January 2013 Update

This is just a quick update to mention that I'm still making replacment gears for the Hunt Boston Model 17, Boston Model 18, and Boston Model 19 electric pencil sharpeners.

I am noticing from the comments/questions that people are not seeing current ebay listings for these items. The reason the listings end is that they are set to close when no more inventory is available. My plan is to keep this support going - if you don't see a current listing, one will be up soon. These are being made in small runs and we only list what is ready to ship out by the next business day.

I am about to do another run of the Model 18/19 replacement part and will get the listing up by Friday, 1/25. The Model 17 replacement part available and listed.

To find current listings, search for "Boston Pencil Sharpener Gear" in eBay. My seller name is valens61.

Happy (very belated) New Year! ***-

Link updates for current eBay listings

4/23/2012 - The job for Model 17 and Model 18/19 replacment gears is currently being re-tooled. A small batch of each will be listed again soon.

11/13/2012 - Made some changes to the production setup to prevent frequent inventory shortages that automatically disable eBay listings.

2012 Update

Happy New Year! It's been a long time since I've updated this blog and a reboot is long overdue on ebay listings and info here at this blog too.

We will soon have video instructions for repair and maintenance, a FAQ, and also will attempt to keep current info on what's available.

This post has been updated on 2/9/2012 and here are the current items listed on eBay:

Replacement part for a Hunt Boston Mode1 17 Sharpener:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130645939804

Replacement part for Boston Model 18 or Boston Model 19:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140700426726

Don't throw that sharpener away!

Production has been slow last month but stock is now available again on eBay.

Production and Availability Update

There have been many requests on availability for the Model 18/19 gears and the Model 17 gears. This is a home-brew effort and periodically the setup/trial-and-error has to be re-approached from scratch. Also, nothing is listed until available and all items are tested before shipping. For these reasons there may be a short runs until the wheels are turning again so keep checking here for updates.

Jan 28th - After many delays, both gears are now available on ebay again. I am going to remove references to any inactive auction numbers to prevent confusion. Both listings can be found by searching for "boston pencil sharpener gear" on ebay.

Sorry to anybody who was not updated yet, I was not aware that ebay limits how many messages you can send in one day (grrr). I will try to catch up on notices until those are finished.

More info will be posted soon and I will continue to make this available for as long as there are requests.

Boston Model 17 Sharpener Pictures

These pictures are to help identify whether you have a Boston Model 17 electric pencil sharpener. You can click on any image for an enlarged view.

For starters, note that the brand name on the front cover (this pulls out and is the shaving's tray too...) bears the brand name Hunt Boston.



The length of the unit from the edge of the faceplate / tray is about 7 and 15/16 inches. The width is about 3 and 6/16 inches.








Centered on the back of the unit is a case screw.









On the bottom of the unit should be (unless it fell off or was removed) a label with the model number, serial# and other information.








Note there are two case mounting screws (missing in this photo) in the center also to hold the sharpener case closed and suction cup feet to hold the sharpener still if on a flat surface.

Model 17 Gear Close-Ups

Here are some comparisons of a Model 17 replacement gear (green) and an original part (that funky burnt peanut butter color)

Note : You can click on any picture to see an enlarged view

This view is of the 'front' side. The cutter shaft of your sharpener goes into this end of the gear.

This view shows the back side of the gear side-by-side. Note that the replacement is simplified, there are no pegs as on the original, and the back is solid, does not have the cutaway that the forms an edge and hub.

These are made to press fit does not require a clip to secure the gear to the shaft.

The thickness of the replacement gear (edge of front collar to back surface) is an approximate match to the thickness of an original part's (edge of front collar to edge of hub and gear on the back). Pictures are not zoomed to the same size (note to self use a tripod) but the caliper is the same setting on both pictures.