Abstract: A lead sharpener comprises a housing formed by relatively rotatable lower and upper housing portions containing a milling cutter of which the operating face extends at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of a guide passage through which the lead that is to be sharpened is introduced. To enable the sharpened point of the lead to have a selected configuration, the guide passage is provided in an insert member which is rotatable in a hole provided in the upper housing portion, the arrangement being such that the longitudinal axis of the guide passage does not coincide with the rotary axis of the insert member whereby, upon rotation of the insert member, the spacing and possibly also the angle between the longitudinal axis of the guide passage and the operating face of the milling cutter are changed.