six-size adjustable dial accommodates standard No. 2 pencils, jumbo primary pencils, and colored pencils.
Read the 7 Best Pencil Sharpeners of 2026 guide →
X-ACTO KS Manual Pencil Sharpener
Dual helical cutters form a point using the same spiral-blade geometry found in many electric sharpeners, built into a hand-cranked tool that needs no outlet. The eight-size adjustable dial spans a wide range of pencil diameters, from slim mechanical-style pencils to jumbo primary and specialty art pencils, and the housing can be installed on a wall, a desk edge, or flat on a tabletop.
Read the 7 Best Pencil Sharpeners of 2026 guide →What earned X-ACTO the recognition
- A flyaway cutter paired with a SafeStart motor that only runs with the shavings bin installed gives the School Pro electric sharpener a safety design built around how classrooms and shared offices actually use the tool.
- The six-size dial on the School Pro and the eight-size dial on the KS manual mount both accommodate standard, jumbo, and colored pencils, so mixed pencil sizes don't require switching tools.
- The KS manual sharpener uses dual helical cutters, the same spiral-blade geometry found in premium electric sharpeners, in an outlet-free design that mounts to a wall, desk edge, or tabletop.
- X-ACTO holds two placements on our pencil sharpener review, covering both a plug-in classroom electric and an outlet-free manual mount, so the recognition reflects coverage across how sharpeners actually get used rather than a single product.
- The brand began with a precision craft knife and now extends into pencil sharpeners, paper trimmers, and other office tools under Newell Brands.