Abstract: An electric sharpener for writing instruments, e.g. an electric pencil sharpener, is disclosed as including an electric motor, a cutting blade which may be driven by the electric motor to rotate to cut an end of a pencil received within the sharpener, a circuit opening arrangement operatively associated with the motor in which the circuit opening arrangement is adapted, upon insertion of the pencil into the electric pencil sharpener by a pre-determined length, to open an electric circuit in the sharpener to cease operation of the electric motor, and an adjustment member operable to change the orientation of the circuit opening arrangement relative to a longitudinal axis of the electric sharpener to vary the pre-determined length.