How to Make Expensive Colored Pencils Last Longer

I use Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 pencils that cost almost €4.00 each. I use either Derwent or Prismacolor blender pencils that can cost as much as €7.00 each. Those prices are why I try to use them until they're mere stubs. Note try, because they get sharpened down to a point where they're difficult to use and I can no longer get the effect I want. At that point (literally) I have to throw them away.

Or, that is I used to throw them away. I was doing a bit of net surfing a few weeks back when I came across an artist using pencil extenders. Wow! I was so impressed. I'm sure these have been around forever and I just didn't know about them, so duh...palm slap to the forehead for that...but now that I do know about them I'm thinking maybe there are some other crafters/colorists out there who don't know either. So here you go, I'm sharing the news, pencil extenders can significantly increase the life span of your expensive colored pencils.

I bought this set of six on Amazon for €11.89. Each end is a different diameter to accommodate larger and smaller diameter pencils. My Luminance 6901s fit in the smaller end. You simply unscrew the end, insert the pencil into the extender and screw back on the tip around the pencil point. Voila!