Pencil Things arrives!

PencilThings.Com is a new online store that has just about anything pencil-related that one is likely to ever need. They are currently the only US dealer that sells the entire line of KUM sharpeners, from the elusive Long-Point sharpener to the wonderful wedge and blades for everything KUM.

Don Bell, the man behind Pencil Things, was gracious enough to answer some questions about himself, his new business and our favorite writing and drawing tool:

PR: Can you say a little about yourself?

DB: After college and Coast Guard service, I owned a Schwinn bicycle franchise for 5 years. During the subsequent 25, years my oil & gas company explored for and produced reserves in the US Southwest. During the height of the Internet boom, I started two high-tech firms. One failed, and the other continues to be my principle business. My wife and I are celebrating 38 years of marriage in April, and doting on our 8-month old grandson. We live and work in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

PR: What is it about pencils that you like so much?

DB: I’m rebelling! As a serial entrepreneur in high-tech industries, I’ve owned nearly every bleeding-edge electronic tool (and gadget) made. I still have a lot, and I use them daily. But most rankle me because of their complexity and multi-tasking capabilities. I like a tool whose use is obvious and focused. It’s OK if the results obtained from using the instrument are complex (e.g., books, drawings, calculations, etc.), but I want the tool to be simple-in-use. With a pencil I make a mark, I can erase it, and that’s about it! My left-brain requires excellent pencils, and my right-brain seeks elegant and varied pencils. They’re out there to be found and experienced, and that’s the fun of it.

PR: What made you want to become such a comprehensive source of pencil gear?

DB: A boutique store like ours prospers by being a place where one finds what one wants, and then browses around for other interesting items. I study Pencil Revolution’s “want list/wish list” comments and product evaluations. If somebody wants a pencil-related item, I search for a manufacturer already producing it. If successful, it’s reasonable to assume a market exists — greater in size than one person — because a company has invested its resources to manufacture and distribute the item. Well, your readers and other pencil-users express a wide variety of “wants and wishes” and that’s what drives us to become a “comprehensive source” of pencil things.

PR: What goodies have you in store for the world at Pencil Things?

DB: We’ll continue developing the KUM line of sharpeners, by importing many more items. Coming from KUM during the next several months are: a 2-hole magnesium wedge sharpener for left handed users; single and 2-hole magnesium sharpeners with black soft grip pads on the sides; palm-grip sharpeners especially designed for those who have difficulty gripping a sharpener with their fingers; a 2-hole KUM 9-volt battery-powered sharpener; and a pencil box set containing a sharpener, eraser, metric ruler, pencil grip and pencil.

We will begin small-quantity custom personalization of California Republic pencils in April. Artist Ian Nicholas’ hand painted and decorated pencil boxes should come in April, too.

Meanwhile, we’re posting on our home page new items on order and their estimated dates of arrival.

Many thanks to Don for his gigantic contribution to the world of pencils and for his time in answering my questions! If there’s something you’ve been looking for unsuccessfully, chances are that it’s either already stocked or on the way from Pencil Things! By the way, my ordering experience with Pencil Things was very very pleasant: I ordered very late at night, had my order shipped the next day, and it arrived quickly and packed very nicely. A treat!