Our Comrade at Ninth Wave Designs writes about her quest for the perfect pencil, a hybrid of several great pencils around presently:

“I have been piecing together the perfect pencil in my mind lately, exhuming the parts from the assortment of good pencils I regularly use to create the ultimate writing tool.  In order to create the perfect all-around pencil I first need to harvest a few parts.  My goal here is a pencil that would be highly functional for day-to-day use, comfortable for writing for longer periods of time, and not too specialized (i.e., it doesn’t also have to be the best sketching pencil)…

….I don’t expect I will ever find a pencil that possesses all the qualities I have stitched together here, but it is fun to dream of the perfect pencil. In reality what is perfect would vary from person to person and job to job, so it would be impossible to accomplish this for everyone.  Until my Frankenpencil is given life by a pencil manufacturer (It’s alive, it’s aliiiiiive!), I will just have to be happy with the variety of pencils I have on hand.”

Read the rest of the post here.

[Images and text, N.W.D.  Used with kind permission.]

But we hit the 100,000 visit mark over the weekend, on Sunday! That’s a tenth of a million Comrades since the end of July. Thanks to all People who spread the Word of the pencil and our Revolution! This is a sign of how devoted to the pencil are the People of this Revolution.

And to whomever searched for information about something pencil-ish in Russellville, Arkansas (where my friend and colleague is from) at Arkansas Tech University and wound up here as the 100,000th visitor, Congratulations! You can claim your prize if you contact us with what you searched for, so we know it’s you:)

We’ve added a “Contact” form, linked to in the sidebar. The email link had to be taken down due to dozens and dozens of spam messages clogging up the mailbox. Hopefully, this will work a little better for everyone.

Finally, I hope the new theme works better in folks’ browsers and that it’s easier to read than the other Wordpress theme. It’s much more akin to the Blogger version we had. And much more pencilicious.

[Image, J.G.]

Our Comrade Bemsha in Japan has some great photos of his pencils, among which ranks the GRIP 2001 HB:

“After trying out fountain, ballpoint, and rollerball pens with Moleskine notebooks, my current and favourite choice is the Grip 2001 pencil from Faber-Castell.

My gratitude goes out to the Pencil Revolution website, which helped me rediscover the pencil in general as being the most reliable writing instrument - the ink in pens may run out or get clogged or leak, but with a pencil you’re sure the first letter you write will come out clear.

Among the five degrees of lead hardness in the Grip 2001 collection, my favorite is HB. I’ve used both B and H Grip 2001 pencils as well - B produces a dark firm line but in my case they tend to smear and create grey mists in my Moleskine after awhile when two pages written in pencil are stuck together (perhaps this won’t be much of a problem when you’re drawing a picture in the Moleskine sketch book); with H the pages remain clean but the letters look thin and faint, thus making it slightly hard to read the written words.

The Grip 2001 pencil is light in weight compared to most other pencils, and its triangular shape makes it comfortable to hold.

And it’s pleasant to the eye as well - just like the Moleskine.”

Check out more of his photos on Flickr, and his site here.

[Images, text, Songlines. Used with very kind permission.]

This is from Eliot at Drifting Whims:

I attached a pic of my pencil keeper in the garage. Of the “beat-em-up” varietal, I am particularly fond of the ones that write with almost a waxy feeling from the “graphite” being so cheap. Like the Empire Gold Seal #2 shown below. It can write on anything and show up really well, even cast iron or dark Mahogany. It leaves a mirror finish to it’s markings, so that they reflect the shop light really well so I can see where I am cutting or grinding. But I would never do anything of great importance with them.

Although adept at cleaning my mistakes, my favorite attribute of the pencil is it’s ability to scribe my thoughts at any angle. I am heading to the couch for some doodling while I lay back and watch a movie. No fountain instrument would last more than a sentence where we are going.

Engineering the pencil for the flybox:

I drilled a small hole in the metal banding through which I threaded a twist tie. It creates a firm loop that allows the pencil to hang from a substantial fly like the Stonefly nymph it is currently attached to. When I open the fly box while standing in knee deep water I am not afraid of losing my journalling companion.

[Text and images, D.W. Used with permission.]

David sent us a great article about carpenter pencils:

Comrades, it seems to me that the Revolution has been a little silent on an important front, namely carpenters pencils, which even today still quietly carry out their traditional function in the workplace. I thought that these photographs and a few words might inspire some Revolutionary activity around carpenters pencils. As an engineer, I am perhaps the black sheep of my wood-working family –- son of a boat-builder, nephew of a wood-turner, brother of a carpenter, etc. Architects, engineers, inventors and the like have increasingly turned away from graphite, conducting their business on computer screens, but when it comes to actually making their designs a physical reality, the pencil still plays its important role. Whether you can see the marks or not, there’s every chance that your house and furniture, some of your most important possessions, were marked with pencils by the people who made them.

The photograph above is of a couple of my father’s old pencils; they’re at least 30 years old. Sharpening is of the “rough and ready” kind, usually done with a chisel. You can tell that my dad’s an old school type of craftsman: don’t throw your pencil away until its far too short to actually hold; the saw is fine Philadelphian steel engraved that its properties “…can not be Excelled,” and the ruler is in inches. He works in inches, his children work in millimeters but know inches.  His grandchildren don’t even know what an inch is. For those of you not familiar with the ways of the wood, the “vee” mark drawn against the pencil line indicates which side of the line you should cut with the saw, to leave the wood the correct length.

Modern carpenters pencils here in New Zealand seem to come in grades hard, medium and soft, and cost about US$1 retail for a name brand like these Rexell’s, and US 80 cents for a “no-name generic” pencil with absolutely no markings whatsoever. But “trade” and “volume” discounts could easily be in the 50 – 90% range. They have a rectangular core, which allows sharp or wide lines to always be drawn by simply turning the pencil through 90 degrees. Of course the rectangular body is to stop your pencil rolling or blowing away when you put it down. So that’s my carpenter pencil primer. Over to you!

[Text and images, D.P.  Used with permission.]

This comes from Comrade Ashley:
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.]

This review is by Alex Melillo in Italy. Grazie, Alex!

Material: Really don’t know, looks like cedar and smells good.
Shape: Triangular with rounded edges.
Finish: Black and Yellow stripes, a traditional Staedtler finish.
Ferrule: None.
Eraser: None.
Core: Unknown; feels between HB and B graphite.
Markings: E4 (engraved) STAEDTLER triplus (in golden letters) and, on
another side, Art.Nr.119 and a codebar, in white.
Packaging: Varies. Often unpackaged/open stock.
Origin: Made in Germany.
Availability: In Italy in office stores and stationer’s shops.

Ten minutes. It’s all I had to wait to fall in love with this pencil: Staedtler Triplus. Actually, Staedtler has a whole range of items labeled “Triplus”, and most of them aren’t even pencils; there are mechanical pencils, pens, markers — all sharing the very same attribute: their cross section. Just like the well known Dixon Tri-Conderoga, the Triplus section is triangular with very comfortable rounded edges allowing a good grip without effort. Writing with it cannot be tiring or annoying; it’s a pleasure to hold it for long stretches of time. It’s good to have one for technical drawing as well, because its firm grip helps in tracing sharp straight lines. The Staedtler Triplus is 10 mm wide and 170mm long, showing a 4 mm lead which is of an unknown hardness. In fact, there isn’t any visible label to show it. To be honest, on the Staedtler homepage the Triplus pencil doesn’t even exist…but the pencil is labeled as art.nr.119, so that they *must* have classified it! The feeling is that of a B lead, pretty black and soft enough, but I wouldn’t swear it, as it could be a harder lead as well and have a softer feeling just because of its dimensions.

Staedtler products are easy to be found in Italy and, I presume, in the rest of Europe as well. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be the same in America, and it’s a pity, as this pencil is really a good one.

Writing with a triplus is half-way between a traditional pencil and a thicker sketching lead, and it may be somewhat uncomfortable to write with when the tip gets blunt. Nothing to worry if you write in pretty large letters, but if you, as I do, write on small notebooks just like my UNI A6 Hipster PDA it may be odd if the pencil isn’t perfectly sharpened. It’s great to sketch brief visual notes — I’m an architect after all — and a Triplus is pretty useful to have my ideas quickly fixed on paper, and it won’t even roll away from my table! A bad note is that it doesn’t sharpen very nicely, the wood, I mean. While the lead has a good grain, the wood seems to be quite crumby when you sharpen it, but it might be due to several factors, as my sharpener — though it’s a brand new Staedtler Graphite — or its odd triangular shape.

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

Lamy Scribble (Model 185 / 186) Mechanical Pencil Review.

(Review by David in New Zealand.)

Something about the Lamy Scribble just makes me want to pick it up every time I see it. Perhaps it’s the short, fat, sturdy look reminding me of a child’s favourite pencil or crayon. “Pick me up, and lets have some fun” – that’s what Scribble seems to whisper to my sub-conscious.

Technical data:
Material: Plastic body. Metal end-cap, front cap and pocket clip.
Shape: Round cross-section, 13mm diameter at widest part. 121mm overall length.
Finish: Black plastic body “sandblasted” satin sheen finish. Metal trims either black coated (Model 186) or palladium plated (Model 185).
Core: 0.7mm lead. (A 3.15mm model also available)
Point Type: Retractable metal sleeve.
Mechanism: Push top ratchet.
Top: Capped eraser.
Eraser: Miniature eraser under top button, white (unknown) material, needle attached.
Markings: “LAMY” printed in silver at top of body, “7” (for lead diameter) on top of the top button.
Packaging: Folded card presentation sleeve.
Availability: Readily available worldwide in shops and internet retailers.
Origin: Germany.

Scribble looks short and sturdy, and that’s what it feels like in your hand. The thick, gently tapering body makes it easy to hold anywhere you like – down close to the tip or halfway up the body - and the smooth yet slightly textured sandblast finish lets you get a good solid grip. Add in a reasonable weight, and everything combines to produce that overall look and feel of a no-nonsense, ready for action pencil. Scribble is also very well balanced to just idly twirl around in, or thread through, your fingers whilst contemplating the state of the universe.

The pocket clip is good and springy. It’s also removable for those who don’t like pocket clips. Unfortunately it just doesn’t stick out quite far enough to readily stop the pencil rolling around on your desktop. I always use my Scribble when I am out doing fieldwork. The short length means I can clip it into a small notebook and stash them in my pocket so I always have pencil and paper ready to record those important observations. The thick body helps when things are a bit on the wet side, and the short metal lead holding sleeve tip is retractable so you won’t get that nasty stabbing pain through your trouser pocket!
Like most mechanical pencils, Scribble has a small eraser under the top button. I am always in two minds about these mechanical pencil erasers – they seem like such a good idea and yet are nearly always such a disappointment. Well Scribble sets a new standard. It’s absolutely useless. I will say no more on this subject.

So far I haven’t mentioned the lead. That’s the thing with mechanical pencils; if you don’t like the lead then you just get some that you do like. Scribble takes 0.7mm which is thick enough to provide good strength, but still thin enough to provide fine sharp lines. The push top ratchet mechanism is quiet and positive. I haven’t had any problems, but just in case, the eraser comes with a needle to help clear any lead jams.

The finish on the Scribble seems a good quality. The plastic body and metal trims are scratch resistant. Mine have spent a lot of time rolling around in carry cases with other items and they still look as good as new. There are actually two trim colours available – black for the purists and palladium plated for the slightly more up-market look. The small “LAMY” printed in silver at the top of the body adds a touch of distinction.

Lamy advertise the Scribble as “For strong sketches and fine notes. If you like getting your ideas down on paper in a few telling strokes, you’ll love the Lamy scribble”. Well, they’re absolutely right. Whether I’m out wading through a swamp or doing the Sunday morning Sudoku, Scribble is the one for the job.

[Text and images, D.P. Used with kind permission.]

Like the Big Black Pencil, this is one of the coolest sites you’re likely to find — at least, of sites that deal with our weapon of choice.  It’s a clock written with a pencil: written, erased and re-written in real time.  Check it out here.
Thanks to Armand and Diane for the link!

(Part ii of the work of artist David Powers.)

[Images, D.P. — All rights reserved. Used here with kind permission.]

The first in a two-part showcase of the work of artist David Powers. But let’s let David speak for himself:

“I am currently twenty four, a Libra, and I am in college studying psychology, medicine, and art. I am a martial artist, have been since I was about 10 years old, and I have trained in several different styles but prefer the true essence of ‘Jeet Kune Do’ which focuses more on honest human and artistic expression, in regards to the martial arts. I tend to apply this approach or world perspective to all my artistic expressions…

My work is very spiritual process for me. Each piece is created through a deep meditation, often at nearly a trance-like state of consciousness. I enter into meditation prior and basically hold that state until finished.”

Stay tuned for the next post, which will also feature some more of David’s great work and more from David on his art and on pencils. In the meantime, check out his site Lucid Windows.

[Images, D.P. — All rights reserved. Used here with kind permission.]

It’s been too long since we posted a review, and Ana from Snow Angels was kind enough to write a review of a great sharpener that I also own — and has taken some fantastic photos to boot!

Technical info:
Type: Blade.
Material: Glass and metal, mostly steel.
Shavings Receptacle: Glass inkwell, available in an assortment of translucent colors.
Point Type: Medium.
Markings: “DUX DX2580N Alvin Made in Germany” on the lid; “DUX Germany” (on sharpener body); blade is not labelled.
Place of Manufacture: Germany.
Availability: Art supply shops; online at Utrecht, Alvin Co., Daniel Smith and others.

Originally, when I saw the luminescent-colored, glass inkwells in the art supply shop, I was disappointed to discover that they were not functional inkwells. I do a lot of hand lettering for work and I was really hoping to find a solid inkwell to store my favorite inks. After I accepted that I would have to keep using cheap plastic bottles for my ink needs, I quickly warmed to the idea of an inkwell sharpener. The colors were beautiful, and the sharpeners had the weight and aesthetics to be genuine desk accesories.

Overall the sharpener seemed to be supremely functional. A standard, silver-metal blade sharpener is mounted into the black cap and is fitted with a stainless steel blade. The cap twists off easily to empty shavings. The sharpener fits easily into my hand and its attractive enough to earn a coveted spot on my desk. The sharpener also detached from the cap via two screws.

The true test of any pencil sharpener, of course, is how well it works and I am pleased to say that this is an excellent sharpener. It sharpens smoothly into long curls and sharpens to a good point — though, in a perfect world, I wish it would sharpen to a slightly longer point. The inkwell holds plenty of shavings and since the container is translucent, its easy to tell when its full.

I got my sharpener at Utrecht art supply for about $5. Many other online art supply shops list them for prices ranging from about $5 to about $8.50. Unfortunately, most online vendors do not offer shoppers the opportunity to select a specific color so I recommend scouting around your nearest art supply shop in order to pick your favorite color. The colors listed are red, blue, amber, or green.

I would recommend this sharpener to anyone looking for a nice, tidy desk sharpener. It holds plenty of shavings and look fabulous while doing it.

(Ed.: Extra blades can also be fitted and purchased from Alvin Co.)

[Images, (c) Ana Reinert, 2006. All rights reserved. Used with very kind permission.]