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.]

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.]

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.

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.

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.]

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 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.

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.)

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!

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.]