Pencil Revolution

Ashley's sharpeners.

2006-01-30T00:00:00.000-06:00

Just sent you two pics of four newly acquired pencil sharpeners:

Iris $3.49
Prismacolor Oval sharpener $2.59
Maped Dual Hole Sharpener $0.88
Dahle Chubby Sharpener $2.99

These are available at Dick Blick, as well as Mister Art. All of them are worth knowing about, if not owning.

I think everyone is familiar with the Iris sharpener (black 'zippo' lighter shape). I like it the least, as the blade is already messed up from sharpening one colored pencil. A piece of this pencil broke off in the top part of the sharpener, inside the door, but above the actual blade, where I cannot get it out. Instead it rattles around inside. The shavings receptacle is really not very big, either.

The Prismacolor Oval has a great, comfortable shape, and it sharpens well. But the rubberized plastic of the casing makes it a bit hard to open one handed.

With its ink bottle sillhouette, the Dahle Chubby is the cutest. It is easy to use, but doesn't produce a really sharp point. However, I do appreciate the size of its (see through) shavings receptacle.

My favorite is the Maped Dual Hole (on sale at Dick Blick for 88 cents!). Alas, it has no frills, no shavings receptacle or streamline shape. But it sharpens extremely well, very quickly and with little waste. It is easy to see exactly how much you've sharpened. The metal casing has a nice heft, as well.

viva la Revolucion!

Ashley

(Update: "I should clarify my comment on the Chubby sharpener. It does produce a sharp point, but it is a SHORT, sharp point. I personally prefer long points.")

[Images and text, A.M. Used with permission.]

Marc's collection.

2006-01-27T11:29:00.000-06:00

Nearly a month ago, Armand sent these great photos he took of Marc's pencil collection: the Perfect Pencil in two forms:)

Many thanks to Marc and to Armand!

[Images, A.F. Used with permission.]

Blades!

2006-01-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

(The new Leatherman e301.)

Sharpening a pencil can be the best or the worst part of pencilship, depending largely on one's preferred method of pointing the pencil. Raven writes in about sharpening by straight blade:

"In the midst of this long discussion of pencil sharpeners, let us not forget the humble pocket knife. I was taught to sharpen pencils with a knife as a small girl, and I've never looked back. True, you have to keep the knife sharp, and figure out what to do with the shavings, and make other arrangements when you fly -- but look at the advantages: 1. You probably already have one, or can pick one up from your local hardware store. No hunting around on the net for the perfect instrument or the perfect supplier. 2. Some manual skill is required, but the skill is easily learned. 3. It's completely silent. 4. It impresses the heck out of people when you quietly and in an off-hand manner begin sharpening your pencil with a knife. I have not explored the potential for deflecting a boring or toxic conversation, but give me time...."

Is anyone else a fan of the blade?

[Image, J.G.]

Berol Greenback.

2006-01-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

This article comes from Germany (Deutschland): Jon-Paul at Freelancers' Guide.

They say money won’t make you happy. Berol’s Eagle Greenback Pencil is trying to argue the point.

Before we get into the review, here is a thumbnail history of the Eagle Pencil Company:

Eagle Pencil Company was formed in 1856 in New York by the Berolzheimer family. About fifty years later, the Empire Pencil Company was founded. Eagle started building operations all over Latin and South America while the Empire folks kept growing. In 1969, the Berol Corporation formed, merging no less than nine different office supply companies from North America and the UK. In 1986, Empire bought the Berol Corp making an office supply superpower swimming in pencils, which was then called Empire-Berol. In 1995, the Sanford Corporation acquired Empire-Berol, where it has remained since. (Reference.)

And that brings us to today’s discussion of the Eagle Greenbacks. Yes, they are pencils that are, as quoted from the front package, “made from RECYCLED MONEY!” There are six No. 2 pencils in a pack, with each pencil containing on average $7.33 of recycled U.S. currency. These pencils are PMA certified and are made in the USA out of US currency mixed with plastic. These pencils are supposed to be great for the environment since no trees are destroyed.

And don’t forget the “copper-colored eraser bands that look like shiny, new pennies.”

And now, my 2¢:

Writing with the gimmicky pencil isn’t nearly as fun as spending the pre-recycled materials. While they are light and smell nice, the buck stops there. The lead isn’t worth one red cent, a light gray that doesn’t keep a point, since it's plastic and extruded with the barrel. The “wood” is soft and, frankly, makes your palm sweat. You can bend the pencil quite a ways before it breaks because of the plastic, so if you like pencils as solid as clams, this definitely will bug you. They are the standard 7.5” long with a green eraser that tends to make your page look like lettuce.

If you’re looking for a fun pencil gift to give your grade-school aged friend to show off to his or her friends, this is definitely the one. However, it’s not a serious pencil to carry out all of your favorite tasks.

Wise people say to beware the wine that comes in a fancy, colorful, bright and shiny bottle: they are selling the bottle – the wine is junk. And so it goes with pencils.

[Text and image, J-P. Used with permission.]

Raising a writer.

2006-01-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

A recent article on Parent Center is about how to raise a child who loves to write. Of course, pencils are featured:

Experiment with writing tools
Let her try all different types of writing implements — crayons, chalk, pens, pencils, paints. Keep in mind that she may have an easier time using "fat" crayons or pens than skinny pencils. Even dough and modeling clay are writing tools — you can roll them out and form rope letters (this helps develop her motor skills as well). Keep these supplies in a drawer she can reach easily.

Experiment with surfaces
For starters, white paper is a must. Big pads of newsprint are inexpensive, and children love having a big surface to fill in. But don't forget about chalkboards, sidewalks, and dry erase boards. If you're concerned about the mess, set up a kid-size table outside or in a section of your kitchen or playroom where the splatter won't matter. And buy water-soluble markers and erasable pens for easy cleanup.

Read the rest of the artcle here.

Happy Birthday, E. A. Poe.

2006-01-19T09:52:00.000-06:00

I've searched and searched and searched, but I can't find information on whether Mr. Poe ever used pencils to fashion his tales of the macabre. (If anyone has any, we'd appreciate it!) It really looks like he was an ink man. So I know; this post has little to do with pencils, then. But Mr. Poe is one of the patron writers of my hometown, so much so that they named their football team after his most famous poem. And I just plain like him.

But even if wishing Mr. Poe a Happy Birthday is not really "pencil related," it can't hurt to stop and think about the idea that all that separated him from the stories in his brain and posthumous fame was paper and something to write with. Pencil collectors, fanatics and casual users always have these on hand, since pencils usually come by the dozen or so. What if Mr. Poe had no ink or quill?

Besides, who among us has not read Poe with a Black Warrior of Dixon Black in hand, or written a scary story or grizzly poem without fancying her or his self to be in cahoots with the Master of Dark Writing in English?

For more information about Mr. Poe, visit the website of the famous (or infamous, lol) E. A. Poe Society of Baltimore. Great editions of Poe's work can be found by the Library of America series, and you can get them at a very good price (comparable to less authoritative editions with typos, etc.) on Amazon or Overstock. They are based on the authoritative (but out of print) Harvard University edition. The Library of America also makes a great collection and analysis of Poe's poetry in their American Poets Project, and the Everyman Library's Pocket Poets edition is also excellent.

And finally, for a bit of fun, check out the adventures of Li'l Edgar (requires Flash) at Accoutrements, makers of the Poe action figure, Li'l Edgar figure and the Poe bobble head.

[Image, Joe Kubert. Found here.]

Submission Guidelines.

2006-01-18T14:29:00.000-06:00

Pencil Bridge.

Photo from my friend Carrie in Portland, Oregon.

We've been very very lucky to constantly get awesome submissions from Comrades of the Revolution: links, photos, drawings, essays, reviews, etc. We cannot be more thankful for this. But it turns out that we have been remiss not only in not expressing this gratitute, but also in providing any kind of guidelines for submissions. This became obvious when several Comrades have asked about the guidelines for submissions lately -- very justifiably. We are always very happy with the submissions we get, and I only decided to take the time to write up some guidelines in order to encourage more people to submit if they feel so inclined, not to express any kind of displeasure with the wonderful things folks have always been so kind to send in to us. So I personally apologize if there are folks who wanted to submit but did not because they did not know how or what sorts of guidelines we have. We will keep a link to these guidelines in the right column indefinitely, too.

Without further ado:

Pencil Revolution Submission Guidelines

1) For links, emailing is best so that we see it right away. If you have a site or blog we can link to, please let us know.

2) For visual art, the only guideline for content is that it involves pencils in some small way and common sense in a big way. While we will not censor art that contains nudity or violence, please don't send us pornography or images for which someone else owns the rights, etc. For formatting sake, we appreciate the original (if possible) photo or a large scan of an analog image so that we can format it for the page and upload it to our server.

3) For written work, any genre, format or topic is very welcome. Poems, stories and essays about pencils, written with pencils -- these all certainly apply. While we would rather not censor anyone, please be thoughtful and considerate of all the Comrades of the Revolution.

4) For reviews, we do have some specific guidelines. However, to save space, if you would like to review something for Pencil Revolution, please email us (see right column) first. This is both to get the guidelines for the type of gear you'd like to review (pencil, eraser, sharpener, etc.) and to see if the gear you'd like to review is something we are really in a position to publish a review of presently. For instance, if we were to publish too many Faber-Castell or Dixon reviews too close together and in a disproportion to the other gear we review, we would certainly be unbalanced and would sacrifice some credibility thereby.

Nonetheless, if you'd like to review something from a manufacturer for which we have published several reviews, please contact us, and we can arrange a future date for submission or publication, etc. We don't want to discourage anyone from writing reviews, just from appearing to play favorites. And besides, the things we choose to review do not necessarily reflect preferences anyway. We've had some negative reviews, and that's a good thing if we expect anyone to trust the things we say:)

For all submissions, we reserve the right to re-format, edit or reject whatever we feel is inappropriate for Pencil Revolution. Other than re-formatting some photos, we've never had to do this before, and we doubt we ever will have to.

While we're talking about reviews, there are some for the near future which we would eagerly like to publish, and we invite one to all to contact us if you'd like to review any of the following sometime soon, this winter or spring:

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 100 (drawing or writing); other Staedtler products.
Erasers! Erasers! Erasers!
Sanford Prismacolor Turquoise (drawing or writing).
Various kinds of art pencils (colored pencils, watercolor pencils, pastel pencils, etc.).
And of course, suggestions from Comrades.

We have such a talented community, we're hoping that some artists and writers and thinkers can share the wisdom of some specific pencils and related goodies.

Myriad thanks to everyone who has shared something with us so far, be it a link, a review, an essay, a photo or drawing -- we are thankful for everything!

World's largest pencil.

2006-01-17T00:26:00.000-06:00

Doug Martin from the famous Pencil Pages sent us this great photo of the new World's Largest Pencil, updated from the previous champion. Both are by Faber-Castell, though. Now that is German engineering! Check out the page at Doug's site.

"This is a photograph of the World's Largest Pencil, a Castell 9000 located at Faber-Castell's facility in Malaysia near Kuala Lumpur. This pencil is nearly 65 feet tall and is housed in a glass enclosure. Completed in 2002, it is made from Malaysian lumber, fitted from small pieces tongue-and-groove fashion. Once the first half was built, a German-made polymer lead running the full length was inserted and the remainder was built, then sanded and finished. The project required over 7000 man-hours over a two year period to complete. The pencil is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest."

And be sure to surf around the Pencil Pages, since Doug tells us that he's updated much of the site, including the links section and some other goodies.

[Image, Sandra Suppa, Faber-Castell GmbH & Co., Germany.]

Timberlines and the new year.

2006-01-16T12:12:00.000-06:00

Good news on the Palomino front: the arrival of mixed packs and the enigmatic blue Palomino. Yes, orange has a run for its money.

We received a question a few weeks ago from a gentleman who asked how we would convert an environmentalist to pencils, given that pencils are made from trees. We passed the request on to our ever-wise Woodchuck, and he has written the first of a series of posts on the subject. Be sure to visit here.

And we certainly invite one and all to check out our always-evolving list of links of Pencil Heros in the right column. Our linking philosophy is not exactly explicit, but we know it when we see it. Etc.

Update:

Check out part two of Woodchuck's environmental posts.

[Image, Woodchuck. Used with permission.]

Pencil peace.

2006-01-13T00:28:00.000-06:00

This bears reposting, since we such a young site, with so few readers when we posted it as our second post. And we could all use some peace after the holidays -- and especially after the Stabby pencil holder from a few days ago;)

At iSerenity. Sounds and images to bring that pencilicious peaceful state of mind that we all seek.

Thanks to Michael for the link!

[Image, iSerenity.]

Happy M-iversary!

2006-01-12T08:47:00.000-06:00

Today marks the two year anniversary of Moleskinerie. Without Armand's help, Pencil Revolution would never have gotten off the ground. We wish nothing but the best for our friends at the esteemed M-nation! Congratulations!

Cheap pencils.

2006-01-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

We here at Pencil Revolution are not snobs. There is no price requisite for the pencils we use, etc.

"My name's Ashley, and I love cheap pencils!

I am wondering if anyone else has this same predelection or habit. I hesitate to call it a 'vice' :) I find it such a thrill to discover that a nondescript, 'no name,' overlooked pencil, languishing on my daughter's closet floor, is also a good one. After doing a bit of sleuthing, I found that this particular pencil is part of a 24 count pack at Target, selling for 97 cents. It is a humble number two, with a gloppy paint job. I doubt that its wood casing comes from Cal Cedar (the wood looks like pine) , or is FSC certified. But it writes smoothly and softly, sharpens well, has a decent darkness, and a nice eraser. Best of all, it cost roughly four cents!! Now, I love my Palominos, but a bargain is a bargain!

Suffice it to say that cheap pencil hunting is my new pastime. I don't want cheap at any cost; that is, I want remarkable quality for the low cost. I will not rejoice over atrocious pencils. But to all those out there at the Revolution who share my enthusiasm, hurry to Target, with just a dollar in your pocket!"

[Text and images, A.M. Used with kind permission.]

Stabby martyr pencil holder.

2006-01-09T16:00:00.000-06:00

Pencil holders that stab a little creature in their use?

We've been called "gentle" here at Pencil Revolution in the way we write, and I personally take that as a high compliment. Pencils are somewhat gentle. That's part of what we love about them.

But sometimes it's good to be a little...rough, too.

With that in mind, here is a link Shaun sends us from Boing Boing:

"Funfurde sez, 'Pencils are boring [sic!]. Putting pencils into the Sebastiano pencil holder, however, is the height of entertainment. At least, it's as entertaining as putting pencils into a holder can be. Unless you don't like stabbing them into the belly a tubby plastic guy lying spread eagled on your desk, in which case this item is not for you.'"

Read the rest here.

Thanks, Shaun!

[Image, Boing Boing.]

Pencils on exams.

2006-01-06T09:57:00.000-06:00

In the days where standardized tests and driver's license exams are given on computers, it would not seem that pencils would come up in rules or regulations. But our friend Alcarwen writes about an instance in a university where one professor is no fan of graphite:

"Yesterday, during an exam, I was tempted to take it in pencil; maybe it would help the ideas flow better or something. I had some vague idea that perhaps our Prof would disapprove, so I opted for Gel Ink instead. Two classmates went the pencil route.

At the end of the exam, our Prof heartily expressed her disapproval of the pencil route. She told us that someone might erase the answers.

Erase the answers?

Has academic dishonesty gotten that bad? That someone might sneak into an office and erase someone else's exam? Or a prof could change a student's answer in order to fail them? Yikes!"

Read the rest of this great post here.

[Text and image, Alcarwen. Used with permission.]

Resolution for revolution!

2006-01-05T00:00:00.001-06:00

Our friend Woodchuck writes about wonderful things in store for us in 2006:

"On the underground communications front I have just published today my new Pencil World Squidoo lens. This new site highlights some of my more industry focused Timberlines posts along with some key reviews and posts I like best from Pencil Revolution. Also the lens features additional resources on using pencils creatively in a bit different way than simple links from Timbelines blog. So in effect it’s a good place for a quick and easier look at a lot of key Revolutionary activities and resources and can serve as a companion site to the Pencil World Creativity Store.

Finally and most importantly for you Palomino riders I will very soon be adding the option to pick and choose the graphite grades, colors and aquarelle color pencils you want most in your own configurable packs on Pencil World. Some courageous comrades even received a sample pack as part of a Christmas thank you mailer. Rumor has it that KUM pencil sharpeners may be part of some upcoming promotions and a special new alliance is in the works to expand new points of distribution for various parts of the California Republic line to supplement what’s available through the Pencil World store."

Check out the rest of the post here.

[Text, Timberlines. Image, J.G.]

Loudstyle.

2006-01-04T08:04:00.000-06:00

Our Comrade Loudstyle writes about his new-found love for pencils:

"I have always used pencils (who hasn't?) but the reviews on Pencil Revolution alerted me to their finer details. I realized I had a couple decent pencils around the house and I tried out some others to see what all the fuss was about. I soon became pretty well addicted...

....Keith Haring Doubles from Acme Writing Tools. I received a nice metal tin containing a dozen of these fine pencils for Christmas several years ago. They feature the colorful and energetic artwork of Keith Haring. For the longest time I shied away from using them often because they looked too nice to sharpen away. I finally got over that silliness and now use them regularly."

Read about the rest of some favorite pencils at Loudstyle.

[Image and text, Loudstyle. Used with kind permission.]

James Joyce and pencils (i).

2006-01-02T12:05:00.000-06:00

The Theorist at Fade Theory quotes from Paris bookshop owner Silvia Beach:

"Ulysses, like everything else of Joyce’s, was written entirely by hand. He used blunt black pencils - he found the ones he wanted at Smith’s in Paris - and pencils of different colors to distinguish the parts he was working on. Fountain pens he didn’t understand at all. They bewildered him. Once I found him struggling to fill one, covering himself with ink as he did so."

Check out the rest of this great post here.

If you're a Hemingway fan, this is the nice lady he talks about in A Moveable Feast when Papa recalls his days in Paris, writing with his pencils over a nice cafe' au lait.

[Image and text, Fade Theory.]

Happy Birthday, Faber-Castell 9000.

2005-12-31T11:45:00.000-06:00

Since this is the year in which the Faber-Castell Castell 9000 turns 100 years old, it's only fitting that we end the first calendar year of the Revolution with a piece about this great green pencil. This piece is from pencil Comrade Michael Leddy.

Serious pencils indeed.

My love of "supplies" -- pencils, pens, notebooks -- goes back to Saturday morning trips with my father and brother to Alan's Stationers in Brooklyn. My dad was (and is) a meticulous artist, and his affection for tools and materials was something I picked up on very early. I remember my own early "supplies" very well -- a series of miniature Carter's dip pens, which came packaged with miniature bottles of ink; a Scripto mechanical pencil; dozens of Venus coloring pencils; and a gray "T-Ball Jotter" (I never thought of it as a Parker) with thick, fragrant blue ink.

As I've gotten older, the fascination of "supplies" has fused with my deep affection for the artifacts of what I like to call "the dowdy world" -- modern American life before it was refigured (or disfigured) by certain forms of technology. My affection for supplies has become, of necessity, an affection for what is largely past. As I'm writing these words, I'm looking at a Mongol ad from the 1950s, framed on the wall to my right:

Your Best Buy's
MONGOL
2,162 words
for
one cent

In the dowdy world, people took their pencils seriously.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s I found some wonderful traces of the dowdy world in Warner's, an old-line office-supply store in downstate Illinois. Warner's has long since moved to an emphasis on office-furniture and "gifts," a necessary choice for economic survival. But back then, the store featured an entire aisle of typewriter ribbons, most of them for machines already extinct. The ribbons had long since dried out, as I discovered after buying a supply for my Olympia manual. But other stuff was still as good as new, more or less -- Listo pencil leads, gummed airmail labels, card pockets for library books. O Warner's!

My ultimate Warner's find (in 1991) was a cache of A.W. Faber Castell 9000 pencils. I came away with two-dozen pencils in tins, and a few loose pencils in a third tin. I've sharpened and used up a few of the loose ones over the years (down to the bittersweet end, with a pencil extender), but the dozens remain untouched. These are serious pencils indeed.

Consider the box, which suggests the sort of presentation more frequently associated with fine cigars. (The box came along for free with the pencils.) I like to imagine an arrangement of these boxes, perhaps in a store window, eye candy for the pencil connoisseur.

The pencils are packed twelve to a tin, each tin complete with a seal. (I've seen photographs of Vladimir Nabokov at work with this kind of tin at his side.) The lead is dark, rich, smooth. The wood, so far as I can tell, is red cedar. Yes, red cedar. Simply sharpening one of these pencils is a delight. The shavings are smooth and papery. The fragrance brings back dim recollections of closets and clothes chests. No other pencils I've used have smelled like these.

And now for the most remarkable feature of these pencils. Their history is inscribed, a bit blurrily, on their sides:

LEADS IMPORTED FROM
AMERICAN ZONE GERMANY

Which is to say that these Castell 9000s were made between 1945 and 1949, when post-war Germany was divided into four Allied sectors. And these Castell 9000s were still sitting on a shelf in 1991 (and selling for 1991 prices too, about seventy cents a pencil, I think). I said something in the store -- something vaguely articulate, like "Wow! These are really old!" "They never sold," was the plainspoken American-gothic reply. And now here I am in 2005, vaguely articulate once again.

Michael Leddy teaches college English and has published widely as a poet and critic. He blogs at Orange Crate Art. Many thanks to our hard-working Comrade!

There are two other great articles about the Castell 9000 on the web for your reading pleasure. Faber-Castell has a great article in English on the German site (here), and there is a very very fine piece at Paper and Pencil (here) on our green Comrade.

[Images and text, M.L. Used with kind permission.]

Don't leave yet!

2005-12-30T09:47:00.000-06:00

We'll be back today or tomorrow, before the end of 2005, with some goodies regarding the Faber-Castell Castell 9000, in it's 100th year. Stay tuned!

HAPPY HAPPY.

2005-12-24T11:13:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays to all of our Comrades and People of the Revolution! Thanks for reading and participating and making this blog all it is!

Review of T’GAAL sharpener.

2005-12-23T12:00:00.000-06:00

This review comes from Comrade Bill Brandon. Many thanks to Bill for writing this for us during this very busy time of year!

Technical Information
Type: Blade.
Material: Plastic.
Shavings Receptacle: Barrel.
Point Type: Variable.
Markings: See images.
Place of Manufacture: Made in Japan, by Kutsuwa Company, Ltd.
Availability: Locally, and online at Wet Paint Art.

T’GAAL: What the heck is that?
A pencil sharpener review by Bill Brandon

What has a blade, a tank, no batteries, sharpens pencils – and allows you to control the length of the point? Look at Figure 1, which shows identical pencils, sharpened to five different lengths. All five were produced by the same sharpener.

Figure 1 Five points, one sharpener (click all images for larger ones).

These points are the product of the T’GAAL Multi-Sharpener, manufactured in Japan by the Kutsuwa Company. (See Figure 2, which will give you an idea of the size of the T’GAAL.) It’s a handy, pocket-size, blue plastic tool sold mainly to schoolchildren in Asia, but available to anyone.

Figure 2 The compact T’GAAL sharpener.

As you can see in Figure 3, the T’GAAL has a large dial on the side. The blade and its adjusting mechanisms are inside a container (the tank) that catches the shavings. The dial adjusts the angle of the sharpener blade, and therefore determines the length of the pencil point. There are five settings, from short and blunt to very long. The dial also has a sixth position, at which point a small shutter blocks the sharpener opening in order to keep the shavings inside; be aware that this is not a tight seal. The shutter will keep the shavings in, but graphite dust is liable to leak out. However, I have carried mine in the pocket of my jeans without any terrible mishaps.

Figure 3 The T’GAAL Multisharpener.

The sharpener accepts only standard-size pencils. Jumbo pencils like the Dixon Tri-Conderoga won’t fit. The blade appears to be replaceable, but no replacements come with the T’GAAL, and the Kutsuwa web site does not offer any for sale.

The experience of using a product tends to be highly subjective, but I’d have to say that the T’GAAL is very smooth. Shavings come off the pencil in an unbroken curl, no sawdust or crumbs, no broken leads. As long as you let the blade do its work, without jamming the pencil into the sharpener, it is an easy experience to obtain the precise points you saw here in the first photo.

There is some resistance when you turn the dial from “Close” to the “5” position, and you may think that the mechanism is jammed. But keep a firm grip on the (slightly slippery) dial and the shutter will open. The resistance is the result of the way the cam on the back of the dial is set up. To turn to “5” from “Close” you are pushing up over the “hump” onto the high point of the cam. However, once that is done, the dial turns easily to whatever setting you desire. If the resistance bothers you, just make it a habit to always turn the dial to the left – to “1” — and you will find that it turns quite a bit more easily.

The only true (but slight) imperfection involves the small section that slides off to allow emptying the shavings. It can be a little tricky to put back on, and it gives the impression that it might be easily broken or lost. It does open easily, and might come open on its own (though I’ve had no such problem).

The package that the T’GAAL comes in contains a wealth of information. Unfortunately, it’s all in Japanese, which I am unable to read. Fortunately, there are some good illustrations that show how to use the machine. (See Figures 4 and 5.)

Figures 4 and 5 The T’GAAL package.

The Kutsuwa phone number, web site, and customer support e-mail addresses appear on the package. You might be able to order replacement blades directly – many Japanese businesses use English when dealing with foreign customers.

Kutsuwa Company is a stationery wholesaler, selling to vendors who serve the Japanese education market. They don’t appear to sell directly to retail customers.

I bought my T’GAAL online from Wet Paint Art, but they also have a retail store in St. Paul, MN. The price of the T’GAAL was $14.50, plus shipping and handling. My order was sent UPS Ground (the only option offered) two business days after I placed it, and it arrived at my home near Dallas about three days later.

On the whole, if your work would benefit from variable angles on the points of your pencils, I’d recommend the T’GAAL. I’m not aware of any other sharpener that does what it does. Besides, it’s nice-looking, and clearly marks you as one of the pencil illuminati.

Addition:
A note from Tim, Marketing Manager at Wet Paint Art:

"Thank you and Bill Brandon for the very nice and comprehensive review of the T'Gaal sharpener from Holbein. This is a real staff favorite here at Wet Paint and we were hoping to give this unique sharpener some attention to a community that can really appreciate it.

We've had it at a promotion price thru December 31st, and it's been such a hit that we are currently out of stock-- we have more on order and expect them to arrive after Jan 1. Although at that time our price will return to list price ($14.50), we'd like to extend our holiday promotion price exclusively for those visiting your site through the month of January.

Simply have your visitors to type "BB review" in the comments section of their Wet Paint order during January and we'll give them the discount price of $9.99. Of course any orders taken this week will automatically receive the holiday price.

Thanks again-- I'm glad there are websites like yours out there!"

Smencils.

2005-12-20T23:27:00.000-06:00

Max from Holland sent us this link to some...tasty pencils! Smencils.

"Yes - they really are pencils made from rolled sheets of newspaper instead of wood. You can even see the layers of newspaper when you sharpen them.

They sharpen the same as all other wood pencils and they SMELL WAY BETTER. Not only do they smell great, but they're good for the environment too.

'Saving trees...one pencil at a time.' (TM)"

Smencils are an environmentally friendly alternative to wooden pencils that are guaranteed to keep their smell for two years! While I personally love the smell of a freshly sharpened cedar pencil, other scents might be fun, too. Coffee scented pencils for morning planning, etc. Mmm.

Thanks to Max for the tasty link!

[Image, Smencils.]

Battle pencils.

2005-12-19T00:00:00.000-06:00

From the Revecess Blog (via Boing Boing):

"One of the great things about being a sort of vigilante teacher (I go where I'm needed) in Japan is that the kids will show me things that they wouldn't show their other teachers. Today, they showed me Batoen.

Much like Pokemon is short for Pocket Mosters, Batoen is short for Battle Pencils... just the word for pencil in Japanese is enpitsu. It's a simple idea. Take pencils, write stuff on each of the sides, so that the pencil becomes a sort of six-sided die. You roll the pencil and the pencil, which represents a monster from Dragon Quest, does something, like damage or healing of hp, or other interesting effects (One kid had some hot chick monster, it's effect was, 'Monster kisses everyone, they are made happy', more detailed rules after the cut).

The kicker is that you are playing with pencils. Japanese schools are pretty strict when it comes to games. No cards(except for school sanctioned 'Japanese cultural cards' like karuta or hyakunin ...), so poker and Magic/Pokemon are out. But the fact that this uses pencils means that it flies under the radar most the time. And even if the teachers did know about it, what are they gonna do, take the kids pencils away?"

And you can get them shipped to the US, too!

(Thanks to Dow, Mike, Shaun and everyone who sent this in for the links!)

And special thanks to my brother for holding down the fort while I was enroute on the railroad late last week. Don't worry -- I brought him some pencils.

[Images, Revecess Blog.]

Feedback.

2005-12-15T00:00:00.000-06:00

I am leaving at 3 a.m. tonight (Thursday morning really) for a train trek half-way across the United States, so I will be offline until the weekend, most likely Monday. In the meantime, it would be great to get some feedback for our pencil Hero Woodchuck, who might stock some great sharpeners from the venerable KUM line at The Pencil World Creativity Store in 2006.

Woodchuck wrote:

"I'd be interested in feedback from fellow Revolutionaries as to what features seem most important. Are the following value added features something you would pay for or not?

- two hole sharpeners for normal and jumbo diameter pencils
- with or without containers to catch the shavings
- higher quality "luxury style" desktop hand sharpener which includes container in
Aluminim or Gold Plated finish as opposed to plastic container for shavings
- magnesium vs. bronze vs. gold plated finish
- any strong interest in a pointer sharpener to be used with mechanical pencils
- any interest in cosmetic pencil sharpeners
- would you really order replacement blades or not

...The medium wedge from a good KUM hand sharpener is my personal preference."

Any feedback about this will certainly benefit the entire Revolution, since open-stock KUMs are very hard to find online.

Have a great weekend, and safe travels to all who are going home for the holidays before next week! In the meantime, my brother will be monitoring the comment moderation, so don't be shy with your sharpener comments:)

Goodfences and Blue Pencil Unlimited.

2005-12-14T00:00:00.000-06:00

In keeping with the blue pencil theme from yesterday, check out the great work of artist Steve Tansley, who tells us, "I only use the Sanford Col-Erase 20044 blue. Always have. Best pencil around."

Goodfences:

"A cartoon by Bill Goodykoontz and Steve Tansley."

Blue Pencil Unlimited:

"BluePencil Ultd. is the online portfolio of Steve Tansley. An illustrator and graphic designer for 12 years, an interactive designer for 6 years. His work has been published in the Arizona State Press Newspapers, Scottsdale Tribune Newspapers and Take 5 Entertainment Guide. He works full time at Studio Productions in Tempe Arizona as their Senior Graphic Designer and Illustrator. He has been honored with the Society for Professional Journalists Award and has won two Prisma Awards for interactive design with an honorable mention. Steve is the co-creator of Goodfences, a hilarious new comic-strip. He continues to teach cartooning principles, graphic design and web design for middle school, high school and undergrad students to help educate and broaden the appreciation of art."

Of his favorite tool, Steve tells us:

"I use the pencil so much I named my freelance effort Blue Pencil Unlimited. As a full-time illustrator and graphic designer I am always sketching my ideas first. So the Col-Erase has become my standard. I offer a mac icon of the col-erase on my site if anyone is interested. I welcome feedback and best of luck with the revolution!"

Many thanks to Steve for sharing such amazing work with us! Sanford's Col-Erase pencils are readily available at Dick Blick and Mister Art, for the adventurous who want to try them.

[Image and text, S.T. Used with very kind permission.]

Untitled 13.

2005-12-13T00:00:00.000-06:00

Jacob of Untitled 13 is kind enough to let us post one of his recent pencil drawings:

PR: " I have to ask: what kind of pencil is that? Prismacolor Verithin?"

U13: " It's a Staedtler non-repro blue pencil, which is probably pretty similar to a Verithin in softness and color...Been trying to use pencil more and more as it allows for much greater gradient control than pen stippling."

[Image, Untitled 13. Used with very kind permission.]

Russian Space Pen.

2005-12-12T00:00:00.000-06:00

The popular myth is that NASA spent millions of dollars on developing a pen that would write in outer space, while the Russian Cosmonauts simply used pencils like the Russian and American spacemen used before the introduction of the Space Pen to Apollo VII in 1968. As is now widely known, this is not true. Paul Fisher produced the Space Pen with millions of his own dollars. Nevertheless, it does speak volumes about Americans that we would invent a special pen for space, rather than using pencils -- whether it is an example of our ingenuity, wastefulness, inventiveness, etc.

The joke is that the Soviets used regular pencils and saved their comrades millions, so we have what is one of the funniest dang geek gift items you're likely to find: The Russian Space Pen.

This is from NASA's site:

"Fisher developed his space pen with no NASA funding. The company reportedly invested about $1 [I've read that it was $2 million] million of its own funds in the effort then patented its product and cornered the market as a result. Fisher offered the pens to NASA in 1965, but, because of the earlier controversy, the agency was hesitant in its approach. In 1967, after rigorous tests, NASA managers agreed to equip the Apollo astronauts with these pens. Media reports indicate that approximately 400 pens were purchased from Fisher at $6 per unit for Project Apollo. The Soviet Union also purchased 100 of the Fisher pens, and 1,000 ink cartridges, in February 1969, for use on its Soyuz space flights. Previously, its cosmonauts had been using grease pencils to write in orbit."

Stay tuned next week for the first pseudo-heretical (some would say) and post-hypocritical act of writing about a pen on Pencil Revolution: the Fisher Space Pen.

[Image, JustWrite.com.au. Thanks to Lindsay for the link!]

Pencil illin.

2005-12-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

Philofaxy writes about mechanical pencils and the love and comradery we feel for our mechanical Brothers and Sisters, not to mention our inky Cousins:

"Some days, I worry about world peace. Some days, I worry about my family. Most days, though, I worry about what writing implement I should carry in the lone pen loop in my Filofax. To date, I've been using a nondescript, black-barreled Uni-Ball (blue ink). But, as I've noted before, ink carries with it a price: the price of permanence. A choice made in ink cannot be undone. A choice made in pencil, however, is inscribed only in dust. And we know how permanent dust is. (It blows in the wind.)

I'm a man of impermanence, not permanence. So I've switched to pencil. The problem with the usual wooden pencil, though, is twofold: (1) You have to have access to a sharpener at all times; and (2) it doesn't stay in a typical planner pen loop, because it is a cylinder of uniform diameter. Problem No. 2 is probably decisive; Problem No. 1, however, is no small matter. In combination, they left me with no choice for general planner usage: mechanical pencils. The folks at Pencil Revolution have assured me that mechanical pencils are not necessarily evil. (They say that, but I note a conspicuous lack of mechanical pencil porn on the site.)"

Read the rest of the post here.

[Text, Philofaxy. Image, J.G.]

Simplicity in a pencil?

2005-12-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

A good friend and colleague of mine gave me permission to quote from an email she sent me about pencils, Thoreau and a Mars Lumograph 100 that I left in her mailbox. I've been thinking about environmental issues and how they relate to throw-away (non-refillable) pens, etc. And the issue of quality versus value pencils comes up often in our little community, so I thought I'd post this:

"I know I've teased you about the extent of your fascination with pencils, but I understand where it comes from. These are the tools of our trade, if we're doing philosophy correctly. We might need the laptops to do academic philosophy, but to really think and explore the meaning of life, we need quiet time to ourselves, away from the hum of electronics; time alone in nature, with a means of recording our thoughts as they come to us. Most pens are disposable, and their use reflects our attitudes toward the environment, others, and ourselves. Pencils are finicky, and they need care. If we don't sharpen them, they won't write, and if we don't use caution, they will break. Using pencils -- in a strange way -- cultivates stewardship.

Also, it's encouraged me to take note of the quality of the things that I usually take for granted. There is a demonstrable difference, and we should aim for quality. And all too often, the quality gets disregarded, especially as we search for good deals. I've almost gotten to the point of doing searches for quality chalk for my classes, since there are some years that the school's chalk simply doesn't work. What's kept me in check is the fact that I know I'm nowhere near organized enough to keep it on me. I'd have a crate of the good stuff in my office and nothing on me when I got to class.

And I get the same looks from my family that you've gotten over the pencils. When my aunt and I get to talking about spices and various brands of olive oil, it's as if we're speaking Outer Mongolian. One of my uncle's called me a pseudo-intellectual snob because I knew what Earl Grey tasted like."

[Text, Tanya J., used with permission. Image, J.G.]

Review of Boston Bulldog Sharpener.

2005-12-05T00:00:00.000-06:00

Gordon Coale was very kind in writing the review of the Boston Bulldog sharpener for us (which also appears on his site here).

Technical Information
Type: Blade.
Material: Plastic.
Shavings Receptacle: Barrel.
Point Type: Long-Point.
Markings: "BOSTON" (body).
Place of Manufacture: Made in China, by Hunt Mfg. Co.
Availability: Office Max stores and Mister Art, among other sources.

"The heartbreak of a pencil sharpener."

This is the second time I've written this review of the hand held Boston rotating lid pencil sharpener.

The little Boston hand held sharpener has a lot of things going for it. This biggest thing is that it has a container to hold the shavings. Even better, it has a rotating top that keeps the shavings inside.

It's big enough to hold a fair amount of shavings but small enough to fit in a pocket. It also puts a nice long point on the lead and the barrel shape makes it comfortable to hold while sharpening. However, there was one teensy drawback. I wrote the first review as I did this one, with my California Republic Palomino HB in my Moleskine notebook. I was almost finished when the little Boston sharpener started to eat my Palomino. The blade had gone dull.

No continuous curls of shaved wood -- just sawdust and a broken lead. Oh, heartbreak! Was this relationship to end when it had barely begun? Apparently.

The blade was attached with a screw which means that the blade could be replaced if only I could find a replacement. I Googled high and low, and not a single replacement blade was to be found. I was looking for a long term relationship with my pencil sharpener, and now it appears that I will be forced into a series of short term relationships and one night stands as I search the seedy environs of drug stores and supermarkets for the cheap plastic thrills they offer. I can't do this. I want a good sharpener that I can settle down with and make shavings.

So I Googled for a sharpener with replaceable blades. There isn't much. Staedtler had some hand held pencil sharpeners with replaceable blades but I couldn't find anyone who carried the sharpener and the blades. What has this world come to?

Then I found the hand held sharpeners at Alvin -- a fine assortment of spiffy sharpeners and their replaceable blades. Unfortunately, Alvin only sells the sharpeners in blister packs containing many sharpeners. I'm afraid I can't afford a polygamous relationship with many sharpeners. I am a one sharpener kind of guy. But they did sell the blades in affordable 3 packs. Alvin has Alvin and Kum sharpeners. The Kum sharpeners had a variety of models with containers. The Alvin brand has some nice metal ones including the sublime Bullet, a sharpener reduced to it's essentials.

I searched the web for an Alvin or Kum sharpener and it's replaceable blades. I only found two sites, and the selection on both sites was minimal. Oh, where will I find the sharpener meant for me? Maybe there is hope. I had an exchange of emails with Charles Berolzheimer, aka WoodChuck the pencil pusher, President of California Cedar Products Company, from whom all Palomino pencils flow, and I spilled my heart out to him about my fruitless search for a long term relationship type of pencil sharpener. He is going to see what he can do at the Pencil World Creativity Store. Good luck WoodChuck!

Maybe some day in the near future there will be the pencil sharpener of my dreams nestled in my pocket ready to make shavings. A guy can hope.

Many many thanks, Gordon! Be sure to check out Gordon's other post about pencils and Moleskines.

[Text and images, G.C. Used with kind permission. First image, J.G.]

More Pencilmation.

2005-12-02T10:21:00.000-06:00

Ross at Pencilmation let us know a few weeks ago that he's got some great new cartoons up at his site. Brighten up your Friday by checking out some really cool little films -- especially the adventure of Infinity Snail!

(Flash required to view the little movies.)

[Image, Pencilmation.]

Sharpeners banned.

2005-12-01T08:07:00.000-06:00

We do not make a habit of politically-charged posts, but we certainly will not shy away when politics involved pencils and pencil gear:

"A student at Waterloo Primary School in Ashton under Lyne dismantled a pencil sharpener and used the blade as a weapon, slashing another student across the neck. The school's response? Nothing short of unbelievable.

The attacker was suspended for two days and is now back in school.

Police, who were notified two days later, have spoken to the young attacker and his parents.

Headteacher David Willis has now banned all pencil sharpeners.

They have banned pencil sharpeners. Banned pencil sharpeners. One more time - they banned pencil sharpeners.

The problem here was not the pencil sharpener. It was the wannabe Jack the Ripper who manipulated an ordinary tool to craft a weapon. Would the absence of a pencil sharpener have prevented this kid from his meticulously planned assault? Do they think that a kid who figures out how to use a pencil sharpener as a weapon will have any difficulty in using another tool in a similar fashion?"

Read the rest of the article here.

[Image, J.G.]

Classifieds.

2005-11-30T00:00:00.000-06:00

We received word from pencil Hero Doug Martin that the Classifieds on the Pencil Pages are up and spam-free:

"I would like to let your visitors know that I have taken measures to reduce the spam entries at The Pencil Pages classifieds. Over the past several months the pages were hit with large postings that crowded out the legitimate posts, and a number of my visitors have complained. As a result, some people may have stopped using them. The spammers may hit again, but I now have the ability to tweak my filters and fight back. Also, some may have noticed that The Pencil Pages haven't changed very much in a long time. Updates are in the works....."

If, for some mysterious reason, you haven't been to Doug's Pencil Pages, you owe it to yourself to check it out. It is -- by far -- the most comprehensive pencil site on the internet, and one of the oldest (if not the oldest). The classifieds are a great place to find rare or antique pencils, and to share yours, too. Check out the Classifieds here.

George Langenberg.

2005-11-29T00:00:00.000-06:00

Greetings! We hope everyone had a great holiday break, or a great week either way. Resting was good, but it's even better to be back in the pencil world.

Long overdue, is a post featuring Dutch artist George Langenberg, who was kind enough to send us a special message about his work and his pencils:

"Dear Pencil Revolution Readers,

I find it very hard to commit myself to a certain style or theme. I feel inspired by colours and texture of the drawing material and the paper. I often use watercolour paper as it has a nice feel which adds to the characteristics when a drawing is finished.

I build the surface hatching in different directions and I almost always use more then one colour. So that during the day when the light changes the colours in the drawing change with it. Colours made with pencil are very sensitive to the surrounding light. Day light is best of course.

I know you’re comparing many brands and qualities of colour pencils at Pencil Revolution. Here in Holland there aren’t that many good pencils available. Most known are probably British Derwent. But I like to use the U.S. made Karisma pencils. These are very soft and sometimes a bit sticky. I use a small breakable knife to sharpen, as the pencils are so soft they tend to break very easily. After the knife comes the sharpener to make it really sharp.

In time Karisma Black no 935 tends to oxidize if you put it very thick, thus giving it a whitish film. I regret the fact that Lemon Yellow isn’t available any more. It is a primary colour in Ittens colour circle so I found it ridiculous to get it out of production in the first place. Now the brightest yellow is Canary Yellow no 916. Apart from it’s silly name it’s a hard colour and not so fresh and subtle as Lemon Yellow no 915 was. I hereby plea to get Lemon Yellow no 915 back in the Karisma colour spectrum again. Any other Karisma lovers joining the petition?

My favourite colour must be Hot Pink no 993 but that is a very personal choice. I think because it makes such fresh contrasts opposed to other colours. And it’s such a vivid colour to blend with. For the future I try to make my art more and more contrast full, more and more Hot Pink.

I hope you enjoy the drawings in my portfolio."

Many many thanks to George, and you can check out some of his great work at his website, here. Click "gallery" at the bottom, and click the stripes.

[Image, G.L., used with kind permission.]

Holiday break.

2005-11-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

With a thousand apologies, posting on Pencil Revolution will be sporadic or put on hold entirely until next week. I'm out of town, and I'd rather just plan on a week-long break than I would to break promises about posting.

On the bright side, there are lots of goodies coming up, with some great stuff from some great artists.

And, to tide you over, check out Woodchuck's latest post about mechanical vs. wood-cased pencils, as well as the latest California Republic gear!

Wright shirt.

2005-11-21T12:00:00.000-06:00

"Frank Lloyd Wright pays homage to the pencil - the humble tool that's made the fortunes of countless writers, artists, architects and designers."

Thanks to Mari for the link! Check out her blog here.

Review of California Republic Prospector.

2005-11-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

For the review of the California Republic Stationers Prospector pencil, we have our Comrade and veritable pencil hero Frank C.

Material: Specially-treated Basswood.
Shape: Hexagonal.
Finish: Natural/Glossy grass green.
Ferrule: Brass on the natural/Silver metal on the green.
Eraser: Soft rubber, pink on natural, green on green.
Core: HB (#2) graphite.
Markings: XXX. “California Republic Prospector.”
Packaging: Varies. Packs of ten and tubes of fourty.
Origin: Manufactured in Thailand by California Republic Stationers, a division of Cal Cedar.
Availability: In the US, exclusively through the Pencil World Creativity Store.

Before reading any review, I believe its important to know what a reviewer’s biases are before you read one of their reviews. With pencils, my biases are simple. I like pencils that write a dark line, pencils such as the Blackwing, GRIP 2001, California Republic Palomino and Forest Choice pencils. These four pencils are my favorites, and any new pencil I buy has to compare favorably to them before it enters my regular rotation.

Since that’s out of the way, here’s a review of the California Republic Prospector Graphite HB pencil. In the California Republic line, the Prospector is their “value” pencil. In this case, that’s “value” as in good value, not “cheap.” While not made to the standards of the Palomino or the Forest Choice, the Prospector holds its own against the high standards set by those two pencils.

Interestingly, though, is that, although the Prospector is an “HB” like the Palominos, it writes a fairly light line. Given my bias toward pencils that write a dark line, you would think I would immediately disqualify the Prospector from consideration. However, it’s hard to dismiss a pencil that’s as well made and doesn’t need to be sharpened every few lines (unfortunately, this is the one and only fault I can find against the Palomino). While the finish isn’t the equal of the Palomino, it’s fairly close and better than most pencils on the market. The eraser is top-drawer, too, one of the best I have tried. Regarding the lighter line, it’s not too light and sets a decent balance between too light and just right. Given its other strengths, I can live with the lighter line.

So, if you’re looking for a well-made pencil with a great eraser that writes a relatively light line but doesn’t need to be sharpened every few lines, consider the Prospector. This pencil has been a pleasant surprise, and has actually made me reconsider my biases. Maybe I do like pencils that write a lighter line, after all. Well, if they’re as good as the Prospector my bias towards pencils that write a dark line just may change, after all.

Many thanks to Frank!

[Images and text, Frank C. Used with very kind permission.]

Relativity and pencil lead.

2005-11-17T00:00:00.000-06:00

"Scientists at The University of Manchester have discovered a new way to test Einstein's theory of relativity using the 'lead' of a pencil...Until now it was only possible to test the theory by building expensive machinery or by studying stars in distant galaxies, but a team of British, Russian and Dutch scientists has now proven it can be done in the lab using an ultra-thin material called Graphene.

The group, led by Professor Andre Geim of the School of Physics and Astronomy, discovered the one atom thick material last year. Graphene is created by extracting one atom thick slivers of graphite via a process similar to that of tracing with a pencil."

Read on.

(Thanks to my very good friend Bowman for the link!)

Cyber Lizard.

2005-11-15T00:00:00.000-06:00

Cyber Lizard, a very very brave Comrade of the Revolution is writing a novel this month entirely by pencil!

"I am insane. Really. I am participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I am writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. And as crazy as this seems, that's not what makes me insane. It's the fact that I'm writing this novel by hand, in pencil. My Moleskine notebook is filled with almost 10,000 pencil-written words. Needless to say, this gives me ample opportunity to try out different pencils. I have bought several of the pencils reviewed here and used them to some extent. Here is what I have discovered.

Dixon-Ticonderoga Tri-Write HB: I found this to be a pretty good general purpose pencil. Not dark enough for me, but I like it for sketching.

Mirado Black Warrior HB: The crispness of the line was great. For some reason, I set this one aside and haven't actually used it for my writing. I need to pick this back up and give it a go.

Dixon Tri-Conderoga HB: I love the feel of this pencil in my hand. Its finish is amazing. I really wanted this to be my favorite. Unfortunately, it was not quite dark enough for my tastes and it required more frequent sharpening to maintain a good point.

Faber-Castell GRIP 2001 2B: This one was my favorite for several days. It kept a point well and was fairly dark. I didn't find it as comfortable as the Tri-Conderoga, but my hand held up well for long writing sessions with it.

California Republic Palomino HB: Currently my favorite pencil. I love its terrificly dark line, and it keeps a point very well. I can usually get about a half a page written before I feel the need to sharpen.

My biggest issue right now is that I need a good eraser. My two favorites, the Palomino and the GRIP don't have erasers. I've been keeping an unsharpened Tri-Conderoga out when I write for the eraser, but I'd like something more compact. Any suggestions?

Now I need to go catch up on my word count since I've wasted my precious time writing for Pencil Revolution instead of my novel ;-)"

[Image and text, Cyber Lizard. Used with kind permission.]

George Hart.

2005-11-14T10:01:00.000-06:00

"As a sculptor of constructive geometric forms, my work deals with patterns and relationships derived from classical ideals of balance and symmetry. Mathematical yet organic, these abstract forms invite the viewer to partake of the geometric aesthetic. I use a variety of media, including paper, wood, plastic, metal, and assemblages of common household objects."

"72 Pencils is a geometric construction of 72 pencils, assembled into a work of art. Restricted to a signed limited edition of twenty-five, each shares a common form, yet each is unique. The form is an arrangement of four intersecting hexagonal tubes that penetrate each other in a fascinating three-dimensional lattice. Each of the twenty-five sculptures in the edition will be constructed with a different type of pencil, so each is a one-of-a-kind object."

(Read on.)

Many thanks to Rich for the link! Check out his great photos here.

[Image, George Hart.]

Humdog on Native pencils.

2005-11-11T15:04:00.000-06:00

For a long time I lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in Central California. It’s damp up there, cold, and gray most of the year. My house was heated by a environmentally-correct woodstove. In the mountains, because of the weather, after a while, you get a little book-ish. Down the highway about 10 miles or so, in the city of Santa Cruz, well, there was an art supply store called Palace Arts. This store carried Blackfeet Indian Pencils. Now I grant you that I have always been a pencil freak. It’s just now, with your wonderful site, I can come out of the closet about it. I have always loved pencils. Some of my favorites have been, over time, the Venus Goddess, the old yellow Mongol #1, Black Warrior #1, and the Tombow Mono B. The Blackwing, of course, cannot be mentioned in the same sentence with any other pencil. It is the high chieftain of all pencils. Somewhere, however, between the Blackwing and the Tombow Mono B, there is a place for the Blackfeet Indian #2. A person who understood me really well once gave me a gross of Mongol #1 pencils for Christmas one year. I was happy for months.

The Blackfeet Indian is almost impossible to buy now, but I remember a time when I could go to Palace Arts in Santa Cruz and buy them by the dozen. They are beautiful: simple hardwood, lots of grain, very simply varnished. The eraser worked like a Pink Pearl, and although you could get them with a gold ferrule, my favorite version is the one with the black ferrule. It looked so minimally beautiful, matching the simple black print on the pencil body. The gold ferrule, to my eye, was a little too flashy, a little too Hollywood. I loved the black. The lead was magnificent. It was never gritty. The line was an impressive black. It did not smear. It held a point pretty well, and what’s even more impressive, I never had a Blackfeet Indian pencil turn into one of those nightmare pencils that break when you sharpen them, and the lead never fell out of the wood after sharpening, either. The lead in these pencils also would last. I bear down when I write and I can use up a Faber Castell Grip 2001 in a couple days. Not so with the Blackfeet Indian pencil. The weight of this pencil was also wonderful, not too heavy, not too light. Some newer pencils, well it feels like the wood is really dried out to the point of where the pencil lends no weight to the writing job. You have to bear down to get a line, some. The Blackfeet, well, it is equal to the task of writing.

I am an internet ranter. When it became clear to me that it was going to be hard to get more Blackfeet pencils through stores, I began to beg them from my pals on the net. A dear friend in Minnesota found that she had a whole box of them, and she sent them to me. She doesn’t use pencils. I have given single pencils from my stash as special gifts to dear friends. Some of them upon receiving these pencils, look at me a little strangely. But I always smile at them and say: there is a poem, or a story, or a drawing, in that pencil, waiting to come out for you. Then the odd look melts into a grin, usually. I only have about a half dozen of these pencils left. I have been looking for suitable substitutes. Consequently I have an embarrassing number of pencils in my house, of which only the General Cedar #2 and the Pacific Music Papers “Magic Writer” come anywhere near the Blackfeet Indian Pencil. The General #2 is a little gritty for my taste, although the aesthetics of the pencil itself are magnificent. The “Magic Writer” has a good lead, except it wears down too fast. Ideally, my pencil would LOOK like the General Cedar, and behave like the Tombow Mono B or 2B. Right now I am writing with a Staedtler 4B lead in a red Koh-i-Noor Lead holder. It’s a little thick for me, but at least the line is black. I bought some TriConderoga pencils, and while I like those, I am not in love.

Based on what I read on your site, I bought some Palominos and some Forest Choice. I am hoping that one of these will be my new Blackfeet Indian Pencil.

What I want to know is this: why is it that when people make something that actually works, like the Blackwing and the Blackfeet pencil, that automatically it just goes away? For example: for a while, I could get the Noris ErgoSoft HB at Office Depot. Now this pencil is both elegant and functional. It doesn’t sharpen away into a nub in two days. The pencil is also beautiful to behold – it has a real Art Deco paint job. Everything works on this pencil, and it's 3 bucks a half dozen -- Okay, so a little expensive. But Office Depot won’t carry this pencil anymore. Nope. You want to buy a pencil at Office Depot you have to settle for a school pencil. Now I’m not in love with the Dixon Ticonderoga #2, but I love the #1. I’m willing to deal with the yellow paint for the sake of the lead. Can you find a #1 at Office Depot or Staples? No. At Office Depot or Staples, I can buy all the cheap Pentech atrocities I want. But no Noris, No Ticonderoga #1. For Dixon #1, I have to go to a store across town. For Noris Ergosoft, I have to buy online – General Cedar and Black Warrior #1 I can only get on line, too. To get Mitsubishi or Tombow pencils (and Japanese woodcase pencils are EXCELLENT) I have to drive downtown to Kinokuniya bookstore in Los Angeles. I can get the Faber-Castell GRIP 2001 in stores, but not the excellent Faber-Castell 9000 (and it is, to my way of thinking, a much better pencil).

Sometimes all of this drives me to use a Pentel .9 mechanical pencil, but that does not make my soul happy. I write for a living. I want REAL pencils.

Thank you, I feel better now.

(Many thanks to Humdog for a great contribution!)

[Text, Humdog, used with very kind permission. Image, J.G.]

Kevin Kelly: Why pencils? (ii).

2005-11-10T00:00:00.000-06:00

Kevin Kelly famously writes about his favorite pencil, the Derwent 3B:

"A pencil can generate megabytes of text, needs no batteries, and has no user manual. It is comfortable to hold, it smells good, and it is relaxing to turn around in your hand as you try to think of the right words. Pencils don't need ink; all they need is a sharpener. They are warm and friendly; they have souls."

Thanks, Kevin!

[See Why pencils? (i).]

Tri-flowers of Dixon splendor.

2005-11-09T10:03:00.000-06:00

Larger circumference was unexpected. Not unpleasant, but adjustmentworthy. Free pencil sharpener, which is good because they don't fit into my standard one. Their blackness makes me feel dangerous. They're not as squishy in my hand as I expected.

The real reason to buy these wonderful pencils is that their triangularity creates WICKEDLY BEAUTIFUL SHAVINGS!!

About the picture:
The black flowers are from our beloved Tri-Conderoga.
The yellow flower was created by the Ticonderoga Tri-Write, a triangular pencil with the same diameter as the 1388. The red flower in the back was created by the Ticonderoga Checking pencil (a red lead, hexagonal pencil - the "teacher's preferred choice" - with, oddly, the same green and yellow ferrule as the others).

Note the smaller and more frequent dips in the ridges of the red flower as the result of the hexagonal shaft. The yellow flower has shallower and more frequent dips than the black, owing to the smaller diameter of the yellow Tri-Write. But most importantly, look at those beautiful shavings!

I want to see some artwork created from these shavings.

[Image and text courtesy of our friend Mark at MungBeing. Used with kind permission.]

Call for reviews, essays, photos, etc.

2005-11-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

Those among us of an academic bent are familiar with the C.F.P.s (Call For Papers) we get in our email inboxes almost daily. We're not that...stuffy here at the Revolution. However, we are issuing our first "Call For ~" in order to integrate the People and to promote sharing among the Comrades of the Revolution. In other words, I -- at least -- think it's safe to say that we are no longer a website with readers but are a fledgling community. And I think that having myriad contributors, at least from time to time, is a good thing now.

What are we after? Reviews of pencils you like or don't like, or erasers, sharpeners, pencil boxes, etc. Essays about pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and other pencil gear. Photos of the same. Drawings with graphite, colored pencils, watercolor pencils, drawings of pencils. If you have a drawing that needs scanning, please contact us via email, and we can arrange to scan it for you and return it to you unharmed via physical mail.

While we are not going to issue any explicit guidelines, we do reserve the right not to publish what we deem offensive or irrelevant. Please don't send us a list of aphorisms on where pen users can stick their pens. We still love our brothers and sisters of ink, and -- though pencils are sharp -- they are not weapons. We reserve the right to edit work, and consent is implied in submitting that we can use said work on the site, with all due credit given, of course.

Perhaps not everything submitted will make it onto the site, but we will try to publish all we can. We are not going to be Puritanical in our tastes of art work when we decide what to publish, but bear in mind that people of all ages and backgrounds are members of our community when submitting. But also bear in mind the kindness and openness displayed by the People on every available occasion. We are an accepting and brave People.

Please feel free to bear your pencil soul.

[Please continue to Submission Guidelines in the permalink or comments section.]

Can't corral that Palomino!

2005-11-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

Our good friend Woodchuck writes about the wonderful Palomino, newly available in five (!) different grades -- from hard and steely grey to black as coal -- and, in so doing, gives a nice history of the Revolution so far, including the efforts of our hard-penciling Comrade, Frank C. (who reviewed the GRIP 2001 a few weeks ago):

"I have visions of Frank [C.] at a desk surrounded by hundreds of different pencils, a hand sharpener, pencil shavings and a Moleskine scribbling and sketching away." (Read on.)

If you love your Palominos but wished for a slightly harder grade for drafting or scientific record-keeping or a softer one for sketching and deep shading, your pencil prayers have been answered, with vigor! Comrades of the Revolution can purchase the graded Palominos in packs of six, with one each of 2H, H, B and 2B and two of the deliciously silky HB at the Pencil World Creativity Store. And if you still haven't tried the Palominos, we can't recommend them enough to anyone who appreciates pencils of a supreme quality or anyone looking to be converted to pencils.

Myriad thanks to Woodchuck for making these gems available to Comrades of the Revolution and to everyone who's helped to spread the word (and lead) about three free-spirited orange friends!

[Images, Woodchuck. Used with kind permission.]

Short one with the Count.

2005-11-04T11:00:00.000-06:00

In an article from 2003 entitled "No more pencils in high-tech world? Think again," John Schmid of the International Herald Tribune writes about our favorite tool:

"The world's oldest word-processing and graphics system has no memory and no spell checker. It needs constant maintenance and cannot be upgraded; it could not be more analog and less compatible.

And folks keep using it.

For over four centuries, the classic wooden pencil has defied obsolescence — a feat that generations of laptops and palm devices cannot match. Even in the aftermath of the great technology bust, worldwide output of basic black-lead pencils has continued to grow and now reaches an estimated 15 billion a year.

'Twenty years ago, I really worried about what will happen with the wood-cased pencil,' said Count Anton-Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, the chief executive of Faber-Castell, the world's biggest and oldest maker of pencils.

'Yet I still believe in handheld writing," said the count, the scion of an aristocratic family that has run the closely held Bavarian company since 1761. "If I had listened to my advisers 20 years ago, who talked back then about computer-aided writing and whatever else, I would be bankrupt'....

....In terms of raw numbers, the pencil is mightier than the PC, whose estimated 140 million in sales last year is dwarfed by pencils' billion. Production of black-lead pencils across Europe rose 12 percent in 2001 from 2000, according to the most recent figures from the European Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association. In developing countries, demand has grown even faster, Meller said.

And in the $220 million United States market for black-lead pencils, sales have held steady or risen, according to the A.C. Nielsen agency. A torrent of cheap, unbranded Chinese imports, which have tripled since 1996 to $30 million last year, led to anti-dumping duties against Chinese companies starting in the mid-'90s."

It is a very well-written article which is definitely worth reading, especially considering that the Faber-Castell 9000 turns 100 years old this year -- an even which will surely not go unnoticed at Pencil Revolution. We're at work on a story about this centenary milestone for the near future! Read the rest of the article at the IHT archive.

[Image, Count Anton-Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, CEO of Faber-Castell, copyright, F-C.]

Review of Translations Pencils.

2005-11-02T00:00:00.000-06:00

We are very happy to present a review of Translations pencils from our friend Alcarwen, author of That Shadow My Likeness (which you'll remember from her great blog last week).

Technical information:
Material: Tightly wrapped Japanese newsprint.
Shape: Round, relatively slim.
Finish: Smooth clear-lacquer or epoxy to seal in the newsprint and keep it from unraveling.
Ferrule: None -- bare end.
Eraser: None.
Core: HB-ish graphite.
Markings: None except for the Japanese newsprint.
Packaging: Come in a pack of 12. The tubular package is also wrapped in newsprint.
Availability: Qnor.com and SeeJaneWork.com.
Origin: China.

"The best part of Translations Pencils is that they are made from recycled newspapers. According to the website from which I purchased them, this is accomplished from wrapping the graphite core so tightly in layers of newsprint that it comes to resemble wood; you can sharpen them in a regular sharpener with no problem whatsoever. If you look closely at the point, you can see the layers wrapped around the graphite. The newsprint itself is from Japan; the pencils are made in China. I purchased mine from Qnor for $2.99 for a set of 12. They came in a tube (also wrapped in recycled newspapers) already sharpened and ready to go.

I had wondered: would the newsprint rub off on your fingers? The pencils themselves are dipped in a clear lacquer to prevent this... unless you are one of those people who write with their fingers really close to the point of the pencil- then, you're left with black fingers after writing.

I've been using them to take notes (and scribble poetry in the margins of all my textbooks and notebooks) for the past two days and have been impressed with the quality of the writing and by how much pressure it takes to break the point on these guys! I'm serious- for whatever reason, when getting a little stressed at the nuances of Ciceronian Rhetoric, I get a little heavy handed with my pencils, causing numerous breaks and pauses to resharpen on poor quality pencils. Not so with the Translations pencils- they're not poor quality pencils. I had expected, however, that they would be a bit more flimsy, but what they claim is right- the wrapped newspaper is just as hard as a wood pencil would be. Sharpening them is a bit of an adventure- the newsprint comes off in layers as it was wrapped- so I got to see Japanese news stories and adds peeling off my pencil in neat little strips.

Drawbacks- that pesky tendency of the un-lacquered bit to leave a bit of newsprint residue. However, it's not so much that it's intensely irritating, but it does rub off- especially when you've just sharpened the pencil. Second, they don't have erasers. This doesn't bother me so much, but I do realize that some people choose pencil over pen just because of having the eraser.

The good stuff: Recycled newspapers! (Yes, I'm repetitive, but I love the idea!) It writes well, holds up next to its wood counterparts- and well, it's pretty awesome to think that you're writing with something that last year was being read by someone in Japan."

[Originally from TSML, 10.25.05. Text and photos, Alcarwen, used with very kind permission.]

National Novel Writing Month 2005.

2005-11-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

As many of the People already are, no doubt, aware today kicks off the National Novel Writing Month for 2005. What is NaNoWriMo? In short:

"National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30."

Check out Libby Copeland's article in The Washington Post for more information.

We are wondering if anyone in the Revolution is participating this year, and if said brave writers might be interested in sharing with the People their work, or bits of it, on PencilRevolution.com? If so, please leave a note or email us (see right) directly to discuss.

But first off, who's writing in pencil?

Happy Halloween!

2005-10-31T00:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween, from your friends at Pencil Revolution! May all the spookiest doodles and scribbles be yours!

And stay tuned this week for a review of Translations Pencils and other pencil goodies.

Why cedar?

2005-10-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

With the recent discussions about the environment and wood, it seems very appropriate to mention some great recent posts by our good friend Woodchuck on why Incense-Cedar is such an excellent wood for pencils:

"Incense-cedar originally began to be used as a substitute wood for Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) which was the premier wood for US produced pencils and some European pencils dating from the mid 1800s through the early 20th century. It is commonly thought that the main purpose for the shift to Incense-cedar was due to dwindling supply of Eastern Red Cedar and there is some relevance here, but primarily from a comparative economic standpoint only. ERC is still widely used for commercial purposes today for products which most benefit from the technical characteristics contained in the natural cedar oil extractives of this species. Products such as closet lining, shoe trees, coat hangers, storage chests and natural oil extractives used in the essential oils industry for perfume and other cosmetic and scent purposes.
So what is the full story for the transition to Incense-cedar?" (Read on to find out!)

"Unlike species that occur in groves, Incense-cedar can be found scattered among Douglas-fir, Jeffrey Pine, ponderosa pine and other species that dominate the mixed-conifer forest. Within the state of California, Incense-cedar generally comprises about 5% of the trees in a stand while just 1.5% in it’s southern Oregon growing range. Despite it’s popularity in a range of uses, Incense cedar has never become a mono-cultural plantation species as with other commercial western softwoods. As a prolific seed-cone producer it readily regenerates and proliferates throughout it’s growing range aggressively repopulating any available site on the forest floor. It’s germination and survival rate are excellent relative to other softwoods....there is more Incense-cedar growing in California forests today than at any time during the past 50 to 70 years based upon data from the US Forest Service mandated Forest Inventory and Analysis Project." (Read on!)

[Excerpts, Woodchuck at Timberlines. Image, Oregon State University.]

Pencil "lead" from generator brushes.

2005-10-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is both very good and very interesting news from Japan:

"Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) and Tombow Pencil recently announced that they have jointly developed mechanical pencil 'leads' recycled from generator brushes used in TEPCO's thermal power plants. Generator brushes are made from highly pure graphite (over 97 percent), and are crushed to form graphite particles. Generator brushes transmit electricity to rotating shafts and must be replaced on a regular basis because they get worn out from friction with the rotating shafts. Discarded brushes used to be disposed of as industrial waste in landfill.

Having examined the cost and effectiveness of recycling generator brushes, TEPCO decided to recycle the brushes into mechanical pencil leads in collaboration with Tombow. TEPCO estimates that about 300kg of used brushes are replaced in its thermal plants annually. Recycling all these brushes could produce 24 million refill leads (1.5 million packages of 16 leads each). Tombow plans to put the recycled leads on the market during 2005."

See article here. Thanks for the link, Armand and Mari!

[Image Treehugger.]

For the record.

2005-10-25T10:39:00.000-05:00

There were a number of accusations levied against the Revolution last week, and since a few hundred people read them before we were able to take them down, I suppose it's appropriate to address them here, in a non-belligerent spirit, since we are a peaceful Revolution.

First, no, this site was not created as a joke, and many hours a week do not go into it as a joke. If some folks do not like pencils and prefer pens or computers, they are perfectly free not to be a part of our community.

It was suggested last week that we are promoting the killing of the planet's trees through promoting the use of pencils. This is completely false. None of the manufacturers that we recommend go out and cut down trees for pencils that are not grown for that purpose and are not replaced. This is akin to claiming that meat comes from cows shot down in the forest. The fact is that some companies (like Faber-Castell and Staedtler) grow their own wood for their pencils on land where there were no trees before. Our friends at Cal Cedar are the largest pencil slat manufacturer in the world, and one would be hard-pressed to find a more responsible grower. Plainly, a pencil company that did not replenish its supply of wood would be committing corporate suicide. What some manufacturers did in the 19th and early 20th centuries is irrelevant.

No, Thoreau would not roll over in his grave because we promote the killing of the planet. Most Thoreau fans are aware of his innovations in pencil manufacturing and the fact that his family's money came from making pencils and superior graphite. He never loved pencils but viewed them at best as tools, and usually as a way to make money for his father's company. He didn't sit around thinking about how great pencils are, so we could not "justify" the deforestation of the planet by how Thoreau felt about pencils. Besides, Thoreau never ventured far enough from Concord to actually see any wood that was made into pencils anyway. He never went to the South to see Red Cedar or to the West to see Incense Cedar (which wasn't being used yet). And his ethic of simplicity would surely not shun pencils and probably not even blogs and gel pens.

No, we will not be promoting products from the likes of Proctor and Gamble, etc. First, they don't make pencils. Second, we do not promote products from any company that engages in animal testing. California Republic doesn't. Dixon doesn't. Sanford doesn't. The Germans don't. Promoting pencils from companies that test on animals (parent companies, too) is not an issue now that Gillette no longer owns PaperMate and Parker anyway. Even Bic has a moratorium that has been in place for several years.

Our editor (me) was called a "corporate goon" and "a sad, sad corporate sellout." While we very happily promote products we like and very gladly accept samples to review, we do not take money for our reviews. Period. This site is run out of my own pocket and never from any company. We would be very foolish indeed to take money from the manufacturers of what we review if we coupled this with the expectation that anyone trust what we say. Yes, we promote some pencils like the Palomino moderately aggressively, but that is soley because it is such a great pencil, made by great people, that more pencil lovers should try. We are spreading the word, not lining our pockets. Name-calling is just mean. If I am a sell-out because I freely promote pencils that lots of people think are great and not well-known enough, then sell-out I am.

A thousand apologies if we offend whoever anonymously posted the original list of reasons why Pencil Revolution is "stupid"; that is not our intention. However, the record must be set straight, and every effort has been made to be straight forward and not vindictive. We have no intention of being contentious.

Review of Dixon Tri-Conderoga.

2005-10-24T10:30:00.000-05:00

We were planning on reviewing the Dixon "Black" (formerly the Millennium) in time for Halloween, since it is a great black pencil that not a lot of people know about and since I personally like it better than the Black Warrior as far as black pencils go. But I was online chatting with my buddy, and he asked why Ticonderoga is named such. I went to the website and saw the promo for Dixon's new Tri-Conderoga, and, well, the Black will just have to wait a bit longer.

Technical data:
Material: Genuine California Incense Cedar.
Shape: Triangular, large diameter.
Finish: Rubbery black "Soft Touch" coating.
Ferrule: The famous Dixon green and yellow ferrule, triangular.
Eraser: High quality, latex-free black eraser.
Core: HB graphite.
Markings: Gold Foil. “DIXON TRI-CONDEROGA/HB(2).”
Packaging: So far found in a pack of six with a complimentary sharpener.
Availability: Staples stores nationwide.
Origin: Missouri, United States.

Dixon bills this as "The World's Most Comfortable Pencil." With competitors like the GRIP 2001 from Faber-Castell, the Ergosoft from Staedtler and from Dixon's own Tri-Write, these will be hard shoes to fill. But it turns out that the Tri-Conderoga is as unique as the other triangular-shaped pencils on the market, perhaps even more so. Faber-Castell's GRIP 2001 has the unique grip zone and started the recent triangular pencil craze, at least to some extent. However, as fans of Petroski's book are aware, triangular-shaped pencils date back to the mid-twentieth century, but the design was rarely used due to it being wasteful of wood (pg. 207-208). Staedtler has the rubbery Erogsoft in response, and Dixon has the Tri-Write, a triangular version of the famous yellow Ticonderoga. The Tri-Write is the only one of the three to be made of Incense Cedar.

The Tri-Conderoga is a departure from the other three for several reasons, the most obvious of which is the diameter. This pencil is nearly as thick as the wide pencils youngsters learn to write with. As we all probably remember, these are strangely comfortable to hold. However, the drawbacks with these thick pencils were that they usually had low-quality cores, stinky wood and thick cores that could not be sharpened to a point for use on adult stationary. The Tri-Conderoga has a core that is the same thickness as regular pencils, so they can be sharpened just as well as others. Dixon's very nice Product Manager tells us that the Tri-Conderoga "is totally different than anything on the market – for adults." He's very very correct, and I can't find a thing about this pencil that is anything but adult. Don't let the diameter fool you at Staples. These are not the same things you used in first grade.

The coating does not feel as thick as the one on the Ergosoft, and I'd consider that a good thing. The thickness of the "soft feel" finish does not hinder sharpening at all, and it does not give under pressure from your hands -- it is not spongy or shifty. It's very solid and does exactly what it is supposed to do. Speaking of sharpening, Dixon includes a pretty nice black sharpener with the packs of six pencils that has two holes, one of which fits the Tri-Conderoga perfectly.

The core is, as you'd expect from Dixon, smooth, dark and strong. I don't think we need to go into that much more here. Writing with a Dixon is always a pleasure with these great cores.

Adding to the quality feel of the pencil is the ferrule. Of course it is yellow and green like the famous yellow Dixons, but Dixon went the extra mile and made a special ferrule just for this pencil. It is the custom triangular fit that we would have loved to see on the otherwise terrific Tri-Write. The new ferrule fits very flushly with the barrel, and you won't find the paint-spread (yay, we coined a term!) that a lot of modern "quality" pencils are suffering from these days around the ferule.

The eraser matches the quality of the pencil's feel, and I haven't touched a Dixon in a long time that didn't have a great eraser on it. It's large and triangular, and having points on the eraser is especially nice for correctly the smaller errors one sometimes makes.

Writing with the Tri-Conderoga is, admittedly, a bit awkward at first. This is not really due to the diameter but rather to the severity of the triangular shape. I for one don't hold my pencils correctly when I hold them in my natural way. I somehow got away with gripping my pencils incorrectly, and the good sisters at St. Thomas didn't notice. With the GRIP 2001, the triangular shape is rounded enough that it can be gotten around; I can hold it the way I'd hold a round pencil. The Tri-Conderoga is so triangular that this cannot be replicated. The shape and size of this pencil mean that you have to hold it correctly.

But that is not a bad thing. On the Tri-Conderoga's website, Dixon cites studies showing that triangular writing instruments promote the proper grip that leads to comfort and legible handwriting. Rather than passively promoting said grip, the Tri-Conderoga performs a feat of pencil TOUGH LOVE and makes you hold your pencil correctly. I said this was awkward for me at first. But inside of a written page, it became more natural, comfortable, and I did notice a new degree of uniformity in my writing. The pencil did exactly what it was designed to do and did it very very well, and I found it to be comfortable to write with inside of a few minutes. Very comfortable.

Some people might prefer the GRIP 2001 for its millennial paint job or German heritage, and some people might still prefer the Tri-Write for it's traditional yellow gloss. But anyone who appreciates writing comfort at all would enjoy at least some test runs with this pencil. The writing is smooth and comfortable. The eraser is top-notch. The pencil itself is very up-scale and stylish, but it does not feel fragile like some more expensive pencils do at times. Rather, it's very durable and solid. And of course, there's the great smell of the cedar.

We would definitely recommend this pencil. The exact combination of the precise shape, the unique size and the finishing touches really set this pencil apart. This is no ordinary triangular or coated pencil. It's truly revolutionary.

We'll be back Monday.

2005-10-21T10:14:00.000-05:00

Apologies! Due to illness in the Revolution, there are no goodies for today. We'll be back Monday, with a review of the new Dixon Tri-Conderoga that we have a small stash of currently. Very sorry.

The pencil wishlist.

2005-10-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

I love pencils. I give them to most of my friends, family, colleagues and really just anyone I like at all. Some people don't use them, citing imperfections of pencils in general, such as the fact that they can be erased, that they need to be sharpened, that they don't fit in your pocket, etc. These are certainly legitimate concerns. There are times when I use ink instead of pencil, for a few things. I know, graphite is a higher calling, but what can you do?

While pencils are a gift from the universe, there are some things that I'd personally like to see done with pencils in general, specific kinds of pencils and certain manufacturers. I have a feeling that I'm not the only one, so I'd ask that the People share here what they'd like to have changed about or added to the pencil world.

ToxiCity.

2005-10-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Our friend Heller Levinson has a new book of poetry out entitled ToxiCity. Mr. Levinson tells us that he writes his poetry in pencil, with a Dixon Ticonderoga (#2) or with a Pentel 0.7 P207 when travelling. The artists responsible for the cover art -- Margo Kren and Ed Paschke -- begin their work in pencil, to boot! Graphite aside, from all counts, Mr. Levinson's work is nothing short of revolutionary.

"ToxiCity is a volume for the starving masses of readers to devour, then shelve among poets who refused to succumb to the shrews and molls of convention and mediocrity dolling themselves up as muses. Nothing is lost in Heller Levinson’s prolific study of philosophy, history, music and the arts: the poems in ToxiCity are like a palimpsest where diverse lexicons, facts, detailed observations all meld….
—from the introduction by Anthony Seidman"

[Image Howling Dog Press.]

Goliath.

2005-10-17T07:44:00.000-05:00

John writes about childhood pencils in MungBeing magazine:

"When I first arrived at Kindergarten, we all had little boxes that we put onto the top shelf of our cubbies, standing on five-year-old tiptoes. In my little blue box that day was a Faber-Castell GOLIATH - a thick, red pencil with soft-feeling lead and a nice pink eraser on the end. Of all the goodies in my blue box - scissors, paste, a ruler, etc. - I was most excited about my big pencil. There were boxes and boxes of markers and wax crayons at the pre-school and even more at home that my parents provided for my brothers and I.. But one pencil, only one. And so grown-up looking! I had just turned five and suddenly felt immensely important that I had been given a single pencil that would allow me to do so much. My introduction to pencils was thus to a quality German pencil, and the rest of my childhood pencilship was tainted by this....

....But I think that what people love about pencils is not necessarily something akin to childhood innocence. I don't think it's possible to recover the naivety of the sandbox, nor is it desirable to do so. The responsibility that comes with knowing what we know that we did not know as children - whether we know it from education or worldly experience - is not something that we can shirk off just by using pencils or any other magical tools. The reason pencils resonate with adults is that they remind us of the sense of wonder that we had as children. Only, as adults, this wonder is armed with some degree of practical wisdom in that pencils put us into a position of wonder that is coupled with power and freedom. We look at the world differently when we remember being kids, and we have the freedom to explore our world that we might not have had as school children with homework and parents and curfews. Most importantly, we have the power through what we already know to look in the right places for what we still wonder about as adults."

Read the rest of the article here.

[Image, J.G.]

Leo Burnett.

2005-10-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Visit the home of the Big Black Pencil for one of the coolest-designed websites around.

"Big black pencils are as much a part of Leo Burnett as that ever-present bowl of crisp apples. Why? Because Leo believed big ideas come out of big pencils."

I sat here for a half hour playing with the pencil and the links. Who is Leo Burnett? Check out the Wikipedia article about him:

"Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 - June 7, 1971) was an advertising executive famous for creating such icons as the Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Man, the Pillsbury Doughboy and Tony the Tiger."

[Thanks for the link, Armand!]

Have a terrific weekend! Hopefully, we'll be able to review the new Dixon Tri-Conderoga next week sometime.

Tri-Conderoga.

2005-10-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

We have Faber-Castell's GRIP 2001 for a nicely-made, comfortably grib-able pencil. There is also the Staedtler Egosoft, which is covered in sticky stuff. Not as popular is the Dixon Ticonderogo Tri-Write, which is a triangular-shaped version of the popular yellow Dixon.

I was talking online with a good friend of mine last night about why the Ticonderago is called such. On visiting the company webpage to find where they give Fort Ticonderago as an explanation, I found something that kept me up a little last night.

Dixon has a new pencil that they are billing as "The World's Most Comfortable Pencil" -- the Tri-Conderoga! Dixon gives its features:

* Larger, more control
* Cushy 'Soft-Touch' finish
* Triangular-shaped

And it's made of delicious Incense Cedar, too. As soon as I can find some, I'll put up a review. I'm really excited about this pencil. The pen world is getting the Pilot G2 Mini, and we get a sleek new Dixon!

Atom feed.

2005-10-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

Small note. The sitefeed is back up at http://www.pencilrevolution.com/atom.xml. Apologies for it's short absence.

Pencil confessions, i.

2005-10-11T08:54:00.000-05:00

If I may wax personal, I want to admit being more than a little upset to learn that a certain pencil I previously enjoyed is made of rainforest wood, not Incense Cedar. I know, this should make no difference. It was hard to sharpen and had no smell before I knew what it was made of, too, and I ignored it. I think I'm upset that it's maker flaunts it as a great quality pencil (and charges a lot for it) but then won't pony up and make it out of cedar. There are probably even reasons for this, like a $3 a pencil price tag result, etc. I won't pretend that I know much about wood or about what works best for what.

But it's weird that something so small can shake my faith in a pencil. It's like when you have a pencil you love but then realize that it's core smears all over or that you have a near-perfect pencil that comes with a terrible eraser that ruins the whole affair. Or, worse, that you have a pencil you love above all others but cannot obtain anywhere.

Is there some implicit search for the perfect pencil, or do we just get jolted when we learn that our favorites could use some evolving? Or do we delude ourselves into thinking we've already perched on the perfect pencil and then find out that there's a glaring design flaw, upon which we get shaken up again?

Review of Faber-Castell Grip 2001.

2005-10-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

We've reviewed pencils made in the United States and Asia so far, but we've not yet talked much about European pencils. It's only fitting, then, that we review something from Faber-Castell, specifically the Grip 2001. We are very happy to have Frank C. -- who works in research in the Garden State -- write the review of this award-winning pencil.

According to Faber-Castell, "For centuries there was no change with the pencil. Faber-Castell has proven that there is still potential for improvement with this apparently simple product. Shortly after its launch the GRIP 2001 pencil was prized with several important design awards. For the magazine Business Week it was the best 'Product of the Year'," and several other accolates to boot.

First, some technical info:

Material: Jelutong, a rainforest wood that grows in Indonesia.
Shape: Triangular, with grip zone.
Finish: Water-based lacquer in metallic grey.
Ferrule: None, capped end in grey or black, depending on lead grade; black triangular ferrule on eraser-topped version.
Eraser: (On ferruled version) Soft black rubber.
Core: 2B, B, HB, H, 2H (B reviewed), specially-bonded and break-resistant graphite.
Markings: Black Gloss. “GRIP 2001 Faber-Castell” with company logo of jousting knights.
Packaging: Varies. Usually sold in open-stock or dozens. Fine stationers and art supply shops are the best bets.
Origin: Stein, Germany.

Now, for Frank's review:

"Let me state up front that the Grip 2001 by Faber-Castell is my favorite currently-available pencil (the Blackwing 602 is my all-time favorite, but I’m sticking to currently-available pencils). Why? Because I like pencils that write a dark line but can be used for day-to-day writing (only 2B and 4B for me), and the Grip 2001 fits the bill, for me, better than any pencil around.

The other factor that cements its position as my top pencil is the way the Grip 2001 is designed to never slip in your hand. Using what Faber-Castell calls the 'Patented Soft-Grip-Zone' (what looks like to me little raised black dots) makes it easy to grip the pencil without it slipping up and down your fingers. I’ve also found that I don’t have to grip it as tightly to write, which means that I can write with it for longer periods of time than other pencils. One downside—when you store the Grip 2001 next to other pencils it has a tendency to stick to them!

The Grip 2001 has a triangular shape, another excellent ergonomic factor in its favor. I’ve found that the triangular shape fits flush between my fingers, meaning that I never find myself rotating the pencil like I do other traditionally-shaped pencils. Again, this is another ergonomic detail that makes the Grip 2001 stand head and shoulders above the other current pencils that I’ve tried.

While it’s great to have the attention to design detail that the Grip 2001 provides, it would mean nothing if the pencil didn’t deliver a great writing experience. And this it does, with a dark line that never smears. It’s also extremely easy to sharpen, even with the triangular shape.

So, given the great writing experience, excellent design, and ergonomic features, it’s easy to see why the Grip 2001 is an excellent pencil and my current favorite. It may be a bit more expensive than average (I purchased mine from Pen City, although I have seen them in a local Office Depot), but it is worth it. I cannot recommend it highly enough."

Many thanks to Frank for the review and the photos!

[Images Frank C. and J.G., used with kind permission.]

Holiday pencils.

2005-10-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

With the start of the various holiday seasons, we see countless pencils with pumpkins, ghosts, and goblins all around. Some have giant erasers, fuzzy tops or sparkly paint. But what are the People to do when we want a festive pencil that does not write like a black rock and smell like dirty old wood? With Halloween and the winter holidays almost upon us, what are we to write with?

Fear not! There are some respectable pencil manufacturers who can rescue us junky holiday pencils! Just to name a few:

Musgrave Pencil Company has several holiday-themed lines, including Halloween.

Dixon makes reward pencils, including some for Halloween. You can never go wrong with Dixon.

And Californian Republic makes holiday-themed pencils in their Spangle line which are available through the Pencil World Creativity Store. You can even score a free set of Halloween pencils with the purchase of Palomino artist pencils (which are great pencils) for a limited time.

As a friend of ours pointed out, pencils would make a healthy alternative to candy for handing out to trick-or-treaters, while promoting education and children's creativity at the same time.

And for us grown-ups, they are a nice way to celebrate the holidays we still love.

[Image CalRep.]

The sad affair of the pencil.

2005-10-06T09:40:00.000-05:00

Our friend Alcarwen at That Shadow My Likeness writes about the terror of being without a pencil sharpener:

"This was going along quite well until I realized I had stranded myself in the fourth floor office on the top of the highest hill with a single color pencil and no pencil sharpener to be found. I searched through the entire department. I knocked on doors. I had other pens offered to me, but no. The Rhetoric book is not to be touched with anything other than my particular box of color pencils. (Yes, I'm obsessive. I know.)

I sat there in despair, Rhetoric book in one hand, sadly un-sharpened color pencil in the other and was completely unable to continue reading. Until... until I remembered the lovely pocket-knife on my key ring. I sharpened the damn thing old school style. I was so proud of myself.

However, I think my Department head now thinks I'm a nut-case since he walked into my office to find me whittling away at a pencil with a pocket-knife while grinning maniacally."

This is a disaster that I've known a few times myself, and I would not wish it on anyone. Pulling out a blade is the bravest way to handle such a situation, to be sure. It's downright heroic!

Many thanks, Alcarwen!

No. 4: The Pencil.

2005-10-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Forbes ranked the "20 Most Important Tools" recently, and the pencil scored #4!

"Writing may be one of the most important discoveries in human history. But it was easy-to-use writing implements--including the pencil, pen and brush--that made mass education and literacy possible. Cheap, reliable and convenient, the pencil represents these tools at their best. And because the sword came in at No. 8 on our list (more about the sword), we can now say for sure that the pen is mightier than the sword...

....In 1662, the first mass-produced pencils were made in Nuremberg, Germany, and in 1795, a French Chemist named Nicolas Conté invented a technique to make pencil leads out of powdered graphite and clay. In 1770, Edward Naime, an English engineer, created and began selling the first rubber erasers. The practice of painting pencils yellow began in the 1890s. Pencil manufacturers wanted to advertise that they were using high-quality Chinese graphite, so they painted them a color associated with Chinese royalty. Today, 75% of the pencils sold in the U.S. are still painted yellow. "

Thanks for the link, Doug!

[Image Dave Klug.]

Writing in color.

2005-10-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

If I ever step into ink, I usually like to use something a little seasonal, especially in the autumn. Pilot makes a new burgundy G2 now, and the brown Le Pen is an equally great color -- sepia with a purple-wine tinge.

But Ashley writes in with a very good question: What are we pencil folk to do when we are bored with graphite grey?

"I love the Pencil Revolution! I am still happily scribbling away with my awesome Cretacolor Monolith woodless graphite pencils, but I have a new urge to write in color. Can someone at the Revolution suggest any colored pencils that are suitable to write with? I have a lovely Stabilo aquarelleo in blue. This has a thick waxy core and is meant for glass, plastic, etc. I enjoy writing with it because it is smooth and fluid, but the thickness has two problems if you just want to writ. It makes it hard to get a nice point on it, and needs too frequent sharpening to keep any point. That said, I would appreciate any new reviews or ideas about colored pencils specifically for writing. Thanks! Vive la Revolution!"

I have some All-Stabilos that are water-soluble china markers, but Ashely's right. They are not good for writing on paper unless you want to sharpen an already dull point every other line. And trying to write with an artist-type colored pencil will only waste a nice tool.

Some companies used to make indelible pencils in different colors -- non-erasable pencils that contained aniline dyes in different hues. But, with the advent of portable pens that don't make a mess in one's pocket, those went the way of the manual typewriter. The only ones I can find for sale in the United States are the NoBlot ink pencils, "A Bottle of Ink in a Pencil." (We'd greatly appreciate info about any others!)

Prismacolor makes Verithins: colored pencils with a very fine core. However, the lead is the same soft formula (?) as the Primacolor colored pencils, so they will probably dull extremely quickly.

Another item to try might be something in the new line of Erasable Checking pencils that Dixon has out. I have only tried the red, but I can vouch that they are very nice checking pencils and that you might be able to write with them as well.

Does anyone else have any ideas?

Banned Books Week.

2005-09-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

The publicity that this gets in the United States these days is getting better every year, but did you know that it is Banned Books Week? And did you know that some serious pencil heroes are frequently on the list of banned authors? We'll just mention two: Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck.

Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea, and In Our Time are all on the list of the top 20th century American novels (even though the last one is really a short story collection). The first three have been challenged or banned in the United States, because characters drink, shoot each other and promiscuously sleep around. While it is certainly one's prerogative to boycott these works and to forbid one's children from reading them, it is no one's right in a country with free speech to ban them for the rest of us, to decide what's fit or decent for everyone else to read. Perhaps it's idealistic, overly academic or politcally callous to declare, but banning books in the United State is just a contradiction of the entire idea of freedom of speech.

Picture a world without the novels of John Steinbeck, for instance -- another pencil user whose works have been challenged or banned in this country, most notably The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men. Would we really presume to tell everyone else what they can and cannot read, as if we have the ultimate moral perspective and know what is best for all of our fellow citizens?

True, any connection between these banned authors and the pencils that they used to create their contraversial and, some would say revolutionary, books is tenuous or symbolic at best. But just imagine that the books these writers are most known for were written with ordinary pencils. We all certainly have pencils, as well as paper (or walls) to write on. Combine these with a true freedom of speech, and there's little to stop us all from writing great novels, poems, essays or short stories. And the more revolutionary, the better.

Pencil degrees.

2005-09-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Several folks have asked us to post something about pencil degrees, especially since those of us in the United States have pencils which have plain numbers to write with, while we have confusing degrees on our art pencils and drafting pencils. We have some terrific articles to link to which explain the various hardnesses and softnesses of pencils extremely well, so we will not try to out-do them, which would probably be impossible.

Here is a great piece from the Pig Pog Creativity Wiki on pencil hardness:

"In the UK, and (I think) most of Europe, pencils are always labelled with one scale - H for Hard, or B for soft, with a number to say how hard or soft. HB is the middle of the range, and by far the most common type. For sketching, though, a softer lead is usually preferred, often 2B or even 4B. For more technical drawing or very light lines, a harder lead works better, like a 2H. The scale goes up to 9 at each end - 9B to 9H, with the extreme ends of the scale being a bit too extreme for most uses.

Sometimes, you'll also find an F pencil - Firm - between the HB and the H (the 1 is missed off).

The US usually follows the UK system for drawing pencils, but for office use commonly refers to HB as #2. "

And Doug Martin has a great article about pencil grades as well, which explains the American system and the strange fractions and decimals we find on this side of the Atlantic:

"At the same time, a number-only system was in use, particulary in the U.S., which is still in use. The table below indicates approximate equivalents between the two systems:

#1 --- B
#2 --- HB
#2½ --- F
#3 --- H
#4 --- 2H

The common #2, or HB grade pencil in the middle of the range, is considered to be the preferred grade for general purpose writing. Harder pencils are most often used for drafting purposes, while softer grades are usually preferred by artists.

American-made pencils can often be found with numerically equivalent designations of 2-1/2, 2-4/8, 2-5/10, and 2.5, representing the same grade, but introduced by different manufacturers to distinguish their products and to avoid patent lawsuits.

It should be noted that no 'official' standard for pencil grades has ever been adopted, and the designations are still somewhat arbitrary and not always consistent from one manufacturer to the next."

While it can be confusing -- and even frustrating -- when pencil manufacturers cannot find some single standard, even within their own product lines, it does allow for wonderous variety. I personally have an army of HB pencils that vary from ink-dark for creative writing to relatively light-marking pencils for writing in books. With nineteen (or more) grades to choose from, dozens of manufacturers producings multiple models, it is certainly possible to find a pencil for every use.

Or, at least, we can get pretty close. And looking for the perfect pencil for writing our grocery lists or dissertations on world peace is really part of the fun, anyway, no?

"Stop and Smell What?"

2005-09-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

The roses, among other things. Ruby writes about taking the time to enjoy little things that go too often ignored:

"In this fast-paced rat race which we have obligingly enlisted ourselves (hey, some of us even took postgraduate degrees for added 'speed'), we hardly realize we have gotten hopelessly caught in the constant blur of the panic. It has become part of our lives."

"Do you remember the smell of a newly sharpened pencil? All that keyboard tapping, those colorful gel and felt-tip sign pens, why use pencils, right? Well, next time you’re at the bookstore, pick up a sharpened pencil and give it a good whiff. Ahh, nostalgia."

When we think of things that we check out when we slow down, why is it that we tend to think of pencils? Because they are worth the extra time, like French press coffee, or is it something more?

[Image J.G. 2005.]

Draw Daily.

2005-09-27T07:40:00.000-05:00

Joyce Cole drew this great pencil and sharpener for an Everyday Matters challenge:

"I love office supplies! Just drop me off at Office Max and I am a happy camper -- reams and reams of paper! pencils drafting supplies, envelopes, binders, tags, tacks, glue and markers.....
.....so many tools just waiting for me to come along and make make something!"

I think a lot of us feel the same way, especially about Office Max. They have a great selection of pencils (usually all three Mirado flavors and sometimes some Grip 2001s). Staples, in our experience, carries some nice Staedtler gear, tucked in with the drafting supplies.

Visit Joyce's blog, Draw Daily, for some daily food for the soul.

[Image, Draw Daily, used with kind permission.]

Ink Tracks.

2005-09-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

Nita in New Hampshire, the author of Ink Tracks, drew one of our favorite sharpeners, the KUM metal wedge, for an Everyday Matters challenge:

I was delaying this challenge until I had time to do my shiny multi-part Saladmaster grating machine, then I saw the pencil sharpener and clips on my desk at work and decided to get it over with!

HB pencil on Aquabee SuperDeluxe paper. I'm resisting adding color!

Visit Nita's blog for more of her fantastic drawings!

[Image, Ink Tracks, used with kind permission.]

Antique pencil sharpeners.

2005-09-23T10:11:00.000-05:00

Fans of Henry Petroski's The Pencil most likely the remember the chapter on pencil sharpeners and how we can now use tiny metal doo-dads, hand-cranked gadgets and electrical appliances to sharpen our pencils. There is a great page the the Early Office Museum with some excellent photos of antique pencil sharpeners and on the history of the mechanical pencil sharpener:

Antique mechanical pencil sharpeners can be divided into three categories based on the cutting medium or mechanism. Some machines rely on abrasive media such as sandpaper or a steel file. Other machines use a steel milling cutter with multiple raised cutting edges. Yet other machines use from one to a dozen or more blades. A few used two of these methods. For example, the 1900 Challenge pencil sharpener simultaneously used a blade to cut the wood and sandpaper to sharpen the lead.

Be sure to click the links at the top for even more information from this treasure trove of sharpener lore. And the Museum Store even has some vintage sharpeners for sale!

This link was sent to us by Nuno in Estoril, Portugal. View some of Nuno's pencil photos here. Muito obrigado, Nuno!

[Image, Early Office Museum.]

Newellization.

2005-09-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Talking with a new gent in my department last week, the topic of pencils came up. Turns out that he loved Mirado Black Warriors as a student but hadn't used them in years. He was taking notes with an Eberhard Faber American Naturals pencil, which is of course no longer produced but is the PaperMate American Natural now. We were talking about the demise of certain beloved pencil models, and I gave him a PaperMate Mirado Black Warrior, shiny and new, from my pencil cup. His reaction was, "What is this thing?" because the PaperMate hearts just ruined his favorite pencil. I saw him a week later and asked if he had sharpened the Black Warrior I had given him yet, and he said he in fact hadn't. I don't think he really liked it anymore with the hearts on it.

Woodchuck has a great post at Timberlines about the acquisitions of Newell Rubbermade of several brands of writing instruments and art supplies in recent decades. At first, I was glad that Newell bought some brands from Gillette (who at the time tested on animals) and decided to sell them under Sanford (who does not test on animals). If you're concerned about animal testing, this must have been good news to you, too.

There have been some nice improvements. The PaperMate Flair has a better tip, and the classic Write Bros. pens are clear, come with grip options and have much better ink and more colors now. Prismacolor has been revamped a bit, and Parker makes gel refills now -- not to mention the veritable revolution in the Sharpie line recently.

But there are some downsides that weigh heavily against the positives. Gone are Mongols (at least in the US), the Blackwing 602, and some nice pencil models were relegated to being the budget models sold under the PaperMate brand, like the poor American Natural.

But what I find more pervasively strange than the ups and downs of the Newellization of some of my favorite pencil gear, is just the weirdness of the changes. My beloved Pink Pearl says "PaperMate" on it and is sold with children's erasers called Foohy. The Mirado pencils I personally love have the same name on them as pens that sell for $0.50 for a pack of ten at some stores, and the PaperMate logo itself has been changed (though I do really like the new lettering). The (formerly) Eberhard Faber Design pencils that I learned to draw with long ago have no cap on them anymore. As my colleague shows, small things like the addition of vertical hearts can cause an aversion to a beloved writing instrument like the Black Warrior.

It just goes to show how we get attached to our tools and that small changes like the addition of hearts or a different name on an eraser can jolt the way we look at them, at times to the point where we look for something different.

The Revolution is not passing judgment on the Newellization of some brands. If nothing else, being acquired by a large company might be good for some products, which might become easier to get. I've noticed that I can find Mirado Classic pencils any and every where now, which is not something I could always claim. But we'll have to see what happens to the quality of the pencils and pencil gear.

Seattle/Tacoma.

2005-09-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Mr. Mark Givens of Mungbeing sent us some great photos that his wife Berit took in the Seattle/Tacoma airport in 2003. The sculptures are amazing in themselves, and I think it's safe to say that the photos are equally well-done. Please view the full-size images by clicking the thumbnails.

Information about the art exhibits at the Sea-Tac airport can be found on the web, as well as information about rotating exhibits.

Many many thanks to Mark and Berit for sharing their own airwork in the form of photos with us at the Revolution!

[Photos, Mrs. Berit Givens, 2003. Used with kind permission.]

Pencil carvings.

2005-09-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Due to very popular demand, here are some beautiful Japanese pencil carvings from the JAD project. They are produced by Mizuta Tasogare and Kato Jado, and you can view several of these gems via this page (click the links in the text). Some of these pieces were entered into "the 11th 'Hands Taisho' contest held anually in winter by Tokyu-Hands" where they won the "Planning Prize." All of them are simply amazing, and you can still use the pencils to write or draw with!

Thanks to everyone who sent us this link and the myriad others we've posted or will post! Keep them coming! :^)

[Images JAD Project.]

Review of California Republic Palomino.

2005-09-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, I tried a pencil that I had not seen before and with whose brand I was unfamiliar. It came in a hard plastic box, with five others like it. The paint looked so thick and perfect that I almost didn't want to open the box. Ever since I did, some other pencils that I used to love seem poor and have fallen by the wayside.

Before I gush more, the technical information:
Shape: Hexagonal.
Finish: Extremely thick, highly pigmented lacquer.
End cap: Matching cap with a gold band perpendicular to the pencil core.
Core: HB (#2) graphite.
Markings: Gold Foil. “California Republic PALOMINO”
Packaging: Half-dozen, hard plastic clear packages.
Origin: Premium quality California Incense Cedar; manufactured in Japan by a highly-respected pencil maker.
Availability: In the US, only through the Pencil World Creativity Store presently.

The first thing that you will notice about the Palomino is the finish. The lacquer is so thick that you can see the multiple layers around the sharpened end where the painted wood and naked wood meet. The color intensity and smoothness equal those of a brand new Mustang. To boot, it's a durable finish. Rattling around in a wooden pencil box with two metal sharpeners and some German pencils, it shows no marks at all, while some of the other pencils are scratched up from the sharpeners. The paint is thick, buttery and flawless.

Next, you might notice the smell. Yup, that's premium quality Incense Cedar, the finest grade of the finest pencil wood you are going to find. Period.

Maybe the nicely shaped factory sharpening is not to your liking. Maybe you want a longer or shorter point. Sharpening is a breeze, because premium cedar means the straightest grain, for one thing. But be careful not to melt away your precious pencil! I never sharpen these with anything whose blade I can't carefully see, lest I sharpen away these treasures.

Writing with this pencil would convert a hard-core pen user. My wife uses gel pens often, and she remarked that the Palomino was as smooth to use as a pen, even a gel pen. The line this pencil produces glides onto the paper like cake icing. Smearing is totally non-existent, but erasing is still easy and complete. While the core is already in a class by itself, the darkness of the line is the real pinnacle of the core, and it matches the intensity of the lacquer. I wrote a note to myself recently with one of these pencils, and I mistook it for ink, from the density of the lines. In fact, the cores are soft enough and dark enough to do some sketching with them, even if you are accustomed to a softer lead than HB. I rarely ever use anything harder than a 4B, but sketching is possible with the HB Palomino. (See Palomino sketches here and here.)

The lack of eraser might discourage some American users, but the perfectly rounded end cap more than makes up for having to carry a separate eraser. And you can easily chew on it, if you are a recent pen convert and new to the Revolution.

The only downside of this pencil was the non-availability of it in the United States.

So we are extremely pleased to herald the opening of the Pencil World Creativity Store! From the people who brought us the Forest Choice pencil, we have the line of California Republic Stationers. I have been wanting to review these fine pencils for a few weeks now, but I could not do it in good conscience without knowing that the good people of the Revolution could get their hands on some of these wonderful instruments. How exceptional the Palomino pencils are is good enough news -- that some people still care about making quality pencils.

The equally good news is that the People can purchase the Palominos online, along with other pencils in the California Republic line, such as the extremely choice Golden Bear and artist quality colored pencils. We plan on reviewing the other California Republic products in the future.

And we would be very very happy to hear what folks who try the Palominos think.

Green pencils.

2005-09-15T06:45:00.000-05:00

It's a nice trend in the pencil world that we're thinking of the environment, especially since the pencil trade all but killed off the eastern red cedar (juniperus virginiana) that grows in the southeastern United States long ago. Some of our favorite pencils are environmentally friendly, especially the inimitable Forest Choice pencil. Armand shared these links with us:

These are pencils made from recycled denim. To boot, "they are made out of 20-33% recycled blue denim jeans that have been ground up. The rest is the recycled post-consumer paper. To complete the blue theme, they have a blue eraser and a pewter blue ferrule." You can buy them from Green Earth Office Supply. Treehugger also tells us about pencils made of recycled money, which are not as expensive as their material would make them sound.

From the Eden Project Store, we have all sorts of nice stationary, including colored pencils made from well-managed wood and writing pencils made of recycled vending cups -- one cup for each pencil. Yup, all my trips to Starbucks waste pencils, it seems, in a way.

If anyone has had the chance to try these cool products, we'd love to hear how you like them.

[Photo, Eden Project Store.]

Sorry.

2005-09-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

We'll be back tomorrow (Thursday). Things have come up which have prevented us from posting today. But there will be a review of some great pencils Friday, with an announcement to make any pencil lover happy!

Robb Scott Drawings.

2005-09-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

"The Mirage"

We have recently been fortunate enough to experience some work from pencil artist Robb Scott. Jeff wrote in to tell us about Robb's drawings. Jeff says, "Everyone that sees them thinks they are black and white photos....when he sells on the waterfront in the summer, he's actually had to put of a sign that says 'These are not photographs, but pencil drawings'....he's quite amazing." He most certainly is!

"The attention garnered by the artwork of Nova Scotian artist Robb Scott has spread from one side of the globe to the other. International recognition from Japan, Russia, Britain and the United States have raised Robb's profile from struggling young artist, to one of the most promising artists today. A mix of patience, technical ability and a desire for self-expression all go into the making of a Robb Scott drawing."

It turns out that some of the drawings take more than two hundred hours (!!) to complete. If you think that's phenomenal, you should take a look at more of Robb's drawings in the gallery, including some new full-color drawings. Robb even has tips for aspiring artists on his site, and it's sent me to my sketch book with some soft pencils to sketch a little myself recently. The detailed life-like-ness of Robb's drawings is truly inspiring.

[Images copyright Robb Scott, used with kind permission.]

Revolutionary photos.

2005-09-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to announce the arrival of the Pencil Revolution group on Flickr, started because of some good advice from a friend and blogging champion.

In case you are not sure what Flickr is, it is a place where one can upload one's photos to the internet and then share them with other people. Flickr Groups are communities that one joins and can then participate in the group photo pool. Photos submitted to the pool are still part of one's own photostream. The pool is really a grouping, not any sort of proprietary selection. You keep the right to edit, delete and own your photos.

For the time being, membership is open to anyone with a Flickr account, and these accounts are both free and easy to set up. All you have to do is sign up, sign in, and join up.

Let's stick to photos that are actually pencil-themed: ones that are of pencils or related pencil gear, of sketches or finished work done in pencil, etc. Let's not include photos of fountain pens and vintage Mustangs. There are tons of other pools for that.

Fine Print: Anyone engaging in hate speech, pornography, posting photos to the pool that have nothing to do with pencils or generally being a jerk to other members in the group will have his or her membership in the Pencil Revolution Flickr group cancelled without warning. We have no intention to censor things, so please use your best judgment.

Review of KUM metal wedge sharpener.

2005-09-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Kum Wedge.

This is our first review of a sharpener, and this is the sharpener that I currently always have in my pocket. Several people have asked me lately what kind of sharpener I would recommend to them for sharpening quality pencils, so I thought a review of a sharpener (finally!) would be highly appropriate. There are many brands who make the exact (almost) same sharpener, but we are going to stick to this one for today. Just as there are many subtle differences and not-to-subtle differences between different brands of hexagonal yellow pencils, there are, too, such variations on the metal wedge theme.

I have not been able to find this model for sale online, but here is some information about it, in case you can locate it in a local shop. I found them at Plaza Artist Supply in Towson, Maryland, where I stock up on them whenever I am on the East Coast. Rumor has it that KUM New York will sometimes sell to individual customers, and we'll be sure to ammend if we find out for sure.

Technical Information
Type: Blade.
Material: Magnesium-alloy.
Shavings Receptacle: None.
Point Type: Medium.
Markings: "KUM Precision" (blade); "KUM Made in Germany" (body).
Place of Manufacture: Germany.
Availability: Physical shops, i.e., real stores; possibly from KUM New York (?).

Kum wedge point.

This little gadget is a powerhouse! Not only is it light, durable, compact and comfortable to hold; it sharpens hard and soft pencils alike to a terrific point. As you can see from the photo, the point you can get with this sharpener is somewhere between the very short "factory point" and what KUM calls a "long point." As such, you can really use this sharpener for both art pencils and writing pencils, since you can carefully stop sharpening once you have the point you want. If you push the sharpener to its apex, you can achieve an extremely sharp point, albeit one that is likely to be too short for drafting or engineering purposes.

Performing the actual sharpening is a breeze, resulting in a fluid motion whereby long strands of pencil shavings fall into the trash can or coffee cup saucer (a la Hemingway) in various geometric designs. Of couse, one of the drawbacks of this sharpener is that it does not have an on-board receptacle for shavings. But one of the advantages is that you can see the point as you are sharpening it, so you know when you've achieved your desired point. Even if you do mind that this sharpener makes a mess, that gentle cedar smell wafting from the fresh -- and very smooth and clean -- cut makes it all worth it.

What makes the KUM model different from some of the others I have tried is the smoothness and ease of sharpening, and the perfectly-designed hole that keeps the leads both centered and safe during sharpening. You will not need a lot of effort or pressure to use this little powerhouse. And, to boot, the blades last longer than one is likely to be able to hold onto this sharpener. Being small, they tend to get lost, so I have yet to actually wear out the blades on one myself. And the brand-new blades do not show any noticeable difference in performance than ones that have sharpened dozens of pencils. The KUM wedge is definitely a nice companion for premium quality pencils.

As for availability, we will keep the Revolution posted about places one can purchase these, if we can locate an online source. But I suspect that these little guys are easier to find in art shops than I think, along with other nice sharpeners that are hard to find online. So it can't hurt to check your local art supplier.

[Photos copyright J.G. 2005.]

FiftyTwoThousand.

2005-09-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

"Cabinetmaker"

"I'd rather create a one-liner than infuse my work with intentional ambiguity," writes designer Mark Moskovitz about his piece, "Cabinetmaker."

He tells us:

"I've always been a big fan of simple, chunky objects that work well and have more than one purpose. For a carpenter, these pencils are more than just a pencil, they're a tool, including jamming a saw guard, a scribe, and many more uses. I just wanted to pay a small homage to a 'free' object I like a lot. I can't resist a visual pun."

Check out more of Mark's work at his site, FiftyTwoThousand.com. Be sure to check out the Writer's Cabin (under Bio), a creation that would make Thoreau proud.

[Image and quotation Mark Moskovitz, used with permission of the artist.]

Tom Friedman.

2005-09-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Untitled, 1995
pencils
11 inches x 14 inches x 11 inches*
Photo by Oren Slor, courtesy of Feature Inc., New York City
*A continuous loop of sections of pencils

Amy sent in this link to sculptures by artist Tom Friedman which are actually made from pencils. One made of shavings can be viewed here. Thanks, Amy!

[Image by Oren Slor, courtesy of Feature Inc. Artwork by Tom Friedman, all rights reserved ©1996.]

Highlighting pencils.

2005-09-06T07:44:00.000-05:00

We have been looking for highlighting pencils at the Revolution, only to find out that Faber-Castell no longer makes their dry textliners. You can still find some on eBay, but that's all you're going to find as far as we can tell. Here they are in yellow and in pink.

Levenger used to sell something similar, but now all they have are these mechanical versions, which are nice but are not the wood we're looking for.

On the other hand, Lyra is selling something very similar, pictured above. Here is the availability we can find for these, with the second site being in German. At Pen City. At Schulanfang.

If anyone knows of other wooden dry highlighters (especially if one can get them online), please let us know!

Cliff Clavin and Dixon.

2005-09-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Seems there was a program on television lately about companies that have not out-sourced much of their production and still make their gear in the USA, including the Dixon Ticonderoga company. The show is called "Made in America." Seeing as how I'm sitting here chewing on a Tri-Write, I wish I could have caught it.

Making pencils (and other products) over-seas is a hot topic, certainly, but we pass no judgment here at Pencil Revolution. There are certainly foreign-made pencils that are much better than some American pencils, and vice versa. We've found both gems and junk from the US, from Europe and from Asia.

Still, given that making pencils in America has always been a part of Dixon's approach and that this approach was certainly instrumental in strengthening the American pencil industry during the first World War (when good German pencils were getting hard to come by), this is still something admirable. The American pencil industry was and is beneficial to the industry as a whole, if for no other reason, then for the mechanizations made standard here.

(Thanks, Armand and Ronin1516 for the link!)

Happy Labor Day!

Two more pencil buildings.

2005-09-02T09:14:00.000-05:00

Halib sends us information about "Le Crayon" in Lyons, France: "Here is another 'pencil building'....The "Crédit Lyonnais" tower in the Part Dieu neoghbourhood of Lyon, France. Its local nickname is 'Le crayon', the pencil." (View original photo here.)

And Luca writes in: "Hi, Just to let you know that in Genova (Italy) there is a Building called 'Matitone;' that means 'big pencil'. (View original image here.)

Many thanks to Halib and Luca and everyone else who sends us suggestions and posts. Keep 'em coming!

[Photos copyright Coolfrog and Foto.It.]

Loftgeeks.

2005-09-02T08:35:00.000-05:00

Rob Harrison of Loftgeeks submitted this post this week:

The more that I type and use my computer, the worse my writing gets with pencils or any other implement. I don't even own a pencil sharpener anymore, and have great difficulty finding pens. Whenever I'm on the phone and say "wait, let me grab a piece of paper" I actually am rushing to my laptop to open NotePad and type up a quick note. Even I can barely understand my own handwritten print, and my cursive is quickly going down the tubes as well. Yet my typing speed has soared over 150 words per minute and since my PDA (a Sony Clie) joined the daily contents of my pocket, the need to write by hand diminishes more rapidly each day. Only my PDA need recognize my attempted scrawls in the Grafiti 2.0 language, and I've begun to handwrite printed letters in the Grafiti style instead of my own. In the digital age, I wonder if pencils are quickly becoming a dying breed and will soon be replaced by smart paper technologies.

We certainly hope not. You'd be amazed at the technology that actually goes into making pencils, from developing non-toxic paint to getting ferrules on more effficiently. There is a veritable plethora of information at Timberlines about pencil manufacturing and the pencil industry, and we cannot recommend our friend Woodchuck enough as a source of amazing information and great pencil stories.

Treasure desk.

2005-09-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

This was sent it this week from Dave in Virginia:

"Greetings -- My Wife was cleaning around a homemade desk that was left in a home we recently purchased and found a box of pencils. The pencils were in pristine condition and never used. We thought it was pretty cool and decided to contact Faber-Castell. They responded quickly:

You have found a very old pencil box. It dates back to about 1860 and was produced by A.W.Faber in Stein near Nuremberg. The combination of pencils in different degrees was a very successful idea of Lothar von Faber, the owner and manager of the factory.

Sincerely

Renate Hilsenbeck, Faber-Castell, Archives

I hope that those who enjoy pencils, enjoy this brief post. Remember, always dig deep in 'empty' drawers, you never know what will turn up.

-Dave -- Richmond,VA"

Thanks are due to Dave, and we certainly encourage The People to send us your stories and pictures. We cannot guarantee that we can publish everything, but we can try.

[Photo copyright Dave N. 2005. Used with permission.]

Pencilmation.

2005-08-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Ross has tons of really cool animations from a pencil-line-drawing slant at his great site, Pencilmation, home of Happy Little Toons. Be sure to check out our favorite toon, "A Sad Swim," which features a soundtrack that reminds us of Wes Anderson's films. Of course, you have to check out "Pencilmation #1" -- the original.

[Screenshot content copyright Russ at Pencilmation, used with permission.]

Rotterdam.

2005-08-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Martine and Max for each sending us information about the Pencil Building in Rotterdam. There is a block of flats in the large city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands called Potlood that is contained in a huge building that looks like a pencil. Max tells us:

"Great blog. This building is called 'Het Potlood' which is Dutch for The Pencil. The Potlood is in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. It is next door to the public library of the city. Het Potlood is an apartment building."

I suddenly want to move to the Netherlands. That building would make a great headquarters for the Revolution.

[Photo from here.]

Blackwing 602 at Ninth Wave Designs.

2005-08-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Lisa at Ninth Wave Designs writes about her beloved Blackwing 602s:

"I began using Blackwing 602 pencils as an art student years ago and have never found another pencil to compare with the richness of the lead. They give a deep dark black without being overly smudgy, and all the silvery range of greys are there too. The feeling that comes to mind is 'smooth' and it is a pleasure to put this pencil to paper." (Read on.)

The Revolution is without Blackwings to speak of and hopes against hope that Sanford will get that ferrule machine fixed or replaced. Maybe if enough members of the Revolution step up and write to Sanford Corp. it might help? It should be obvious to them that the fans of the Blackwing are willing to pay good money for it. Here is their contact info. In my experience, they do actually write back or at least read what people send them. Perhaps this is a job for the power of the Pencil People.

Review of Dixon Ticonderoga Classic.

2005-08-26T08:42:00.000-05:00

Our review today comes from Tom Leininger, a professional writer and photographer based in Lafayette, Indiana. Tom also has a blog on which you can see some of his amazing photos. We know that Tom is a huge fan of the Dixon Ticonderoga, so we asked him if he would review them for the Revolution, and we want to thank Tom at the outset for a great review and wonderful photos.

The technical stuff:
Material: Incense cedar.
Shape: Hexagonal.
Finish: Non-toxic yellow, high gloss.
Ferrule: Dixon's famous green with yellow stripes.
Eraser: Soft pink rubber.
Core: HB (#2) graphite.
Markings: Green Foil. “U.S.A. Dixon Ticonderago 1388-2/HB Soft.”
Packaging: Varies. The box I have had 10 in it. Also available by the dozen and multi-dozen.
Origin: Manufactured in USA of California cedar; Company is based in Heathrow, Fla.

It was not until college that I understood how vital a pencil is to my chosen profession. I was sitting in my first journalism class at Western Kentucky University when the professor said we should always carry a pencil with us. Or, just use pencils all the time. They work in the rain, when ink runs. They work in the cold when ink freezes.

So, I have always had a pencil at hand, I just never really wrote with them all the time, until recently.

Before I found this blog I had been trying to go back to the fountain pen I bought when I was in college. I liked the fact it was messy and pretentious. It must have gotten lost in all of my moves. The disposable ones I tried did not always work. Since most of my writing is done in small notebooks standing up, I needed something simple.

The pencil. It was staring me in the face all along. I always kept one in my car, for when it rained or was extremely cold. I thought this might be what I am looking for.

So, I grabbed a generic one from the drawer at work, but was disappointed. A couple of people mentioned the Pilot G2 mechanical, which I tried. These let me down.

Coming home one day I found the rather patriotic box of Dixon Ticonderogas sitting on the desk. My wife, a former first grade teacher, said they were best for her kids. “I know you are reading about pencils,” she said with a smirk. “They are the best.”

So I sharpened one to a nice point. Unlike the mechanical one, the lead does not break easily. With pencils and keyboards, I am a little on the rough side. It works well writing in small notebooks standing up, or crouching down on the ground.

I gave one to a pencil wielding editor at the newspaper I work at. Maybe it is even better when used at a desk. “It’s a good pencil,” he said. It required one sharpening for a days worth of work. The generic he had been using needed to be sharpened every five minutes. He also noted that pencil has a more rounded feel to it. It does not leave creases in your hand.

“Another thing about that stupid pencil,” he said leaving the office. “It is strong and does not break.”

I have realized it can’t write on everything. My hand or checks to be cashed for example, At times it is not always easy to carry. These would be the biggest drawback to the wooden pencil.

Most of the time I will tuck it behind my ear, leading to the phantom pencil syndrome. At the end of the day, I still think it is behind my ear when alas, it is not. Luckily, it tucks into my Newswear chest vest and Mountainsmith Tour lumbar bag easily.

I do wish it came in a size that would fit a shirt pocket well. Sharpening is a breeze. The point is solid. They taste like wood. The eraser works well. And they can write on napkins. What more could one ask for? For one thing, these are right handed pencils, I am left-handed. So, all of the printing is upside down when I am writing.

The Dixon Ticonderoga has earned a spot in my kit. That is saying a lot, since I am kind of picky.

[All photos and text copyright T. Leininger 2005.]

Bigger and bigger.

2005-08-25T08:36:00.000-05:00

From the ever-informative Timberlines:

"Those of us in the pencil industry are all quite proud of the origins and traditions of our companies. Many of us like to tell our historical tale of product innovation and organizational development. A number of us even claim to have produced the world’s '___est' pencil. Pick your adjective."

(Read on.)

The Machine In the Wetland.

2005-08-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

"The Machine in the Wetland: Re-imagining Thoreau's Plumbago-Grinder."

We pencil aficionados are usually at least moderately aware that Henry David Thoreau contributed to American pencil manufacturing in significant ways and that this is funny, considering how much he often loathed material culture. But we might not all know about the details. For instance, did you know that Thoreau actually invented a machine to ground graphite finer than other pencil manufacturers? Now you do!

Dalton Ghetti.

2005-08-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Dalton Ghetti carves sculptures out of the points of pencils, literally. This is amazing work that you should definitely check out.

"At school Dalton always sharpened pencils by hand, and would sometimes peel the paint from the pencil and carve intricate designs into the wood. He noticed that a good blade cuts through both the wood and through the graphite, leaving behind a nice flat and shiny surface. He began working on them until they were perfectly round and cone shaped, then removed more wood as the graphite started to become part of the carvings. He had found the perfect material for his miniature sculptures."

(Thanks for the link, Hans!)

[Image copyright D. Ghetti.]

Spine.

2005-08-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

"CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Ordinary materials – from paper cups and pencil stubs to tires, twist ties and playing cards – are transformed into extraordinary art in a new exhibition at the University of Illinois’ Krannert Art Museum."
Read on.

(Thanks for the link, Hans!)

[Image copyright J. Maestre 2000.]

Review of PaperMate American Naturals.

2005-08-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Personally, I have always been a sucker for pencils, but I really got interested in them last summer after reading Hemingway's A Moveable Feast and Walter Harding's biography of Henry David Thoreau, The Days of Henry Thoreau. I immediately got the urge to write with some graphite. There were some junky yellow pencils around the apartment, but I wanted something nicer and not yellow. So I popped out to the shop and picked up a dozen Papermate American Naturals pencils, because I liked the lack of a finish on the wood and the blue foil lettering. So it is only natural that this review comes next.

The technical stuff:
Material: Some non-cedar, white wood that smells like grade school.
Shape: Hexagonal.
Finish: Unfinished.
Ferrule: Plain metal.
Eraser: Pink vinyl.
Core: HB (#2) graphite. Ceramic, non-waxed.
Markings: Blue Foil. “PAPERMATE AMERICAN NATURALS.”
Packaging: Varies. Usually a cardboard box of ten or a dozen. Also avaiable in twelve dozen (one gross) boxes.
Origin: Jelutong (or Pulai, similar species; both grow in Indonesia), manufactured in Lewisburg, Tennessee, USA.
Availability: Widely available in office supply stores and online. Office Max is your best bet.

Considering that the target market for this pencil is "children and schools" and that some companies seem to (for some reason) market junk to kids for pencils, these pencils are a pretty nice find. The core is dark, and as my friend Dan in Baltimore puts it, "They feel right in your hand." The plain wood, blue letters and plain ferrule combine to make one attractive pencil. The sanding is not as smooth as some unfinished pencils, but it is made up for by the fact that you can get a serious grip on this pencil. Whether you are sweating or whether you just ate half of a pizza, the raw wood will stay put in your paw. I've done some long writing with these, and they work just fine. Sharpening is smooth and clean, almost as much as cedar.

The two major drawbacks of this pencil are the smeariness of the core and the terrible eraser. While considerably dark, the core tends to smear onto your hands, the opposite page, and anything else that comes near it. While pencil marks will last until you actually erase them, this is not always so with this graphite. It is also considerably brittle and dry and almost feels like charcoal at times. The eraser is probably the worst pencil eraser I have ever tried to use. It is billed as being smear-proof, but all it really does is smear the graphite around the page and make a mess of itself. Of course, one could object that this is because the core smears. But I tested erasing the markings of this pencil with a nice Pink Pearl, and it did just fine. Similary, I erased some Forest Ch oice with the eraser, and it made the same mess, which we know is not from the Forest Choice core.

However, for the price ($1-2) a dozen and the ease of available, American Natural s are still pretty good pencils, largely because of the finish. I tend to like them for putting behind my ear while reading a novel or running around the library, and I almost never read Hemingway's more adventuresome novels without an American Naturals pencil behind my ear or between my teeth.

[Photos copyright John 2005.]

Jefferson: hella meta.

2005-08-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

This comes via Journalismo, via 43 Folders:

"Among his collection of pocket-sized devices were scales, drawing instruments, a thermometer, a surveying compass, a level, and even a globe. To record all these measurements, Jefferson carried a small ivory notebook (pictured) on which he could write in pencil. Back in his Cabinet, or office, he later copied the information into any of seven books in which he kept records about his garden, farms, finances, and other concerns; he then erased the writing in the ivory notebook."

Read more.

I really thought I read somewhere that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence using a pencil and then went over it in ink, but I cannot find anything to prove this one way or the other. Does anyone know anything about this?

[Photo copyright Monticello(?).]

At One Remove.

2005-08-16T01:29:00.000-05:00

From At One Remove:

"Mars Lumograph EE. Great pencil. Discontinued. Why do they do this? Last remaining stub. The tonal range would put a silverprint to shame, with a dmax darker than charcoal. The EB version at least, is still sold as 8B. Why did Staedtler make this pencil?"

[Photo copyright AOR.]

Timberlines.

2005-08-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

We'd like to welcome to the Revolution our friend Woodchuck at Timberlines. Woodchuck comes from honest-to-goodness Pencil Royalty (the only kind allowed in a Revolution). His great- grandfather was the legendary Heinrich Berolzheimer, who immigrated to the United States after 40 years of pencil making in Germany. Heinrich "founded the Eagle Pencil Company, which introduced the famous Eagle and Mirado brands." It was Woodchuck's grandfather Charles who ventured west to bring us CalCedar. Royalty indeed!

To boot, Woodchuck is the President of California Cedar Products Company, the manufacturer of Forest Choice pencils. And, despite his position otherwise, he seems to us to possess considerable artistic talent, which we certainly hope he will continue to share with the readers of his new blog.

And it turns out that we each played a rol e in the birth of one another's blogs. The timing of the births of The Revolution and Timberlines could not be more fortuitous.

In only a week, we already have some great posts from Woodchuck about pencils and the pencil manufacturing world. Here is a post about pencil certification, and here is another highlighting the ways in which we use pencils. To be sure, Woodchuck is an ambitious blogger and is as passionate about pencils are we are -- maybe even more so! And we are lucky to be have such a great source of not only information, but also a source of inspiration in our own pencil adventures.