I've been looking into studying for the CAPS Exam (Certified Artisanal Pencil Sharpener). The average age of CAPS is even higher than Land Surveyors being 73 so it's a good profession for a 54 years young fellow such as myself.
CAPS has many conflicts over practice issues similar to land surveyors, the most well known being the dispute between those that use the modern electric pencil sharpener versus the tradionalists that insist on only hand crank pencil sharpeners and don't even get me started on those that insist on no more than a sharp pen knife. A few have even been known to scrounge up used scalpels in the biohazardous waste containers behind large urban hospitals but the BCAPS (Board for Certified Artisanal Pencil Sharpeners) has slowly been removing them from the ranks through disciplinary action.
Many of the older CAPS are still resentful that the profession failed to lead the way when mechanical pencils came in the 1970s. Artisanal Pencil Sharpeners should've led the way in ensuring that mechanical pencils are properly prepared to put letters, numbers, and lines on paper.
The other major disagreement involves whether pencil sharpening should be done by fixed quote or hourly charge. Those that favor fixed quote contend that they charge for the value of their service in providing a uniformly sharpened pencil regardless of the time expended. The hourly charging folks, on the other hand, say that there is no way to estimate how long it may take to properly sharpen a pencil due to variations in density of the wood and brittleness of the lead. They say hourly billing is the only way to ensure the most ethical work product in the form of a sharpened pencil.
It is a noble profession which finds its roots in the sharpening of writing quills for the Pharoehs of Egypt.
I lost my Signature pencil sharpener that had been transferred from the door panel at my grandfather's house, during a remodel to get indoor plumbing in 1962, to an 8in square made from an actual 2x8 oak board that has been with me until the house fire of 1987.
It wasn't until about 8 months ago that I found a suitable replacement, an X-ACTO Model 18xx BS electric desk model.
good luck in your pursuit of new employment..............
You really need to watch out for those CAPS who work for a government agency, they don't have to go out and find their own work and build a reputation with clients or pay employees to work for them, they forget they get paid with Taxes and other fees the government collects . Yet they always want to chime in on how private CAPS should charge for their service. I say let the CAPS go private then they can comment on which is the better way to charge for sharpening a pencil.
Don't forget the two-step liquids from dropper bottles: green for erasing and white for fixing the mylar for new ink. These were for the Photostats.
I can see at least a couple of specialties from this. There are the consumer standard pencils that just come to a point tapering from the wood and to the point of the lead, and then there is the old drafting-pencil where you have a section of actual round led exposed and then the pointing of he exposed led @ the end. The point might be kept sharp with a bit of sandpaper as well.
Just got off the phone with the County Pencil Sharpener...his beef is CAPS submitting sharpened pencils with broken leads or some that aren't sharpened at all as if they expect the CPS to mark up in the comments how they are supposed to sharpen the pencils. No wonder the checking fees are so high!
Cripes Dave, at least wait until you pass the CAPS exam before you quit your daytime job. Unless you want SWMBO to beat you about the head (that's Southern speak for getting the hell beat out of you for being stupid) with whatever is handy. 😉
