Readers of this blog know that we like the serious stuff, and don’t typically mention novelty or advertising pencils. But we’ll make an exception for this pencil from Clairefontaine, possibly (probably?) made in Japan. It matches a Clairefontaine notebook set.
In another way, it also matches the Rhodia pencil, coming from the same corporate family, […]
I saw a picture of this notebook at Notebookism, and decided to order one.
It’s great! It’s a heavy duty cardboard cover, with sewn pages from a variety of reused paper sources, heavy on the graph paper and accounting styles. It fastens with a rubber band.
I keep a Zebra mechanical pencil clipped to it, which makes […]
The Dixon Ticonderoga is a staple. It’s one of the oldest and most distinguished names in the American pencil industry. It’s also now made in China.
Some fear a decline in quality. But what are they worried about? Check the back of the package:
The Kum Automatic Longpoint Sharpener (Automatic Langkonus Spitzer in German) is definitely know on the net. It’s often touted as being one of the best sharpeners made today.
After trying it myself, I felt that what I had previously read and heard didn’t really communicate how the Longpoint works. I doubt I’m alone, so […]
This is a notebook made from found and reused paper. It’s an absolute delight because of the whimsical paper choices - the pages have surprise bits of poems and illustrations.
There is a downside - it falls into the category of being so nice that you don’t want to use it. And since it’s one […]
Pastellini is a set of 98 small colour pencils housed in a cylindrical tin, made by Seletti in Italy.
The tin has a lid with a clear cutout to see the many colourful pencils.
The pencils are quite small and round - making them more of an amusement than a practical tool. Still, they look great, and […]
Fabriano is possibly the world’s most distinguished paper mill, with roots dating to the 13th century. It created the paper that Michelangelo and many other greats used.
One of their many current products is the Fabriano Classic Artist’s Journal, a paper journal with various formats. All are 192 sheets of toothy, mould-made (Ingres) 90 […]
The Exacompta Bloc Faf is a cool retro inspired pad of paper held together with real metal bolts and washers. People just adore this pad of paper when they see it. It has a mid-20th century styling (think Perry Mason and Della Street) while being incredibly sturdy and useful.
It stays put on a desk, with […]