Reviews » Pencil Revolution

Drill Bit Pencil Sharpener.

[Today's post comes from Comrade Logan. Thanks to Logan for a great post about an....interesting product.]

When I first saw the drill powered pencil sharpener on Notcot I was vaguely disturbed by it, but I wasn’t sure why. On the practical side, if you regularly find yourself with an unsharpened round or hex pencil in one hand and a drill in the other, this gizmo will effectively sharpen your pencil in about 5 seconds.

Lets look at the pro’s and con’s:

Pro – low effort; makes big cool shavings; you get to use a drill; bright color so it won’t get lost easily; cheap ($4 for 1 sharpener & 15 pencils at Lowe’s); useable without the drill for resharpening; could sharpen a dozens of pencils in no time without the overheating problems most inexpensive electric sharpeners have.

Con – doesn’t work with carpenter’s pencils; round so it would roll off a table or roof easily; could be awkward to use with larger drills; construction site folks don’t usually need a finely pointed round pencil.

Upon further reflection, I think my issue with the drill sharpener is that I really enjoy using a hand crank sharpener for initial sharpening, and a blade sharpener for resharpening. But what do I know? I’m not the target market for the product.

That in mind, I asked two friends about it. One is a former construction worker; the other restores furniture professionally. Thumbs down from both. The construction worker only used carpenter’s pencils, and only sharpened with a utility knife: “I bought a square pencil sharpener once, used it one time and never bothered again. Finding it in my tool box and using it was slower than just carving a point with my utility knife, which I always had on me. It would take even longer to find this thing, take out the bit that was in the drill, put it in the chuck, use it, then replace the other bit. Besides, you don’t need a sharp pencil for marking boards.” The furniture restorer wasn’t any hotter on the idea. He uses finely pointed pencils for his detailed woodworking, but always works in a shop, so he has an electric sharpener on his workbench.

Not that it isn’t an interesting sharpener. In fact, I’d probably pick one up next time I was at Lowe’s if it didn’t come bundled with 15 generic HB pencils that would just take up space in my already overflowing pencil drawer. Hopefully there’s some other application it is perfect for that I haven’t thought of.

Suggestions?

[Text, L.L. Used with kind permission.]

Review of General’s Layout Pencil.

[This review comes courtesy of Speculator, from the excellent blog La Vie Graphite. Many thanks to our Comrade in Maine!]

Today’s product review salutes the remarkable Layout pencil, made in the U.S.A. by General’s. Here is a look at a hardworking pencil that defies the traditional grading system, making a pronouncedly bold and dark mark while retaining a sharp point. From the General’s factory in Jersey City, the Layout pencil earns its keep in my arsenal as a sturdy companion in writing and bookbinding.

The Layout of the Land:
Wood casing: Sustained-yield California incense cedar wood.
Shape: Round.
Finish: Gloss black, with white embossed titling.
Titling / Inscription: USA Since 1889 ; GENERAL’S Layout ; Extra Black ; No 555.
Core: Extra Black Graphite, ungraded.
Note: The General’s Layout pencils are untipped (without eraser), pre-sharpened, and made in U.S.A.
Availability: May be purchased singly, blister-packed pairs, or in boxes of a dozen, at art supply stores such as Utrecht Art, Blick Art Materials, Jerry’s Artarama, as examples. (My source is Utrecht Art, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.)

Perhaps due to its dark-marking, shape, and absence of an eraser, the Layout is billed as an “art” pencil. The manufacturer’s description cites the “extra smooth, extra black graphite,” which is “ideal for outlining and sketching,” and “used by animators since the 1930s.” The retailer Utrecht Art Supply cites the “soft and smooth graphite for deep, black lines and easy blending,” and Blick Art Materials’ catalogue advertises how “This versatile pencil is great for art, sketching, and layout work.” For years, I’ve been using the General’s Layout for basic writing — as well as for drawing and bookbinding. The slightly thicker diameter (as well as graphite core) provides for an easy grip. What I’ve always found extraordinary about the Layout is how this very dark-writing, somewhat soft pencil maintains a sharp point through a lot of use. Minimal sharpening is needed, and unlike most drawing pencils, the Layout doesn’t smear. That makes this pencil ideal for Rite-in-the-Rain paper’s waxy-finished water-resistant paper (see above photo). In the photo below, I’ve used the Layout in a journal made by Field Notes. Note how expressively I can make my accents! Imagine writing with a 3B that resists dulling like an H.

An all-purpose pencil for writing, art, and any craft requiring a bold and precise marking instrument, the Layout is a time-honored favorite. The term “layout,” is a vestige from the era of graphic design done-by-hand, with angled drawing boards, tracing vellum, t-squares, and photostat-cameras. The work of a layout artist involved diagramming and sketching out the sequences of advertisements, posters, publications, signs, etc. Well-drawn lines make the difference, in this kind of work. As the pencil’s name recalls the craft of manual graphic arts, the box design does the same with a pleasantly archaic cursive typeface. In the photo below, the General’s Layout finds its place among my bookbinding and paper conservation tools. Just a few sharpening turns, and the Layout joins my lunch break journaling.

For a typical restoration project, it is vital to have a marking pencil that is as bold as it is fine. I have to measure materials as diverse as coarse bookcloth and thin kozo tissue with great care so that all the part fit precisely together. The photo below shows a before-and-after of a 19th century casebound book’s textblock, with the early stages of case (cover) restoration.

In the next photo (below), the Layout is still sharp enough after marking the replacement fabric to provide bold and easily-followed marks on bristol board (for the new spine) and on smooth Permalife paper (for the new endsheets). The first photo in this pair may remind faithful pencil-users about the ways many of us perpetuate the practice of holding a pencil behind an ear. That’s a uniquely pencil-using and ancient gesture, keeping the writing instrument instantly at the ready. The Layout’s thickness, round contour, and glossy finish make it really hold well behind my ear! There’s plenty to be said for “stick-to-it-iveness.”

There’s also plenty to be said for having the right tools for the job. Here (photo below), the Layout has helped me get the restored spine to the exact size needed, such that I can graft it beneath the original 1880s board cloth. I maintain as many of the original components as possible, so that the book maintains its intrinsic grandeur while also being strong enough for library patrons to leaf through. We archivists like to refer to “preservation and access” as principles to our work.

Layout pencil back in the tool box (or perhaps over my ear), the book is all done and ready for the drying process. Notice the original spine-titling has been adhered to the new spine (of course with acid-free PVA + methylcellulose adhesive I mix myself).

By now, you can guess that I give the General’s Layout pencil the highest marks (indeed, bold, jet-black, and thus paradoxically rigid marks), also recommending you buy a bunch of these — so that a few are left in a tool box, your desk, a pencil case, kitchens, musical instrument cases, etc. The best sharpeners I’ve found for these are the small, handheld steel pointers (I use a Staedtler), which can encompass the Layout’s contour. If you need to erase some of those bold marks, white plastic erasers work best (and are archival, too). Happy Writing! Bonne Ecriture! Think of the upcoming Spring season as a layout for new written ventures. Are your pencils sharpened?

[Text and images, Speculator. Used with kind permission.]

Review of Neko Heavy Industries Sketchbooks.

Joshua from Neko Heavy Industries (also check out the Etsy store!) sent us some very fine sketchbooks this winter — hell, he MADE us the giraffe print custom edition! After a thorough run-through, WOW.

Vitals:
Cover Material: Faux fur-covered library book cover..
Paper: 216 g/m2 (80#) and Acid-Free.
Binding: “Patented nylon over steel cable with a steel ball and socket closure”.
Size: Assorted; Aprox. 7×10 inches.
Page Count: 50 sheets (100 pages).
Unique Characteristics: Replaceable paper, HEAVY construction, plastic internal protector sheet, custom ordering.
Origin: USA/handmade.
Availability: Neko2′s Etsy store and Neko Heavy Industries.

The flagship model of this review is a custom book made, in part, from the cover of an old book. The giraffe material is securely and carefully glued onto the old book. Only, unlike some others I’ve seen, these babies have brass-reinforced holes for the rings and for the archor which holds the truly beefy elastic in place. Don’t let the faux fur fool you; this book can take a beating.

The “rings” are actually cables with steel ball-and-socket closures that open easily and close securely. This means that you can refill the book (Neko sells refills), remove pages, add pages (the holes are standard-spaced), and more the included plastic sheet. This sheet is designed to protect the pages from ink, but it’s also excellent for preventing ghosting of the graphite onto other pages.

The paper is WHITE and SMOOTH as you’d ever want sketch paper to be. Graphite glides effortlessly and wonderfully. But — the real kicker is that it does so with pencils that are not as smooth as, say, a Palomino or soft-grade pencil. The only other paper on which I have this kind of pencil-smoothness experience is Rhodia paper. This paper is much thicker and stiffer. While paper that is too smooth (like glossy paper) is practically useless for pencil, this paper remains tough/toothed enough to take on graphite and provide a smooth sketching surface for pencils. It’s smooth enough that you can actually write with your very-soft Blackwings, while still being able to sketch and draw and get some darkness out of that famed graphite with a little pressure. Frankly, and I don’t have a lot of experience with paper that’s this…nice. But I’m really liking it and will certainly get more such experience filling up my Neko Heavy Industries book.

Neko Heavy Industries sketchbooks also win the day on presentation. The giraffe book came with a custom sleeve, indicating paper type, etc. For lack of a better phrase, this book felt like something bought from a local artisan shop while traveling, and definitely not like your run-of-the-mill “handmade sketchbook.” Joshua tells me that he’s been making this books for over a decade, and the craftsmanship really shows.

He also sent a small, brown-covered notebook made from vintage office papers. I would be remiss not to mention it, since I’ve wound up severely attached to it and wishing these were available long-term.

There’s something fun about writing on paper with oddly spaced lines and margins, and the alternating blank pages make this a great pocket notebook and sketchbook.

Speaking of portable sketchbooks, there are also Neko Heavy Industries spiral-bound, smaller sketchbooks, made from recycled covers. I know, right, big deal — tons of people on Etsy make/sell these. Having some experience with these types of books, I can say for sure that Neko’s are a [very huge] cut above the rest.

The spirals are tightly-inserted (I’d love to know how they do this), with perfectly drilled (?) holes and finely rounded corners that (sorry, guys), put Moleskines and Field Notes to shame. Even better, this paper is hardly distinguishable from Rhodia paper by site and feel (minus the lack of graph lines, of course). And, if you care about your paper and writing/drawing implements, you know that is very high praise indeed! Mine has a cover from Burn After Reading, and I think my better half might steal it.

In the end, you’d do yourself favor to score yourself some goods from Neko Heavy Industries — unless supremely smooth paper, careful craftsmanship and versatility upset you. You’d do yourself a BIG favor. Spending your hard-earned paper/pencil/pen money on beautiful books made by hand (not some faceless corporation) and getting some of the best and most heavy duty books around is win-win, if you ask me. I can’t decide if the mega-durable construction or the paper is what I like best about these books. But, then again, I don’t have to decide. They have both, and that’s what counts. And, frankly, for what Neko charges, you can’t beat it.

Review of Whitelines Perfect Bound Books.

A month or so ago, we received a package of books from Whitelines (see also the US site), a Swedish company who makes very fine books with a unique feature: WHITE LINES. That’s right. The lines are white, while the paper is a very light grey. Does it make a difference to this pencil user? Read on!

Vitals:
Cover Material: Coated cardstock.
Paper: 80 g acid-free; grey-tinted paper with white lines.
Binding: Sewn.
Size: Assorted; A5 and “pocket” as tested.
Page Count: 48/36 sheets (96/72 pages).
Unique Characteristics: White lines on grey paper.
Origin: Sweden.
Availability: Online, even on Amazon.

We were sent two of the Hard Bound books and two of the Perfect Bound books, one each in black and white. What’s immediately striking about Whitelines books is both the color scheme and the construction. Covers are strong. Corners are rounded precisely (even more than Moleskines and Field Notes, to tell the truth). The bindings are tight. The package containing our four review samples was actually pretty badly damaged by the mail service; the stuffing was everywhere from a large hole, etc. The A5 Hard Bound book suffered minor damage, but the A4 Hard Bound book had two corners badly crushed. I know this was not Whitelines’ fault at all. I mention it because, although the package went through hell, the large book’s binding was completely intact. Intact enough that we’ll do a second review of the Hard Bound Whitelines in the near future, featuring more of the company’s history. These books merit it, for sure.

What I’ll mention in this review of the Perfect Bound books is a little about the concept behind Whitelines.

“Whitelines® is the new generation of writing paper. The concept is patented and yet very simple: Since markings from pens are dark they interfere with the traditional dark lines of ordinary paper. On Whitelines® there is no visual interference between the lines and the pen colour. Whitelines® makes your writing and sketches stand out.” (More.)

The lines also disappear under copymachines, and the paper comes lined or with a graph print. We tried both. The graph spacing is just right, and the lines are also very well-spaced for graphite writing.

I have to admit that I was skeptical of two things. First, I didn’t think that slightly grey paper and white lines would really be easier on my eyes. On the contrary, I assumed that they would be more difficult to see (especially since my daughter broke my unbreakable titanium glasses, and I haven’t had time to go to the eye doctor yet). I was also nervous that graphite (which is grey-to-black) would not show up on grey paper very well.

I was wrong on both counts. The lines are not difficult at all to see, and the paper just seems, for lack of a better word, mellow. Rather than shining up at you, begging you to write on it, it’s just grey and relaxed. And, while I was afraid that graphite marks would be more difficult to see, the opposite was somehow true. I checked with my wife, and we both agreed that writing stood out at least as well as on white unlined paper – perhaps more. (If more, don’t ask me how that works. My degrees are in philosophy, not physics or physiology.) In my own experience, the claims of the benefits of Whitelines’ paper prove wonderfully true.

But how does the paper handle graphite? Ghosting is not perfect, but it’s on the better side of standard, that is, very good. Graphite ghosts less than Field Notes (way less than Moleskines) and us up there with much thicker paper like EcoJot‘s recycled paper. To be clear, I’ve never found anything (even cardstock) that doesn’t ghost at least a little with some of my favorite softer pencils. The texture of the paper is similar to a Field Notes book, which is to say smooth, but with a nice tooth. Writing in a Whitelines book is as easy on one’s hands as on the eyes. Aside from Whitelines’ own special features, where this paper really shines is its smearability, which is on par with Rhodia paper – paper that lots of us know is very very smear-proof. It took some very soft leads and hard rubbing to product any smearing at all. In short, Whitelines books have nice paper that resists ghosting and smearing much better than most papers, with gentle white lines and grey paper to boot. You can’t lose.

Add to this the tight and durable binding of the Perfect Bound book (which spent no less than two weeks in my backpack) and the thoughtful sizing, and you’ve got a very nice book. The A5 we tested fits well for meeting and reading notes; that’s what I used it for during the test period. The “pocket” size is similar to a Moleskine or Field Notes, only thicker. The pocket version is no less durable than the A5 version. As we promised Whitelines, I beat them up quite a bit. And they survived, looking pretty new, too. And stylish.

In our up-coming review of the Hard Bound books, we’ll talk about Whitelines’ environmental commitment also. Stay tuned.

Review of 2011 Daycraft Planners.

Today’s review comes from Frankie in Baltimore, who reviewed the Ecosystem Architect book for us last month. Mr. Lee sent these three to PR HQ this autumn, with other very nice notebooks.

It’s the end of January, which makes it the perfect time to report back from test driving a trio of 2011 planners from Daycraft. Should you decide to make one of these your constant companion in 2011, you’ll still have eleven months of pages to fill with your appointments, birthdays, (hopefully) vacation time, and other reminders.

What with this being the New Millennium and all, there are any number of electronic ways to keep yourself on time and on schedule. If you’re like me, you probably have a combination of both paper and virtual methods. I have a wall calendar at home and at work to lay out the month at a glance, followed by my work calendar on Microsoft Outlook (partly required because it is also shared with my boss). But I can’t part with the old-school romance of a paper-and-pencil weekly planner that goes with me wherever I do. Because I need something I can carry with me, portability is a must –- which leads to the conundrum of allowing enough space to write without making the planner the size of a phone book (remember those?). Each of the Daycraft planners I tried achieves a balance between space to write and compactness. And each of them comes with particular designs and features that you can select to fit your personal and professional needs.

Daycraft Vogue Diary

Vitals:
Cover Material: Stitched quilted polyurethane.
Binding: Case.
Size: Assorted; 4.5 ” x 7.5” (pocket size) as tested.
Page Count: 248.
Colors: Ivory (tested), Blue, Black.

Unique Characteristics: International guides featuring holidays, telephone codes, airports, taxes, even driving conventions; list of international golf courses; vintage chart for the wine lover.
Origin: China.
Availability: Asia, Europe, and Australia. But Yanks can buy them online with international shipping here.

With its fashionable quilted cover and slender profile, the Vogue diary would look right at home inside my (or your) girlfriend’s evening bag. But don’t let the slightly Sex and the City look fool you – the Vogue diary is a hard worker. Mine has been in heavy rotation lately -– in and out of my bag, tossed across my desk, shoved in between other notebooks -– and I can attest to its durability. Its format covers one week in two pages, with each month distinguished by a sheet in a different color. You can keep your place with the red-orange velvet bookmark. Within the week, there are about 1.5 inches of space to write (less for Saturday and Sunday). The week-to-week format is great for plotting out appointments and distributing your workload. I’ve often found that with a page-a-day planner, items I don’t get around to on one day tend not to make it to my to-do list on another day. For all three planners under review here, the paper is smooth and takes to pencil well with no issues with ghosting or smearing. That has held true for the variety of pencils I’ve used so far, including the Palomino, Golden Bear, and Mirado. The international guide at the front of the planner is helpful for the global traveler. I appreciate that Daycraft acknowledges that not all of us have — or want — smart phones.

There are definitely days when I could use a little more space to write, and sometimes I resort to post-its for an extended to-do list. But the portability of the Vogue is tough to beat, and it remains my planner of choice for 2011.

Daycraft Chromatic Days Diary

Vitals:
Cover Material: Fine Italian polyurethane.
Binding: Case.
Size: Assorted; approx. 5 ” x 7”
Page Count: 128.
Colors: Orange (tested), Green, Yellow, Blue, Red.

Unique Characteristics: Four-color printed edges.
Origin: China.
Availability: Asia, Europe, and Australia. But Yanks can buy them online with international shipping here.

The Chromatic Days Diary was serious competition with the Vogue Diary to be my lieutenant for 2011. It’s slim and sophisticated, with a smooth, flexible cover and a modern look. The four-color printing on the edges also makes it colorful without being garish or obnoxious. The orange cover and orange ribbon bookmark are especially aesthetically pleasing. The Chromatic Days Diary lays out one week per page (not per spread), beginning at the end of August 2010 and carrying its user all the way through 2011. It contains fewer additional features than the Vogue but includes international holidays, a year at a glance planner, and pages for notes and a venue list. Its week-per-page layout makes space to write a bit smaller in the Chromatic Days diary -– only about three quarters of an inch. But if you don’t tend to write copious amounts of information in your planner or only need it to track certain things, Chromatic Days is a terrific option.

Daycraft Make My Day Diary

Vitals:
Cover Material: Cloth.
Binding: Case.
Size: Assorted; approx. 6.25 ” x 7.25”
Page Count: 216.
Colors: Black (tested), Black/Yellow, Blue, Blue/Yellow, Red, Red/Yellow.

Unique Characteristics: Black printed edges, perforated memo pages
Origin: China.
Availability: Asia, Europe, and Australia. But Yanks can buy them online with international shipping here.

Somewhat weightier than the Vogue or Chromatic Days Diaries, thanks to its cloth hard cover, the Make My Day Diary is similarly slender and portable. Squared in shape, it displays one week over two pages with a vertical layout that reminds me of the weekly vertical planner from Moleskine that I had a few years ago, but without the hourly markers that I found rather constricting (if I don’t have a meeting at 9 a.m., may I still write something on the 9 a.m. line?). The color palette inside the journal is cream rather than bright white. Each month is introduced by a sheet declaring “Make My Day” in different fonts, spelled out with different materials (including light, vegetables, and computer keys). While this planner wouldn’t look out of place on your bookshelf with your other hardcovers, the “Make My Day” pages lend a bit of subtle whimsy. Like other vertical planners, this one poses some challenge to fit your daily to-do list within its 1.25 inch-wide column. But it’s a trade-off between writing space and portability, and in leaning toward the latter, I think Daycraft makes the right choice, And any one of these three planners may just be the right choice for you in 2011.

[Text, F.G. Used with permission. Images, J.G.]

Review of Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener.

A few months ago, Troy contacted us about reviewing the Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener, a burr-type sharpener that boasts smooth and quiet sharpening and quality construction. We took delivery of this heavy-duty green sharpener this fall and have put it through lots of tests with lots of pencils. And, golly, we have not reviewed a sharpener in ages! This is a very worthy harbinger of further sharpener reviews. This machine is great.

Vitals:
Type: Single burr, 8mm hole.
Material: Metal body, mechanics and handle, with plastic tray and small parts.
Shavings Receptacle: Large, clear plastic tray.
Point Type: Very long.
Markings: “Pencil Sharpener”.
Place of Manufacture: ???
Availability: Official website and Ebay store..

This is, frankly, a big and heavy sharpener. I’ve heard tell of devoted Comrades carrying burr sharpeners around with them for their daily writing needs. I never do that myself. What I look for in a crank/burr sharpener is metal construction and heft, frankly. I like that this sharpener is burly and solid. It comes with mounting hardware, but I’ve never used it. Since the clips hold your pencil in place, you only need one hand to hold the body still while you crank out a nice, long (LONG) point. You can even hold the machine in your hand (or on your lap) with one hand, while the other cranks the handle.

Watch a video of the sharpener in action.

One of the best features of this sharpener is its auto-stop. The teeth/clamp feed the pencil into the burr mechanism. You turn the crank. The pencil gets sharpened. If you are my age and remember the old sharpeners we had in school that would just eat your pencil if you didn’t stop turning the crank, you might be relieved with this sharpener. When the point is achieved, the feeder stops, and turning the crank doesn’t engage the blade any longer. I put this to the test with some completely new pencils. The auto-stop kept the pencils from getting shorter at all. On very close inspection, the graphite at the point still retains the flatness of its unsharpened state just enough to see with very good eyes. It’s sharp like a pencil, not like a pin — there are no minuscule points that will crumble immediately. This sharpener does not eat pencils.

Speaking of the point, it makes a KUM Longpoint look…stubby. If you like a really, really long point but are not particularly adept at whittling your pencils with a blade/knife, this might be just the sharpener for you. Below, from left to right, are unfinished “sample” pencils with points from: Classroom Friendly Sharpener; KUM 2-step Longpoint; KUM brass wedge. (Note the pin points on the KUMs which are ready to break off.

The smooth cranking action and sharp burrs really place this in the realm of very quiet sharpeners. When I think of the wall-mounted, decades-old behemoths that used to eat my pencils in grade school, I wish heartily that the good sisters of St. Thomas had one of these green beauties around. The wall-mounted monstrosities were loud enough to silence even very loud math lessons from Sr. Teresa Mary.

This machine is not flawless. If there’s one thing that bothers me, it’s the teeth that grip your pencil for sharpening. This sharpener might not eat pencils the way that some burr machines do, but it does bite them a bit. This varied from indentations in thickly lacquered pencils to mini-holes in old Mirados. However, since a pencil is a tool that, by its very design, gets sharpened away anyway, these bite marks are overshadowed by what a great point you can get and how nicely this sharpener is built. I showed this to my good pal, and he said the same thing as me: So what? It’s a pencil for writing/drawing. And, for the record, he sharpened his pocket pencil with it and immediately wanted to know where to get one.

As it stands, it’s my favorite crank/burr sharpener to date. I really like the vaguely retro looks of the chrome and green paint, and the metal body and heavy construction leave me thinking that my 8 1/2-month old daughter will wind up using this for school at some point. I keep mine out in the open because it’s a handsome piece, and I definitely intend to pick up a second unit for my office.

EcoSystem and Rhodia 2011 Planners.

In the packages from Rhodia and EcoSystem that we were lucky enough to receive this fall, there were two semi-large/medium black planners. These are both the variety that start in the summer; so I have given these 6-8 weeks of testing (each!) personally. And now, I am having trouble deciding which to use for 2011(and the Daycraft models we’ll look at tomorrow don’t help the decision).

EcoSystem 2011 “Advisor“, flexible black cover.

This is a great (and green!) EcoSystem notebook, printed with the days of the week on the left and lined note pages on the right. The paper and binding are top-notch, and the entire book is eco-friendly to boot, featuring 100% post-consumer recycled paper, organic cotton elastic and bookmark, etc. There’s the usual information one finds in the beginning of a planner and a nice pocket in the back to boot. I’ve actually beat the heck out of this thing since early November, and it’s come out looking practically new. If you’ve had a Moleskine in the soft-cover variety that’s had the “moleskin” and cardstock cover materials separate, fear not. In my own experience at least, this flexible and matte cover is as tough as a hardcover. And I really like the tacky material of which it’s made.

The printing is nice and unobtrusive, and the binding is tight. Maybe I need to just crack it, but the binding was tight enough that this book’s biggest flaw (which is, to be sure, slight) is that it doesn’t sit quite as flatly on one’s desk as some other books do. Still, the elastic is snappy, and the bookmark is beefy. “2011″ is debossed in the upper right of the cover, and it’s classy-looking. This is definitely a planner that will last through the year intact.

In some ways, EcoSystem’s planner functions like a Moleskine, only, well, better. (I’ll talk more about that when we review the pocket “kiwi” EcoSystem book in the new year.) This might be worth mentioning for some Comrades: this book has the best moon cycle symbols I’ve seen. If you follow the moon (like I do), you might appreciate this. The fonts and inks are definitely a plush for this book.

Rhodia 2010-2011 Academic “Weekly Notebook“, black flexible cover.

This book is actually an academic (summer-summer) planner, but the 2011 model seems to have the same features. This Rhodia planner has the week on the left, and heavy graph lines on the right, on very very very white paper. The 6 x 9 inch dimensions render it rather large, but it’s actually very thin and carries well. It opens completely flatly on the table, all by itself. The elastic even “closes” into a straight line along the back cover when it’s open, helping it to both stay out of the way and help the book lay down well.

If there’s something I wasn’t crazy about regarding this book it’s that all the printing and graph lines are a little obtrusive and darkly-printed. One thing I always appreciated about Moleskines was that the printing inside was grey and out of the way. Using pencil, the heavy lines took some getting used to. This is probably a person thing, though. The colorful inks and well-planned fonts make up for it.

The Rhodia planner has great information about holidays around the world, not merely a mention that there is a holiday in a certain country on a certain day. It also has the best maps I have seen in a planner. We usually find one global map with timezones on it, sometimes even country outlines/labels. But the Rhodia has a total of seven pages of detailed maps! If maps and/or geography interest you, you might agree with me that this is a great thing. With the holiday listings and detailed maps, one might expect this planner to be unwieldy. But, as I mentioned, it’s thin and light and very portable. With the nice paper and great contents, don’t ask me how Rhodia pulled this off.

Review of EcoSystem Architect Notebook.

[Today's review comes from Frankie in Baltimore. She is the coordinator of the Community Art Corps (AmeriCorps) program at Maryland Institute College of Art. This and two other lovely books were sent to the Pencil Revolution HQ for review this fall from the good folks at EcoSystem. As always, opinions are those of the reviewer.]

I’ve kept a journal off and on since elementary school. Now that I’m nearing (gulp) thirty, I’ve graduated from the lock-and-key kind to a more minimalist style: a plain notebook, no spirals, easy to stack and store upon completion. About three years ago, my journal of choice became the squared Moleskine. Writing within those gridlines allowed me to fit a good-sized weekly journal entry in the space of two pages – which meant a single journal could cover an impressive timespan, usually more than a year. I love to go back through the same journal and see what I was thinking (or obsessing) about that time a year ago. It reminds me that things can, and do, and must change, and that always gives me hope.

Vitals:
Cover Material: Acrylic-coated paper.
Paper: 100% post-consumer recycled.
Binding: Sewn.
Size: Assorted; 5.25 ” x 8.25” as tested.
Page Count: 192.
Unique Characteristics: Register-able identification number that coordinates with several features on the Ecosystem website.
Origin: USA.
Availability: Barnes and Noble, Amazon, etc.

I dove into EcoSystem‘s Architect notebook, the graph paper variety produced by Ecosystem, looking forward to a similar experience. I should say that I don’t think the Architect is designed to serve as a journal for narrative writing. The company produces four kinds of notebooks: the Advisor, a planner; the Artist, with blank pages; the Author, with lined pages; and the Architect, which Ecosystem describes as meant for “an environmentally aware person who creates strength and order with lines.” Each is available in one of six hip colors: onyx, watermelon, kiwi, lagoon, grape, and the one I chose, clementine. The gridlines are much narrower and darker than those in the squared Moleskine, and so using the Architect as a journal is daunting at first.

But I got an opportunity to battle-test the Architect one night when my eight month-old daughter had her first fever. The late-night answering service at our doctor’s office called back with advice, and I grabbed my Architect to write down their instructions. My pencil of choice, an orange Palomino, looks even more luscious than usual on the Architect’s smooth pages. The Palomino Blackwing is also a good choice. I would definitely recommend a darker pencil to show up against the Architect’s gridlines. But their tight assembly encouraged me to abandon the compulsiveness with which I am accustomed to writing in squared notebooks. Rather than scrunching my writing to fit between the horizontal gridlines, my pencil ventured beyond its usual boundaries. One sentence took up two gridlines, then three. The flights of freedom were good for the soul. In addition to its surprising potential as a journal, I can foresee using the Architect to sketch knitting patterns and transcribe the free ones I find on the internet. The grid translates nicely to knitting gauges.

Ecosystem stands out among manufacturers for its green practices. “Every component that makes up an ecosystem book has been researched to ensure the most environmentally friendly materials or production methods are being used,” the website explains. Each notebook has a unique identification code that can be entered on the company’s website. What follows is a detailed list of the origin of the materials used for each part of the journal, from the paper (Park Falls, Wisconsin) to the organic cotton ribbon bookmark (from Philadelphia). You can also register your notebook on the site and post to the Lost and Found page for the notebook that goes wandering.

At 192 pages, the Architect feels a bit heavier than other comparably-sized notebooks. But you’ll get your money’s worth. This is a welcome and colorful new addition to my library of journals.

(Text, F.G. Photos, J.G. Used with permission.)

Rad and Hungry Colombian Pack Contents.

My daughter (eight months old now!) loves pencils. She reaches for them constantly. This can be, of course, a bit of a terror, when the pencils are sharp. She even seemed to know what was in this box.

The contents spread out.

Charlotte scooted around seven feet to chase the box of goodies.

Packaged lovingly.

The pencils are painted brightly.

The pencils are unsharpened. However, unlike any Dixon or Mirado I’ve bought in the last, say, five years, the paint is not overlapping the wood at the end and making it look like it got dropped into something unsavory.

Don’t know what kind of wood this is, but it’s not cedar. Smells nice, though, and sharpens fine.

Okay. I sharpened the blue HB pencil first. It’s really, really smooth! I even asked someone else to verify this because, frankly, I wasn’t expecting such a buttery experience. I’ll get the others sharpened and tested in the near future. The yellow and red ones are very attractive, with the painted bands on the ferrules. I can’t wait to give them a run!

Review of General’s Cedar Pointe.

Today’s review comes from Comrade Elizabeth, from Little Flower Petals! (Many thanks to Liz!)

Vitals:
Material: Genuine Incense Cedar.
Shape: Hexagonal.
Finish: Raw cedar with black lettering.
Ferrule: Aluminum — black painted band.
Eraser: Black [rubber?].
Core: Ceramic/graphite composite. Available in B, HB and H.
Markings: “USA — GENERAL’S CEDAR POINTE — #333-2 HB”.
Origin: USA.
Availability: Cedar Pointes can be a little tricky to find. All grades are available at General Pencil’s website. Dick Blick sells HBs in their on-line store, but shipping costs are steep. If you have a Dick Blick in your neighborhood, they may be worth a look, along with any other art stores that sell General’s more sketching-oriented pencils. Also, for the Northwesterners in the US, I serendipitously found Cedar Pointes in the art supplies section (not with the regular pencils) at my local Fred Meyer. They came in a package of ten along with a plastic, but quite decent, pencil sharpener.

General’s Cedar Pointe pencils are made of raw, unfinished natural wood: incense cedar, funnily enough. Some natural finish pencils have a coating or seal — the Forest Choice, for example, seems to have a very thin coat of sealant. The Cedar Pointe does not. The smooth unfinished wood has a pleasantly grippy feel, and it has a tendency to become…seasoned with time. I swear, I do wash my hands, but still, you can see how this particular example has darkened with use, while the well-used Forest Choice remains as it has always been:

I actually rather like the make-your-own-patina aspect of these pencils. Gives them character.

Fit and finish aren’t up to Palomino standards, but it’s decent. There are a a few less-than-perfect ferrules with wood chips overlapping at the at the edges, but it’s minimal. The text imprint is clear. No glittery, glossy writing here: it’s no-nonsense black and bare wood for the Cedar Pointe. I find the austere look very appealing. I’m a big fan of the understated: for example, on the fountain pen side of the fence, I love the stealth greatness of the Lamy 2000 over some of the more flashy pens. The Cedar Pointe is quietly handsome.

Few wood chips at the edge of this ferrule…

The Cedar Pointe writes a nice dark line, not as dark as a Palomino, but blacker than your average Ticonderoga. Taking pictures or scanning such things is always tricky, but hopefully you can glimpse the subtleties. It also falls somewhere between the two on the smoothness scale: more chalky than waxy, and though there aren’t any major inclusions in the lead, it does give you a bit of feedback. Point retention is a little above average for its class, making it a good choice for general writing.

(Click to enlarge.)

The eraser works quite well. It’s not a Mars Plastic, but it’s a decent size, and it does the job.

One last note, which should probably be kept to myself since it reveals just how obsessive I can be: naked pencils sound different on the page. I swear, it’s true! It’s always a little disconcerting for just a moment when I first pick one of these up.

Overall, I really like these. They make my top ten due to the darkness of the lead, the nice feel, and their all-natural good looks.

[Images and text, EH, used with permission.]

Review of Rhodia Dot Pad.

Karen was kind enough to send us a nice package of goodies to review this fall, and it’s time we publish some more reviews! I thought we’d go with a pad I’ve been especially enjoying: the Dot Pad — especially after the announcement of the Dot Webbie, which might be one of the greatest notebooks available.

Vitals:
Cover Material: Coated cardstock.
Paper: 80 g acid-free; light lilac grid with 5mm intervals between dots.
Binding: Stapled.
Size: Assorted; 6 ” x 8 ¼ ” as tested.
Page Count: 80.
Unique Characteristics: Foldable cover; dot=grid.
Origin: France.
Availability: Everywhere!

As you can guess, the Dot Pad has dots in place of the squared lines regular Rhodia paper has. While this might seem like a small deal at first, I think this means several things. First, this paper photocopies better. Second, one can more easily ignore the dots, easier than ignoring purple lines, anyway. Third — and most important to pencil users — it makes what you write or draw easier to see! I have long loved Rhodia pads, but I have usually felt compelled to use a dark/soft pencil because the graph lines are a little heavy. It never bothered me enough to steer me away from Rhodia pads — to be sure — but the Dot Pad is still refreshing and, well, fun. While I appreciate the orange of Rhodia pads, I like the departure for black, and I really like the graphic/logo work for the Dot Pad.

As as always the case with Rhodia, the construction and design are both solid. The way the cover folds over and the extra cardboard backing are just intelligent and functional. Period. The paper is smooth and wonderful. While Rhodia paper usually wins praise from Comrades who love fountain pens, the pads are also excellent for graphite. (It’s no accident that the first post on Pencil Talk was about Rhodia pads.) Smearability on Rhodia paper has never been a problem for me at all. What’s more, strangely, the Dot Pad seems somehow extraordinarily smear-resistant. Ghosting is not an issue with a Rhodia pad because of the construction of the pad itself. I mean, I suppose one could write on the back. But it would be pretty difficult, at least if you have meaty hands like I do.

Another thing I always like about Rhodia pads are that they are easy to find in person and relatively inexpensive. I’m willing to bet that if you live in even a medium-sized city, you can find them at an art shop or even Target. I can walk to several shops from my office in midtown Baltimore and find them, for instance (though none of these locations sell the pencils).

I’ve been using this particular pad as a bedside reading notebook, and I definitely plan to get more when I fill this one up. Right now, it’s recording all the pencil mentions in For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Review of General’s Semi-Hex, HB.

Today we are reviewing General’s Semi-Hex, the flagship pencil from one of the last American pencil companies, based in Jersey City, New Jersey. For some reason, we’ve never actually reviewed anything from General’s. We’ll, hopefully, follow up with the Cedar Pointe in the near future. To cut to the chase, there’s not much about the Semi-Hex that I don’t like, and its American heritage is a nice bonus. I’ve even been putting it through the paces for NaNoWriMo, and it’s a champ of a pencil.

Vitals:
Material: Premium Incense Cedar.
Shape: Hexagonal, with slightly rounded corners.
Finish: Yellow gloss with green foil details.
Ferrule: Aluminium — gold with black painted band.
Eraser: Pink rubber (?).
Core: Ceramic/graphite composite. Available in B, HB, F, H and 2H. (We tested the HB.)
Markings: Bonded — USA SINCE 1889 — GENERAL’S SEMI-HEX — 498-2/HB — SOFT.
Origin: USA.
Availability: From General’s and Pencils.Com — and select online retailers. (I’ve never seen them in person myself.)

The first thing you notice when you order (or buy in person) a dozen Semi-Hex pencils is the green cardboard box with retro graphics. While some companies do still use cardboard boxes from time to time (I have some by Dixon, Mirado, even recent ones), what you usually find is a blister pack. That’s not necessarily bad, especially if you like to see the pencils to pick the batch you like best. But, still, the old-timey American box makes me feel like these are pencils with work to do! And, with NaNoWriMo under way, they are!

The pencil’s appearance reminds me of the USA made Dixon Ticonderoga (pictured above with a Semi-Hex), being yellow with green foil lettering. Even some of the old grade markings look the same. I should probably look up to see which came first, but perhaps some Comrade who is generous with her or his time might do so?

The finish is solid, evenly applied and…modestly glossy. I like that these are sold unsharpened, and they don’t have that annoying paint overhang that Mirados always seem to have, and even a lot of recent Dixons. The wood is incredibly nice and very fragrant. If I’m not mistaken, all of General’s pencils are cedar, even their budget lines. This is the flagship pencil in the “school pencil” range, or, more accurately, the “writing” pencil range (although I suppose some people might write with the Kimberly; I do sometimes). If you enjoy the Cedar Pointe (and I sure do), this pencil is even, well, nicer. I would go so far as to say that this is the nicest yellow, eraser-capped pencil I have ever used.

However, if there’s one thing I don’t like about this pencil, it’s that it’s kind of boring to look at. The ferrules are well-attached, and the lettering is top-notch. But I wince at yellow pencils sometimes, even ones I enjoy like the Dixon and classic Mirado. If General’s Pencil Company decided to get funky and make this in a black finish like the Dixon Black (especially the USA made one with the matte finish) well, heck, I’d be in love. The stripe on the ferrule is badly done on most of the pencils in my dozen, but it’s not a huge deal. The eraser, a pink rubber (?) ender is really very effective. It’s a darker color than Dixons or Pink Pearls and feels somewhere between the two, and it erases as well as either of them.

But! This pencil has one thing that redeems its somewhat boring appearance: the lead! This is one smooth-writing, dark pencil. For this level of darkness and smoothness, the point retention is actually pretty good (between an HB Dixon and HB Palomino, but closer to the Dixon). I have yet to break one in any sharpener or on any page, or even in my pocket or bag. I did chop an eraser in half slamming my pencil box closed, but I glued it back together with clear tacky glue — why not? Or course, darkness here comes with increased ghosting, but it’s nothing terrible. Smearability, at this darkness, is actually pretty impressive, as I’ve found with other of General’s products.

Now. The name. As the name states, this is a rounded hexagonal pencil (think half-rounds, for my fellow musicians). Sounds good. Is it? Yes. Are most other hexagonal pencils rounded? Pretty much. The shape is not noticeably rounder than a Dixon, Cedar Point, Palomino, etc. But it is comfortable. Maybe this was a bigger deal when this pencil was first introduced? I do have some vintage pencils with edges so sharp that my poor middle finger hurts looking at them. It is a big deal if you write a lot. Maybe I’m holding my pencil wrongly (wait, I definitely do), but sharp-edge pencils like the Faber-Castell 9000 just hurt after a few pages, even at softer grades. And this is coming from someone with woolly hands full of calluses from music and camping and cooking. While the Semi-Hex shape is not exactly unique these days, it’s certainly comfortable.

In conclusion, this is not just a great American pencil. Heck, with so few left, that’s not a hard pair of shoes to fill. This is a fantastic pencil. It’s well-made, not prohibitively expensive (I paid $4 for a dozen), and with really just a great lead. Frankly, it’s everything you wish a Dixon Ticonderoga could be. (Here’s a nudge to Pencils.Com to carry more grades, and also thanks that they are one of the few places you can even get the Semi-Hex at all.)

Review of Daycraft Signature Notebook.

A few weeks ago, Mr. Lee at Daycraft sent us a box of samples. Daycraft is a leading Hong Kong brand of planners and diaries:

Daycraft diaries, notebooks and planners are designed in Hong Kong and manufactured in Dongguan, China by Tai Shing Diary.

Tai Sing Diary was established in 1988 and has over the years won a well-deserved reputation for getting things right. (more)

I was immediately struck by two things, which where somewhat related. First, these notebooks are sort of small. By no means is that a bad thing (and they do make larger books also). Being used to Moleskines, I didn’t expect the scale with the detail that Daycraft books have. What I mean is that these are just really carefully designed and carefully made books! See the photo below showing the size, compared to a Field Notes book, which is very pocket-friendly. But they have all the symmetry and care we find on larger, much more expensive notebooks.

Vitals:
Cover Material: “Fine Italian PU” — Human-Made, flexible material.
Paper: 100g cream-colored paper with 6.5mm lines in grey ink.
Binding: Sewn.
Size: A6.
Page Count: 120.
Unique Characteristics: Beautiful design and construction; colors end-papers and page edges.
Origin: China.
Availability: For now, mainly Asia. You can get them online with international shipping here.

The book in question today is the Signature Notebook. These come in two sizes (A5 and A6 — we were sent the smaller size) and have a softly textured cover. It looks and feels like soft leather, but it’s some kind of human-made material. Aside from leather issues (if you have them that is), this means that the softness does not preclude durability, the way that soft leathers often (not always) do. The bookmarks, end-papers and edges of the pages have colors that coordinate with the covers. In our case, we have the brown cover and red-orange accents. The effect is striking, while still being nicely low-key.

The cover is completely flexible. The binding is sewn, with a satin bookmark. The paper is cream-colored 100g, lined paper, with 6.5mm lines printed in about the same grey as Moleskine lines. The cover is slightly rounded at the corners, but the papers are not rounded at all. Because of the generous over-hang, this is not an issue. The entire book is very light-weight and flexible. At A6 size (a little larger than a small Moleskine), it’s not exactly pocket-sized. But it could fit into a jacket pocket, purse or bag easily. I carry mine in the pocket of my puffy vest with no problems, especially since the book is so light. Once you get past the first page, the book lies flatly on the desk or table, and the binding feels very very secure.

(Comparing size to a Field Notes Raven's Wing.)

We promised Mr. Lee a pencil-specific review, and this book is a treat for pencil lovers. The paper looks a lot like the color of Moleskine paper: cream with grey lines. It’s much more stiff and at least twice as thick, however. While soft pencils prone to ghosting (Palominos, Faber-Castell 9000 4B, Blackwings, soft General’s Pencil Co., etc.) do ghost, they do not ghost with the intensity that they do on thin paper. Daycraft’s paper has a texture which is very nice for graphite, having much more tooth than Moleskine paper but slightly less than Field Notes. It doesn’t wear your point away, but it doesn’t shy away from taking some of that graphite off and keeping it to make marks, either. Smearability is about average, which accounts for the majority of papers I ever use. The lines are definitely not dark enough to distract you when you write in graphite (which I’ve noticed can be a problem with some papers lately), and they are nicely-spaced for using wooden pencils.

This is a notebook that surprises you with its price tag, especially considering the design and quality upgrade over Moleskines and some other books. Frankly, this notebook (and the other items they were kind enough to send us which we’ll write more about in the future) puts to bed the stupid supposition (don’t laugh; people claim it all the time) that quality goods cannot be made in China.
While it’s disappointing to see some companies move production overseas (I’m thinking of Dixon and it’s serious American heritage), Asian production does not mean a lack of quality any more than American production necessarily means that something is better made. There are better made than a lot of American and European notebooks I’ve used and seem more carefully assembled than any Moleskine I’ve bought in the last three or four years.

Unfortunately, Daycraft does not currently have an American distributor, but you can purchase from an Australian dealer that will ship worldwide. It’s worth it.

Book Review of Robert Walser’s Microscripts.

Today’s post comes from Brian E. Manning, a writer and cyclist who works in Porland’s Central Library. Brian is also the editor’s good friend and even was also his roommate in college!

Robert Walser’s Microscripts. [New Directions, 2010. $24.95]

Robert Walser (1878-1956) was a German-speaking Swiss Writer. His writing was admired by Kafka, and Hesse, to name a few names of notoriety. I became acquainted with Walser through his short stories, as well as his acclaimed novel, Jakob Von Gunten, both published by NYRB books. His writings are whimsical, quirky, and fanciful — showing an acute understanding of human nature through subversive, fairytale-like backgrounds. In 1929, Walser admitted himself into a mental ward, and remained there for the rest of his life, essentially ending his professional writing endeavors, quipping to a friend that he was there to be mad, and not to write. However, after Walser died–on one of his habitual walks, in the snow, (hotos of which exist for morbid perusal on the Internet) it was found that he actually continued writing while in the hospital, albeit, in as subtle a form as physically possible: that is, on fragments of paper, in the tiniest of handwriting.

At first, the executor of his estate thought that these tiny markings where evidence of Walser’s mental instability — an undecipherable loony/secret code — but, it was later discovered that Walser was writing in a miniaturized Kurrent script, stemming from the medieval ages, that he had learned as a schoolboy, as was the custom of the time. From there, it took some dedicated scholars, some magnification, and some linguistic guesswork and translation to yield us the English instalment of this endeavor: Microscripts.

I have been fascinated with Walser’s story of late, and have been looking forward to getting my hands on this book. For the most part, the writings are small sketches and musings, sometimes unfinished, but this is understandable since Walser most likely never meant for them to be “read” (deciphered) by us, which makes them feel even more intimate to read. Although they are brief (sometimes not exceeding 5-6 pages in length) Walser’s wit and style are still evident in these works–whether he is writing of marriage proposals, or the experience of listening to the radio, or putting characters at play in their settings, Walser’s humane style abounds in these small scripts. I find that the real treasure of Microscripts, however, are the sporadic color facsimiles of the microscripts themselves included throughout the book. These examples of Walsers diminutive sketches not only show how impossibly tiny his writing was (1-2 millimeters in height), but also conveys how visually stunning they are. Whether written on the back of a business card, or on a letter, they are a fine of example of visual art rendered through small script. (It is also worth mentioning that there are plenty of footnotes throughout this book, giving more detail behind Walser and the individual microscripts; and for those of you who can read German, the original, enlarged German renderings are also included in the back of the book.)

(Mr. Manning's Microscript -- Click for full-sized image.)

But, you may be asking, why should readers of Pencil Revolution care about Walser and his tiny writing habits? For that matter, why did Walser even start writing in this fashion? I was surprised to find that the answer to this, as given in the intro of Microscripts, lay in the formative power of yielding a pencil. According to Walser, he found that using a pen became a physical & mental stumbling block, one that he could only overcome by using a pencil, as wrote to a friend:

With the aid of my pencil I was better able to play, to write; it seemed this revived my writerly enthusiasm. I can assure you I suffered a real breakdown in my hand on account of the pen, a sort of cramp from whose clutches I slowly, laboriously freed myself by means of the pencil. [Microscripts, pg 13.]

Although this does not necessarily explain why Walser started shrinking his script, he definitely found his voice again through using a pencil; this is of such critical importance that the original six-volume German edition of the microscripts is entitled Aus dem Bleistiftgebiet, or “From the Pencil Zone.” In Walser’s Microscripts, then, we find a man whose salvation was imparted through this modest writing utensil. I can’t help wondering, however, how often he would have to sharpen his pencil in order to write such tiny script…?

[Photo, C. Rondo; Microscript, B. Manning. Used with kind permission.]

EasyRiter writing gear.

With National Novel Writing Month fast approaching, some Comrades might be flirting with the idea of writing a novel longhand – or, at least, parts. We’re planning on featuring some equipment to make this easier on Comrades’ hands and spirits.

First up is some very interesting gear from Idea Sun in the UK. John sent us an Easyriter pencil, sharpener and pen, gratis, for review. First, the pencil.

Vitals:
Material: Extruded plastic, with wood pulp.
Shape: Triangular, concave/flat sides.
Finish: None.
Ferrule: None.
Eraser: None.
Core: Polymer/graphite composite. Available in #2/HB.
Markings: “EASYRITER…IDEASUN.COM”.
Origin: UK.
Availability: From IdeaSun.Com and brick and mortar retailers.

This is a very striking pencil. As you can see, it is very plain and very oddly-shaped. What you cannot see is that it is also somewhat flexible. This is due to the fact that the lead and barrel are both extruded plastic. This marks a first for Pencil Revolution, where we usually seem stuck-up enough to only discuss wooden pencils (and usually only cedar at that). But that doesn’t mean that there is no place for plastic. The “wood” in the Easyriter is made of recycled wood, mixed with polymer. At first glance, it looked like a large, weird golf pencil. It’s nothing fancy to look at.

But that’s not the point of the Easyriter. Rather, its shape mimics the grasp of a three-fingered pencil hold. We’ve seen this general concept applied to different triangular pencils. But the Easyriter takes it a step further. The three sides are not equally-shaped. One is flat (the part that meets your middle finger), while the other two are concave. Because of this innovation, increased pressured merely squooshes your fingers into one other, not into the pencil. This wide pencil is, honestly, incredibly comfortable for writing. The woodpulp/polymer barrel provides a nice grip, and the pencil is also extremely lightweight. And, while I’m not generally a fan of plastic pencils, this pencil would be ridiculously expensive to make out of wood, since each one would have to be shaped either by hand or by special machinery. The wood pulp content does make you forget, and it’s got a nice texture. The lead is surprisingly dark for a polymer pencil, and it’s nice and smooth. I’d rate the darkness in general as pretty middle for an HB (Dixon-dark), and that says a lot with an extruded core. I usually have to hammer those things to make a mark at all. If you have to press too hard to make a mark, this pencil would defeat its own purpose. But. You don’t, and it doesn’t. The lead is probably the best extruded cored pencil I’ve ever used.

I really like the included sharpener. It’s a large-diameter sharpener, but with only one hole! [Here it is next to one of my favorite sharpeners, a KUM brass wedge.] John at IdeaSun tells us that it’s a stock item from India but they they are thinking of using their own specs in the future. This is the only single-holed, large diameter sharpener I’ve ever used, and I hope that, if they do re-spec it, they keep this general design.

Technical Information (For Sharpener):
Type: Blade.
Material: Magnesium-alloy.
Shavings Receptacle: None.
Point Type: Medium (for wide-body pencils).
Markings: None.
Place of Manufacture: India.
Availability: From IdeaSun.Com.

Frankly, it’s a great sharpener, and I think the Dixon Tri-Conderoga would have been better with this than with the cheap-looking (though nicely-performing) plastic sharpener with which they come. Sharpening is not as easy as with a round pencil, as is the case with most triangular pencils. In fact, my first sharpening with the included sharpener was a little awkward because the angles of the factory sharpening were different that what this cool little sharpener was making. After the first sharpening, however, it was smooth-going. Triangular pencils produce really interesting shavings (see here for a great photo by Comrade Mark). This pencil makes extremely cool-looking little shavings. And, once you get the point in line with the included sharpener, they are long and smooth, just like sharpening a cedar pencil in a good wedge sharpener. You certainly have to take care because of the severe angles. But I am usually a careful sharpener anyway.

There’s also an Easyriter pen, if you just have to use dirty old ink (!). Actually, it’s got a nice weight and feel and is at least as comfortable as the pencil is to write with. My father was visiting my daughter and I for lunch (dill potato soup!) the day that the package came, and I think he was coveting the pen (he cannot use pencil at work). It’s a black ballpoint pen with the same shape as the pencil.

If you’re thinking of doing some loooonnnngggg writing next month for National Novel Writing Month, you might seriously enjoy the Easyriter pencil (and pen). If nothing else, it’s just a really cool, really comfortable pencil. I can picture these in different colors, with capped ends being very attractive. A ferrule might be nearly impossible (without being very expensive), but different colors (black!) with a dipped end and no factory sharpening, and this pencil could be quite beautiful. As it stands now, it’s, again, COMFORTABLE, and that’s the point.

Review of EcoJot Journals.

Mark at EcoJot was kind enough to send a package of samples to Pencil Revolution HQ in Baltimore (thanks, Mark!) a couple of weeks ago. We’ll be dealing with the journals in this post, with a review of the “workbooks” closer to NaNoWriMo, since I think they’d be a great tool for intrepid souls bent on writing their novels in longhand.

EcoJot is known as such because they are a brand of 100% post-consumer recycled stationery. Sure, there are myriad such brands these days. EcoJot is unique because their paper quality is top-notch (as we’ll discuss); their philanthropic efforts really excel; and because, well, these don’t have that “feel” that a lot of “green” stationery has. You don’t have to sacrifice writing pleasure to save the planet.

Vitals:
Cover Material: Very thick, very stiff recycled board.
Paper: 100% recycled, acid-free paper with vegetable-based inks (green lines and unlined).
Binding: Steel spiral.
Size: Varies (Test units: 6X9; 5X7; 3X4 inches).
Page Count: Varies (Test units: 150 lined; 80 lines; 50 unlined).
Unique Characteristics: 100% post-consumer recycled and still high quality; huge variety of cover art and formats.
Origin: Canada.
Availability: From select online and brick-and-mortar retailers (I even found them at the bookstore of the university at which I work).

One of our test units is a Giant Panda from the line supporting the Jane Goodall Institute. “Ecojot’s ‘Buy One, We Give One‘ campaign is our company’s new business model committed to directly advocate children’s arts and literacy in developing countries.”

EcoJot’s eco-claims are the real deal:

* We use acid-free, processed chlorine free paper & board.
* All our inks & glues are vegetable based, therefore bio-degradable.
* No new trees are used to make our paper & the paper mill is powered by biogas harnessed from a nearby landfill.
* All our protective packaging is corn-based. Furthermore, we try and use as much locally made raw material as possible.

But this is a review of EcoJot’s journals for the purpose of being something for pencil writing and drawing. And this is where EcoJot’s books really set themselves apart from other “green” notebook lines.

Frankly, I love this paper! It’s white with soft, green lines. At first I thought the spacing was a little wide. But, for pencil, I like something wider than tiny lines like we find on a lot of notebooks. It has a very nice tooth for pencil writing. Too-smooth papers (like Moleskine’s regular paper) leave graphite all over the place, since there aren’t enough nooks and crannies for graphite to hide in. This has a nice texture to actually wear away some graphite, without rendering it necessary to sharpen anything softer than an HB every page. It’s not as shockingly white as Rhodia paper, and it’s not as smooth. Neither of these are bad aspects to me at all, but quite the opposite. This paper doesn’t “feel” like other recycled paper. It’s relatively thick, very stiff (for paper) and doesn’t have chunks of anything in it. This texture lends itself very well to erasing, even the new Blackwing (which some folks report erases badly in general). Smearability is really minimal. And, my favorite part, no ghosting! It took a heavy hard and very soft pencils to product any ghosting at all. Writing pencils (General’s Semi-Hex and Cedar Pointe; Faber-Castel Grip 2001; modern Mirado Classic; old USA stock Dixon Ticonderoga; Palomino; Forest Choice — all HB grade) didn’t leave any ghosting whatsoever. If you journal in pencil, you might appreciate this pleasingly unique characteristic in a spiral-bound book.

Speaking of which, construction is outstanding. The spirals are flexible, while the holes don’t have pages catching like happens on cheap spiral-bound notebooks. The covers are very stiff and strong, and the whole thing is cut perfectly and put together very nicely. Each book has a page in the beginning that explains EcoJot’s mission and what the book is made of. The graphics are really outstanding. I especially like “The City” and would love to get my hands on the journals in that line.

And that is the conclusion I drew when I tested this book: I want more! And, thankfully, these are not very hard to find, even offline. The prices are fair, and (especially the jumbo) the journals have a lot of pages in them.

We also tested a tiny green notepad/journal and an orange jumbo “solids” book. Like the medium Panda book, these were outstanding. A box of pencils and a jumbo book has “longhand novel” written all over it. And, of course, a box of Forest Choice matches nicely, in theme and appearance (and works wonderfully on EcoJot paper to boot!).

You can follow developments on EcoJot’s blog. To be perfectly honest, I try to find something positive to say about things I review. Or, put differently, I don’t review things I hate (haven’t done it yet). I don’t want to convey that my raving is par for the course. But these notebooks are really just worth ordering right away if you like spiral books with heavy covers, nice paper and serious eco-credentials.

Review of Rhodia Pencil.

Exaclair sent us a box of Rhodia goodies to review recently, and one (two, rather) of the goodies is the orange and black Rhodia pencil. This pencil matches the standard orange Rhodia pad in much the same way as the Field Notes pencils and notebooks match. The quality more than meets the standards of the Rhodia pad.

Vitals:
Material: Linden wood.
Shape: Triangular.
Finish: Matte orange with all black details.
Ferrule: Aluminum, glossy black and round.
Eraser: Black and soft.
Core: Ceramic/graphite composite. Available in #2/HB.
Markings: The Rhodia fir tree logo on all three sides, near the eraser end.
Origin: France.
Availability: From RhodiaPads.Com and select online retailers.

Like it’s cousin, the Rhodia pad, the Rhodia pencil is a pale orange with black details, made in France and just finely made. The designers of this pencil went so far as to dye the wood black, so that the pencil is absolutely and completely black and orange. I was disappointed to learn that the wood is Linden wood and not Cedar, especially given the cost and excellent design of the Rhodia pencil. I wonder if Cedar might be more difficult to dye black? Either way, sharpening is easy and neat with this treated Linden wood. The factory sharpening does not leave the zig-zag pattern that your sharpener at home (or work) will leave, and it looked oddly that way to me. I’d have liked them unsharpened, but this isn’t a big deal to me. My pencils are either in my stash or sharpened for use. I remember some triangular pencils being tough to sharpen the first time, if the shape is extreme. The shape of this pencil is just plain comfortable. The angles of the triangular cross-section are nicely rounded, but the sides are flatter than, say, a Grip 2001.

The finish is very fine. The orange matte is smooth and feels thick and easy to grip. There’s a layer of white paint (primer?) under the orange that shows up at the sharpened end, but it’s not a huge deal. The Rhodia logo is stamped in black on all three sides, near the eraser, leaving the rest of the pencil bare. This also means that very short pencils (pocket-sized!) will have the same logo and not any unsightly cut-off lettering. The stamping is crisp and nearly flawless. Following in the vein of carefulness the ferrule is crimped on perfectly. Unlike the Grip 2001 and Tri-Conderoga, the ferrule is round, despite the pencil being triangular. This can lead to poorly-fitted ferrules, as in the Dixon Tri-Write (at least all the ones I own), but the Rhodia pencil’s ferrule is tight, straight, flush with the barrel and doesn’t smash and flake off the paint like so many pencils I’m seeing for sale in the US have these days, even round ones. The eraser is also round. I like the triangular erasers of other pencils for detailed erasering, but the quality and length of the Rhodia eraser make up for it. The eraser is slightly longer than most pencils, but not so much that it feels like it’s going to pop out of the ferrule.

The core is very nice. It’s not as smooth as a Palomino or soft German pencil, but it’s not scratchy, either. It has a nice feedback, without being rough on the paper. Darkness on this HB runs darker than a Dixon, just a shade or two lighter than a Forest Choice. This tone is very nice on Rhodia’s white paper and also in other applications. The cores in both test units are nearly perfectly-centered, with no grit or crumbling. Smearability is minimal, and it honestly took some effort to produce. Bizarrely enough, HB pencils that are this dark are usually smoother writers, but this pencil’s smoothness is certainly satisfactory enough for me.

The design, quality and attention to detail we see in the Rhodia pencil are definitely in keeping with Rhodia’s other products. However, there is one small thing that I find out-of-step with the pencil: the price. Rhodia pads, for the quality of paper, French origin and sheer quality, are really a steal. Last time I bought a No. 11 pad, I paid $1.80 for it, about the same as the junky pads they sell at my grocery store. The Rhodia pencil runs about $1.90-$2.00 a piece. Most quality eraser-tipped pencils are a quarter of that price (or less), while premium pencils run about $1.00 each (Faber-Castell 9000s, Palominos, Mars 100s, etc.). I could definitely appreciate the Rhodia pencil as a premium piece on par with the pencils mentioned above, but at about $2 each, they seem to aspire to “luxury” status a bit. Rhodia pads are certainly nice, but they are more in the line of premium paper (Moleskines, Doane, etc.) than luxury (Italian leather and parchment, etc.). Still, maybe I’m working under false assumptions. These pencils really are of the highest quality, especially when you look at the junk paint jobs and crooked ferrules on a lot of recently-outsourced, formerly-American pencils these days. My other small qualm (which is actually even smaller) is that the Rhodia pencil is very hard to find! Considering that Rhodia pads are often stocked by art supply shops and that these venues contain and sell any number of premium pencils, I would think there would be some for sale with the pads in at least one of the four art supply shops near my office (you have to love Midtown Baltimore!). It will just prompt me to take extra care of the two I have.

In the end, though, this is really just a fantastic pencil. The design and execution are stellar, and it’s a pleasure to write with. That’s what pencils are for! I’ve been wearing my review pencil down quickly, writing on some of the other goodies from Rhodia, which we hope to review in the very near future. (Thanks again to Karen for the lovely package!)

Field Notes Review, Part II: The Notebook.

Earlier this week, we reviewed the fragrant pencils that Field Notes sent us for review. Today, we will review the ubiquitous brown notebook. Field Notes thoughtfully send us a Mixed Pack, with one lined, one graphed and one just naked. We’ve put one through a good number of pencil tests and offer this pencil-specific review. (And thanks for Field Notes for the great mention on their site!)

Vitals:
Cover Material: French Dur-O-Tone 80#C “Packing Brown Wrap.”
Paper: Boise Offset Smooth 50#T “White.”
Binding: Three-staple saddle stitch.
Size: 3-1/2” X 5-1/2”.
Page Count: 48 pages.
Unique Characteristics: Witty information printed in front and back of cover, including reward/address blank; possibly also being made in the USA.
Origin: United States.
Availability: From FieldNotesBrand.Com and select online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

When you first open a three-pack of Field Notes, you might notice that the package resembles a certain “Cahier” produced by a company whose products and historical claims are not without controversy. There are three identical, soft-covered notebooks held together by a central, horizontal band. However, the notebooks diverge there.

For starters, let’s compare the claims. One notebook claims to be the favorite of Hemingway, Chatwin, et al., although the company was founded in the 1990s and produces its notebooks in China. While I don’t have a problem with Asian production in itself, and while the company in question has revised its statement to call their notebooks the “heir” to the classic used by some of my literary heroes, lots of people have felt intentionally duped. For myself, I have a softspot for Moleskines that I can’t seem to quit. The claim made by Field Notes is that they are inspired by classic pocket ledgers and farm notebooks. No one is claiming that Field Notes will boost anyone’s creativity. Field Notes claim to be useful. The premium price ($10 + shipping for three thin notebooks, unless you’re lucky enough to live where you can get them in person) seems to run contrary to the simple and down-home heritage. However, I honestly have no idea how much old farmers’ notebooks used to cost, let alone with taking inflation into consideration.

So, Field Notes are useful pocket tools for writing down information on the go. Their size and weight definitely lend themselves to this purpose, and their solid construction continues in the same vein. There are myriad other reviews on the net (see Field Notes’ site for a list) which call them durable, practical, attractive and a pleasure to use. I found all of these claims to be more than true.

First, the cover is stiff, with clean printing. Even after rolling around with graphite pencils, in a vintage Army bag and being stuck in piles of other books and notebooks, my Field Notes book actually looks barely used. The book tends to stay open as a result of the stiffness of the cover. This doesn’t bother me, but I can imagine it bugging the heck out of some Comrades. There is no bookmark, which did bother me a bit, but a tiny binder clip did the trick nicely and actually looked very good doing it. (A Field Notes binder clip one day?)

The paper is white, with lines that match the cover (in this case, brown). They are well-spaced and even throughout the notebook. The last time I bought a pack of pocket “Cahiers” with graph paper, two entire books were off-center, one so much that it was difficulty to use. The Field Notes’ paper feels both thicker and stiffer than a “Cahier,” and it has a better tooth and more consistent texture. That bodes well for pencil lead being able to make nice and dark marks. I noticed that lighter and harder pencils are difficult to use on this paper. Anything lighter than an HB Mirado or Grip 2001 didn’t leave a mark that I could read. The paper works very well with soft pencils and exceedingly well with pencils with a bit of a scratch factor. As you might remember, I said that the Field Notes pencil had a little scratch to it and that I thought it made sense, so that Comrades could write on the run and know they were leaving a mark. I think something similar can be said about the paper. Pencil doesn’t glide across it the way that it glides across Rhodia paper, but that’s not what Field Notes are made to do. They are made to travel in your pocket and help you to remember things, solve problems, etc. A durable pencil and durable paper, especially when the “feedback” indicates that you are, in fact, writing down legibly the name of that author your Comrade mentioned on a hike or the contact information of someone you met on a trip. Besides — overly creamy paper in a rough and stiff brown cover seems like a bizarre contradiction somehow. One problem I found with using pencils in these notebooks is ghosting. “Ghosting” is what I call the transfer of graphite from one page onto another by means of the pressure from writing on the backs of pages. This happens with soft pencils all the time in notebooks. But it feels like Field Notes are especially prone to this messy graphite shadowing. However, I’m sticking with my idea of these as practical notebooks, not pieces of art. As such, ghosting is only a moderate issue, when writing is still perfectly legible. Unless you actually pet your notebooks and re-read them often, it’s not likely to bother you.

Not only that, but the notebook and pencil make a great pair, with their matching aesthetic (not just the print), durable and practical design, and slight edge. I like to think of Field Notes products as akin to bags made of Army canvas. Their roughness amounts to, as I said, an edge. They are hardy and do seem to sacrifice delicacy for practicality. That’s what I personally like about my vintage Army map case (shown above) and, often, about pencils in general. They always just work.

Field Notes Review, Part I: The Pencil.

The nice people at Field Notes sent a parcel to the Pencil Revolution HQ last week for review purposes. It contained a mixed set of their excellent notebooks, a pin, a rubber band and two Field Notes pencils. The first part our two-part Field Notes review is a reflection on this striking pencil.

Vitals:
Material: California Incense Cedar.
Shape: Round.
Finish: None at all.
Ferrule: Aluminum, bare and plain.
Eraser: Green (in color and gradability).
Core: Ceramic/graphite composite. Available in #2/HB.
Markings: “fieldnotesbrand.com | FIELD NOTES | BONDED LEAD | No. 2 / ABOUT THIS PENCIL | Lacquer-free Renewable Cal-Cedar Wood Casing, Recyclable Aluminum Ferrule, Enviro-Green Degradable Eraser and Certified Non-Toxic Imprint Inks”
Packaging: Pack of six; also inserted into parcels of Field Notes notebooks, legend has it.
Origin: United States.
Availability: From FieldNotesBrand.Com and select online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

When you remove a Field Notes pencil from whatever package or bag in which it came, you won’t first notice the unfinished wood, the interesting graphics or the green eraser first. You will be hit full-force with a strong smell of cedar. But, of course, that is not a bad thing but winds up being one of my favorite things about this very nice pencil.

There is no finish whatsoever on the Field Notes pencil. It is round and sanded, like a little dowel full of lead. The print on the barrel is dark, sharp and in keeping with the aesthetic of Field Notes gear in general. Both of our test models had very well-centered cores. Combined with the fine wood, this allowed some of the easiest sharpening I’ve seen lately on a pencil that runs for under $1 a piece. The ferrule appears to be glued onto the pencil, rather than crimped. One of the test models had a few splinters at the ferrule, but these came off in second with my thumbnail. The ferrule/eraser assembly is fairly well-centered, though not perfectly centered, which puts it on par with most quality “office pencils” for sale in the United States. The eraser also appears to be glued. Interestingly, the units we were sent for review have two different eraser lengths; one was longer than most pencil erasers. However, it is firmly stuck into the ferrule. So I view it as a bit of serendipity in having a slightly larger eraser. I am a sucker for unfinished pencils. I get a kick out of the veneer that my sweaty hands leaves on the virgin wood, the dark tinge that it gets from my dirty mitts. Field Notes has succeeded in making a very visually appealing pencil to go with their well-designed notebooks.

The core writes very well under most circumstances. The HB runs a little darker than a Mirado/Black Warrior HB and feels very much like General’s Cedar Pointe to me. Considering that the pencil is made in the US and that there are very few pencil factories operating within US borders, I wonder if the manufacturing of the Field Notes pencil might not be contracted out to General’s Pencil Company (?). I noticed a hint of scratchiness to the lead, but not so much that it bothers me. There are certainly instances wherein I prefer a pencil that lets me know I’m using it and that there’s writing being accomplished. In the dark or when I’m writing standing up (or even while walking), I like to know that my pencil is making marks on paper. I might even stretch this line of thinking to say that the Field Notes pencil, because you know you’re writing with it, goes with the entire field notes (small F and N) concept. Smearability is pretty average, I think, running about the same as an HB Dixon. The mild scratchiness on the Field Notes pencil could even come from the fact that there is no paint or finish to dampen vibrations. I have some unfinished sample pencils from another manufacturer, and they are a bit on the rough side for writing, despite their finished counterparts (with identical cores) being extremely smooth.

The eraser is green and soft and works reasonably well. There’s not much to say about it except that I would really like to see a Field Notes eraser as a block with their graphics on it, made from this pleasant green substance. The eraser takes the graphite off, leaves the paper and more or less performs the way that it is supposed to. And I have to mention its color again. It’s somehow retro-looking and matches the Field Notes aesthetic perfectly.

As I said earlier, the most striking feature of this pencil, for me, is its aroma. I’ve never used a pencil that smells this strongly of cedar and have seldom ever used one to match it. It’s been a pleasure for my nose to use, and I’ve caught myself in at least one important meeting sniffing it like some sort of pencil junky. The unit that I’ve been carrying around and using has actually been the object of envy from my father, a retired Warrant Officer, because of the aromatic assets of this pencil. When Field Notes gets more in stock (or if they’d like to send us some to spread the word to the People!), I’ll definitely be gifting these lovely pencils.

I’d offer Field Notes a few suggestions, aside from the big green Field Notes eraser. While I love this pencil, it doesn’t fit into a shirt pocket with a Field Notes notebook because it’s just too long. I could cut it to size, but I can’t waste half of a pencil. I’d love to see 1/2-sized Field Notes pencils with pocket clips and point protectors, so that they can travel more easily with their paper Comrades. Or, to avoid having to stock two different kinds of pencils, Field Notes could offer a set of a metal point protector and a pencil clip, which the user could attach to a shortened pencil. We’d lose the graphics, but Field Notes are as much about handiness as they are about great design — at least in my mind.

In the end, this is a great pencil that I wish I could find more easily locally. The eraser and graphite work well, and the designed lack of finish and enhanced aroma (though the latter could be a happy accident) make this pencil not just a keeper, but one Comrades are likely to actively seek out. Just don’t get caught sniffing it in a meeting.

On upcoming reviews.

The good folks at Field Notes Brand have sent some excellent Field Notes samples to Pencil Revolution HQ in Balitmore, and we are excited to give these babies a thorough test-run and pencil-specific review. Thanks, FN! There is more gear to review in the post from other comrades; so there are more reviews on the way!

New Blackwing Pre-Review.

[Note: These were samples sent, gratis, from Cal Cedar. These are pre-production models, subject to change -- and also massive excitement.]

We’ve mentioned the new Palomino Blackwing twice (here and here) on Pencil Revolution so far but have not offered a review yet. This is in keeping with our unwritten pencil review policy, which is that, in short, we do not generally review pencils which cannot be gotten by Comrades, at least somewhere in the world. We held off on reviewing the Palomino until you could buy it, and we’ll hold off on a complete review of the new Blackwing until you can buy it — or, at least, until there’s a date for its official and much anticipated release.

However, it’s just plain mean to keep Comrades completely in the dark about this exciting development in the Pencil World! So, bearing in mind that many things about this pencil might change before Comrades can purchase them, this is a summary of the New Blackwing Experience.

Presentation/Construction
Like any California Republic product, the Blackwing Palomino presents itself as a high-quality pencil the second you pick it up. The cedar smell wafts nicely from your hand. The ferule is shiny and tight. There are a few issues I found with the finish, but I’ll mention those small qualms later. The balance of the pencil is, of course, different than a regular pencil because of the large ferule/eraser assembly. But that certainly does not mean that it is necessarily top-heavy. It is just, for lack of a better word, different. You get used to it, being distracted by how smoothly it writes.

Finish
One of the most striking characteristics of the orange/blue Palomino pencil is its excellent finish. The paint on the new Blackwing is a matte black, with a color and texture akin to the Dixon Ticonderoga Black (when it was made in the USA — not the Microban version out today). Both of our review pencils had gold dust/paint on the black in areas it should not have been, and there were wrinkles in the paint of one unit. The gold stamping is a little feathery, unlike the very precise stamp on a Palomino. But, these things aside, it is still a beautiful pencil. And, at the risk of sounding sycophantic, I am sure that California Republic will take care of those issues when the production model hits shelves, mailboxes and the page.

Eraser
Blackwing fans will notice that the eraser, though nearly identical to the previous eraser/ferrule, is white, rather than pink. This does not really bother me, especially since it appears to be made of the same material as the eraser on the regular Palomino. Erasing was clean, easy and quick.

Lead/Core
One of the reasons that the Blackwing was so popular — perhaps the reason — was its smooth and dark core. I could gush for paragraphs about how smooth and dark this core is. It is, in short, as smooth and dark as writing with a gel pen — without all the pesky mess involved in that slow-drying ink. As you can see from my terrible photographs, it is darker than a 4B Faber-Castell 9000, and smoother to boot.

As with any dark-writing pencil, this comes at the price of more frequent sharpenings and greater “ghosting” onto the next page. Personally, I found myself writing until I almost hit the wood more than I necessarily found myself sharpening more. The pencil writes so smoothly that I didn’t stop to do anything, let alone carve out a chunk of it with a sharpener. I wore down the point much further than I generally do. Perhaps it would, then, be more accurate to say that it dulls more quickly. One annoying thing about dark pencils is that they ghost onto the previous page when you write on the back of the sheet. This is especially annoying on thin Moleskine paper, but I’ve found that to be an issue with most pencils and even the cheapest of ballpoint pens on that paper. With thicker paper, I think this issue can be solved and might be something we will look at on the official review when the production model comes out.

In Summa
The key to appreciating the Palomino Blackwing is to consider its nature. In my feedback to the company, I suggested changes that would make it look like the original Blackwing because I was, in some ways, looking at it as the rebirth of the Blackwing, a re-make or reproduction. In that respect, the finish of the pencil would fail. Aside from the ferrule, it doesn’t look like the original Blackwing more than any other black, hexagonal pencil. The logo is missing; the color is different; the eraser is white.

But, if I understand correctly from some of Woodchuck‘s comments, the Palomino Blackwing was coming out with or without the famous name. I think I read that it was going to be called the Pegasus (which would have been fitting) until the Blackwing name became available. In this light, what the new Blackwing amounts to is a fantastic modern pencil under the Palomino line, with a nod to the legend that was the Blackwing 602. In some ways, it could never be the original. Any new Blackwing would not be made by the same company, not be made in the USA (I assume, since pencil factories are few around these parts), would probably have a better eraser and more environmentally friendly paint than the old pink-topped 602 model. I think asking how much this new pencil resembles the old is fruitless and might cause retro grouches among us (and I count myself in this camp on occasion) to ignore an otherwise fine instrument.

So, the questions I will be asking when the new production Palomino Blackwing comes out are: Is this a great pencil? Does it do justice to the Palomino name the Blackwing name? Could this pencil indeed be the stuff of its own legend, aside from the lineage of its moniker?

I have to tell you: from the preview we have been lucky enough to experience, I think it can stand on its own, apart from either name stamped onto the side in gold letters.

The New Blackwings Arrive!

From the pencil-loving folks who brought you the beloved Palomino, we are pleased to be one of a few harbingers of the newly reborn Blackwing pencil. We received two of them today in the mail, in a much anticipated envelope.

Please keep in mind two things:

1) These are strictly pre-production samples. So changes to the final product may or may not be made. We checked with our comrades at Cal Cedar before posting these images, and they requested that we stress that this a pre-production run.

2) We do not sell or make these (or any other pencils) at Pencil Revolution. We merely spread the word and the, er, graphite. There has been a lot of confusion about that over the last few years, and it’s probably my own fault for my strange collective voicing of things.

Just wanted to get this post up, to brag in a way, before sharpening one of these beauties up and doing some writing.

See also Orange Crate Art, Boing Boing and The Blackwing Pages for more first impressions.

Review of Bic Matic.

This piece is by Matt Downey, a student of music and pencils.
I love pencils. All kinds of pencils. I have a weird love of graphite and gel ink. I carry untold numbers of implements with me at all times. I know that it is explained via OCD, but I feel I must have a source of graphite with me. I am a Music Composition major at a SUNY (State University of New York).Â I just finished my freshman year. At the bookstore on campus there are few implement choices. Sharpwriters, Matics, and overpriced Pentels. The woodcased pencils are not worth mentioning except the overpriced art pencils such as Turquoise which are in another section of the store entirely. When comparing the Pentels to the Papermates and the Bics, $5 gets you one of the former and ten of the latter two. Among music students I have observed that the Matic is the choice most often made. Twenty years ago the allegiance would have been given without question to the Mongol. To Sanford a cry of “bring it back,” along with the Blackwing is futile but heartfelt.

Technical Data.
Material: Plastic.
Core: .07mm.
Point: Plastic fixed needle.
Eraser: White vinyl.
Markings: â€œBIC (w/mascot) Pencil .07mm #2â€ on clip.
Origins: Varies. Iâ€™ve seen China, USA and France.
Availability: Office supply stores, CVS and anywhere BIC writing products are sold.

All right, itâ€™s confession time. I learned to write with a Mongol and a Matic back about 13 to 14 years ago. Matics are a sentimental favorite of mine for that reason. This has not prevented me from abandoning them in favor of Pentels (wish I still had that P205) but I have always come back to it because of its merits:

1.Solid tip: Although plastic, it is not flimsy as the Papermates. Also I fear every other mechanical pencil in this price range I have tried has felt like it was not worth buying. This feels solid.

2.Balance: It is similar to a woodcase without an eraser if you remove the clip as shown in the photo.

3.Eraser: White vinyl and soft. It erases better than a standard Dixon. From the point of view of people at my school that is the deciding factor. The Papermate has the same thing they put on the American, which is an abomination. Now the Pentels, which are ten times the price, have better erasers, but no one wants to spend $5 dollars on a pencil that Staples gives in three packs for the same price. So the eraser is great, and is the reason many people buy this cheap item.

Cosmetically, it looks like Bicâ€™s Cristal pens, except it comes with a colored clip. It is inexpensive and writes well.

Now after the reviewing is done I will throw in my biases.

I like dark lines and smooth writing. My favorite woodcase pencils are: Palomino (check out Timberlines 6/20/06), Forest Choice, and I just got some Mongols with which I relive school days. On the Mechie trail, I favor various Pentels .05mm equipped with .05mm/2B lead.Â The only things I do with Matic pencils is break off the clip (OCD) and switch to Pentel HB lead which I think is slightly smoother. This pencil is also available in .05mm but I havenâ€™t seen any in the bookstore for some time and donâ€™t have any to review.

Conclusion: A good buy for general purpose. A must have for pencil lovers as they are of a high quality and cheap. To me there is something important about having samples of both types of pencils, regardless of which one garners more use. In my case I sketch (music) with wood and score (make the sketches the piece envisioned) with mechanical. Why? My handwriting is horrible and scores need all the legibility I can muster. Uniformity in point helps with that. For a sketch, which is to say the creation of the piece, wood seems best. I am an equal opportunity pencil freak, and I recommend that you check out a Matic without delay.
[Images and text, M.D.Â Used with very kind permission.]

Review of KUM Automatic Long Point Sharpener.

Finally, another sharpener review! This piece is courtesy of our good friend and pencil champion Woodchuck.

KUM and California Republic Stationers have collaborated to introduce a special edition Palomino Long Point Sharpener. This is an adaptation of the premium “Automatic” Long Point sharpener from KUM that features a two step process to acheiving a perfect point. The first step sharpens just the wood leaving the graphite core mostly untouched for step two; sharpening the graphite core to a fine even point. Normally available in a translucent red finish this special edition is translucent orange to complement the Palomino graphite pencil range.

Type: Dual 8mm holes – to sharpen regularly-sized pencils in two steps.
Blade Material: 2 Steel blades (plus 2 replacement blades included).
Shavings Receptacle: Translucent orange plastic with clear plastic hinged lid; oval profile.
Point Type: Long Point (approx 2.3cm from sharpend pencil point to lacquer coat 0.5cm exposed graphite core).
Markings: “Palomino California Republic Stationers” is imprinted in gold on side of the sharpener; “KUM Automatic Long Point” appears on the clear lid with “Made in Germany” on the bottom.
Physical Size: Approximately 2 1/2 inches long X 1 1/2 wide X 1 inch high.
Availability: Palomino Limited Edition through Pencil World Creativity Store; standard KUM Automatic online at Pencilthings.com, Dick Blick and art and office supply stores.

Prior to being exposed to this two-step sharpener I was a devotee of the KUM metal wedge sharpeners favoring either the magnesium two hole or a block type one hole sharpener. I have several varieties of these, both with and without various container formats. I’ve even gone so far as to string a two hole magnesium wedge sharpener to a lanyard for use during fishing trips. I still enjoy the range of magnesium wedge sharpeners for the simplicity, and the clean, short points when I’m using a Golden Bear or Prospector around the house or office.

However, I’ll no longer touch my Palominos with anything but this Long Point sharpener. It provides a fine, crisp point that lasts longer between sharpenings than the wedge point. The feel and performance when writing or sketching is just great. While it does take a bit more care to protect the sharper point for the first few minutes of use than the more blunt wedge shape of other sharpeners, it’s worth the effort. This sharpener also makes the pencil look so much more of a premium product, much better than our initial factory sharpening which does the best job we can do without hand sharpening and creating a higher risk of damage during shipment. If I could find a way to provide the Palominos with this quality point straight from the factory without any damage I’d do it in a minute.

Each sharpener comes with two spare blades and a cardboard case with operating instructions on the two-step sharpening process. The blades are interchangeable, as it’s the design and precision milling of the light magnesium alloy that positions the pencil relative to the blade to achieve a perfect pencil point. The screw-mounted blades are held absolutely immovable, do not loosen, and the pencil does not wobble while turning. Since you’re sharpening the graphite alone in the second step, you can get to a great point purely by feel as you can really sense the lighter resistance of the graphite on the steel blade.

One thing I still don’t quite understand is the name “Automatic”. Though it was explained to me as something to do with the autostop feature so that the 1st step of sharpening the wood alone does not oversharpen the pencil, it seems to me this is really a manual sharpener. Thus the “Automatic” terminology seems a bit out of place, and for our purposes we have dropped the Automatic name from our eBay listing.

KUM produces two standard styles. A red version which is just the same as this Palomino limited edition and blue version which adds a 0.5mm mechanical lead pointer to one side. Both are available through PencilThings.com and other places online.

As far as this special edition Palomino Long Point version is concerned I was first introduced to this sharpener back in January at the Frankfurt PaperWorld fair during a meeting with KUM Owner and Managing Director Fritz Luettgens. I knew immediately I had to pair it with our Palomino pencils to ensure our users had the opportunity to experience the best sharpened point in the world with our fine quality pencils. The whole group at KUM was great to work with and patiently created a series of color variations until we got just what we wanted, a nice translucent orange with our gold California Republic Palomino imprint on one side.

[Images and text, Woodchuck.Â Used with very kind permission.]

Review of PaperMate Mirado Black Warrior.

It has been a long time since we posted a review of a pencil, and that is one of the purposes this site was meant to serve when I started it. Among the pencils that keep popping up on the list of what Comrades would like to see reviewed is the Mirado Black Warrior, the pencil which will lead the charge in this resolution to a more consistent program of posting reviews.

Material: California Incense Cedar.
Shape: Round.
Finish: Glossy black with gold lettering.
Ferrule: Red-banded brass.
Eraser: Genuine Pink Pearl.
Core: Waxed-ceramic/graphite composite. Available in #1/B, #2/HB, #2.5/F, #3/H.
Markings: “USA/Mirado Black Warrior/HB/[two hearts].”
Packaging: Varies from open-stock, to packs of eight or ten, to boxes of a dozen.
Origin: Made in Lewisburg, Tennessee, United States by the Sanford Corporation.
Availability: Widely available in office supply stores, art supply stores, university bookstores, department stores and online.

What the Mirado Black Warrior has over other pencils that are as widely available is that it is obviously of a higher quality. It is not nicer than the Mirado Classic, but the latterâ€™s yellow color does little to set it apart from cheapos you might find discarded on the sidewalk. The Black Warrior, with itâ€™s black finish, banded brass ferrule and rounded shape, stands out among American pencils when on a desk or sticking out of a shirt pocket.

The obviousness of its quality does not end with the appearance. PaperMate bills the Mirado pencils as the smoothest writing pencils in the world. While that is certainly a matter for debate, the core of the Mirado is smooth, due to being impregnated with wax. This has its ups and downs. On the bright side, you get the above-mentioned smoothness and a superior strength of point that resists breakage and lasts long between sharpenings. On the not-so-bright side, the ultra-smoothness has the price of leaving a very faint line, even for an HB pencil. As a partial remedy, you could try the #1/B grade, which maintains the legendary smoothness and generates a darkness of line that runs a little darker than a Dixon #2/HB. Personally, I prefer this grade for writing and the HB for underlining and marginalia in books.

There is debate over whether “rough” erasers like the Pink Pearl damage paper too much compared with something like the Staedtler Mars plastic eraser. With the pumice in the Pink Pearl, this may very well be the case, and I would never use one on watercolor paper or the like. But that is not the purpose of the Pink Pearl or the Mirado. While one can certainly sketch away with a Black Warrior (and I have attended boring lectures where people did just that), the primary purpose of Mirado pencils is writing. A new Mirado with a semi-soft Pink Pearl will not burn holes through the pages you write on. It might remove a small layer, but only an overly heavy hand or inferior paper will cause ruin for pages of writing with a Pink Pearl. If one is concerned about the microscopic flaws such a rough eraser might cause on writing paper, one might not like a Mirado. Not caring about that myself, I prefer the eraser on Mirado pencils to the eraser on any other Sanford pencil, by far. The eraser does what it should do, while managing to last far longer than softer erasers. They are a bit on the messy side, but no one said this Revolution was going to be a tidy one.

Writing with a Black Warrior is a new experience for someone used to hexagonal pencils. With the glossy finish, even only slightly damp hands make getting a good grip a bit difficult. On the other hand, the round shape allows for holding the pencil in different positions, and I imagine that Comrades who have had the corners of a pencil embedded into fingers will appreciate the gentler shape of the Black Warrior. They fall right off the desk, so angle them carefully.

Of course, the Black Warrior smells heavenly because of its cedar construction, and sharpening a rounded wooden pencil is a breeze with any quality sharpener. And there are always some times that a very sharp and light-marking pencil is exactly the tool for the job, such as writing in precious LOA volumes. Still, with the softest grade, one can enjoy the smoothness and the darkness of a fine American pencil. Considering their relatively inexpensive price tag, wide availability and impressive quality, the Black Warrior is a formidable tool to have in a Comrade’s graphite arsenal.

[Text and images, J.G.]

Viva la Revolucion!
Search for:
Gotta Pay Hosting Bills
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
- New Tech? « kierstiebarr on Russian Space Pen.
- Cathy on Review of Dixon Ticonderoga Classic.
- wasswa Razack on PRevo Guestbook
- Alejandro Leo on Review of PaperMate Mirado Black Warrior.
- Lynne Hallgren on From the Mailbox: Testing Pencils.
February 2012

S M T W T F S

« Oct

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29
Meta
Gotta Pay For Supplies

Drill Bit Pencil Sharpener.

Review of General’s Layout Pencil.

Review of Neko Heavy Industries Sketchbooks.

Review of Whitelines Perfect Bound Books.

Review of 2011 Daycraft Planners.

Review of Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener.

EcoSystem and Rhodia 2011 Planners.

Review of EcoSystem Architect Notebook.

Rad and Hungry Colombian Pack Contents.

Review of General’s Cedar Pointe.

Review of Rhodia Dot Pad.

Review of General’s Semi-Hex, HB.

Review of Daycraft Signature Notebook.

Book Review of Robert Walser’s Microscripts.

EasyRiter writing gear.

Review of EcoJot Journals.

Review of Rhodia Pencil.

Field Notes Review, Part II: The Notebook.

Field Notes Review, Part I: The Pencil.

On upcoming reviews.

New Blackwing Pre-Review.

The New Blackwings Arrive!

Review of Bic Matic.

Review of KUM Automatic Long Point Sharpener.

Review of PaperMate Mirado Black Warrior.

Revolt!

Comrades At Arms

Pencil World

Categories

Archives

Viva la Revolucion!

Gotta Pay Hosting Bills

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Meta

Gotta Pay For Supplies

February 2012
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
« Oct
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29