Comments on: The hunt for the EE grade pencil http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil exploring the art and science of pencils since 2005 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:08:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Dicky http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-180161 Dicky Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:20:07 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-180161 Personally I despise the EE pencil BUT it is alive and well and living in Thailand. The EE pencil is the only drawing medium used by students doing observation drawing but I really feel it is not suitable for this job due to its limited tonal range and its tendency to turn into a dirty mess when used buy inexperienced art students. EE will never die in Thailand. Personally I despise the EE pencil BUT it is alive and well and living in Thailand. The EE pencil is the only drawing medium used by students doing observation drawing but I really feel it is not suitable for this job due to its limited tonal range and its tendency to turn into a dirty mess when used buy inexperienced art students.

EE will never die in Thailand.

]]> By: penciladmin http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-149632 penciladmin Sat, 11 Jun 2011 20:59:43 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-149632 All, thank you for the comments. The withdrawn soft grade Staedtler pencils seem to be a subject of ongoing interest. Liz, thank you for the comment. You suggest that the EB/EE pencils did once have a different formulation. But I also note that in Australia, Staedtler used to manufacture the Lumograph. Could the formula have varied from the German Lumograph? Logan, thank you for the observations. We're always open to guest reviews. :-) Jim, rectangular lead/chisel point pencils are indeed rare today, and have both utility and a lot of cachet as collectables. Graeme, It's nice to hear of a shop having older stock on hand. It is the sort of place I dream of, and a good reason to visit independent retailers! Thanks for your comment. All, thank you for the comments. The withdrawn soft grade Staedtler pencils seem to be a subject of ongoing interest.

Liz, thank you for the comment. You suggest that the EB/EE pencils did once have a different formulation. But I also note that in Australia, Staedtler used to manufacture the Lumograph. Could the formula have varied from the German Lumograph?

Logan, thank you for the observations. We’re always open to guest reviews. :-)

Jim, rectangular lead/chisel point pencils are indeed rare today, and have both utility and a lot of cachet as collectables.

Graeme, It’s nice to hear of a shop having older stock on hand. It is the sort of place I dream of, and a good reason to visit independent retailers! Thanks for your comment.

]]> By: Graeme Lindsay-Jones http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-149441 Graeme Lindsay-Jones Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:57:10 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-149441 I've just had an interesting conversation with a chap from the Leeds Life Drawing club (http://www.leedslifedrawing.com/) about the last lonely (and long discontinued) pack of Lumograph 200-EB leads I have on my dusty shelves. We couldn't decide where the old EB grade fell compared to 7B, 8B etc, because our memories are too befuddled or don't go back that far to remember with any certainty. I still have a number of the discontinued coloured 2mm Staedtler leads from the mists of time (my shop - Dinsdales - has been in the art & stationery trade for well over 100 years), but no EE I'm sad to say. Anyway - thanks for the info. Graeme. I’ve just had an interesting conversation with a chap from the Leeds Life Drawing club (http://www.leedslifedrawing.com/) about the last lonely (and long discontinued) pack of Lumograph 200-EB leads I have on my dusty shelves. We couldn’t decide where the old EB grade fell compared to 7B, 8B etc, because our memories are too befuddled or don’t go back that far to remember with any certainty.
I still have a number of the discontinued coloured 2mm Staedtler leads from the mists of time (my shop – Dinsdales – has been in the art & stationery trade for well over 100 years), but no EE I’m sad to say.
Anyway – thanks for the info.
Graeme.

]]> By: Jim http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-137657 Jim Sun, 15 May 2011 14:49:16 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-137657 I found a circa 1930s Staedtler Mars tin with 10 EX EXB pencils. They are unusual in the sense that they are thick and round like EF carbon pencils, in fact have a similar lead quality, but the most unusual thing is that the lead is flat like a carpenters pencil in a round body. I never seen anything like this before. Is this a rare pencil? I imagine this was manually sharpened too. I found a circa 1930s Staedtler Mars tin with 10 EX EXB pencils. They are unusual in the sense that they are thick and round like EF carbon pencils, in fact have a similar lead quality, but the most unusual thing is that the lead is flat like a carpenters pencil in a round body. I never seen anything like this before. Is this a rare pencil? I imagine this was manually sharpened too.

]]> By: logan http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-137131 logan Fri, 13 May 2011 18:51:41 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-137131 How does the EE compare to General's Kimberly 9XXB? I've been using the 9XXB lately when I need very dark non-shiny blacks. Drag-wise it doesn't feel waxy like a lumograph 8B, it feels more like charcoal, but without being 'squeaky' or brittle. How does the EE compare to General’s Kimberly 9XXB? I’ve been using the 9XXB lately when I need very dark non-shiny blacks.

Drag-wise it doesn’t feel waxy like a lumograph 8B, it feels more like charcoal, but without being ‘squeaky’ or brittle.

]]> By: Liz Crane http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-136878 Liz Crane Fri, 13 May 2011 01:16:39 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-136878 I have a 20 year old set of "Staedtler Mars-Lumograph 100" pencils. The set contains the full range of B pencils AND includes an EE and an EB. I am a private Art Teacher at The Arts Emporium in NSW Australia, have completed Tertiary Art qualifications, have experience teaching in secondary schools and majored in drawing. I can categorically state that the EE and the EB are NOTHING like a 7B or an 8B.(they might be the same for the manufacturer but they are not the same for an Artist) The EE and EB are intense BLACK pencils which have nothing of the shine of a 7B or 8B. Infact - I would say that the EE and EB are closer to a black pencil such as a Derwent Ivory Black or even a Faber-Castell Black Watercolour pencil. The Black pencils give a closer blackness to the EB and EE but drag more due to their waxier consistency. Whatever Staedtler has done to adjust the formulae has changed the way the pencil behaves. If the true EE and EB are out there - I will be pleased to recommend them to our students. I have a 20 year old set of “Staedtler Mars-Lumograph 100″ pencils.
The set contains the full range of B pencils AND includes an EE and an EB.
I am a private Art Teacher at The Arts Emporium in NSW Australia, have completed Tertiary Art qualifications, have experience teaching in secondary schools and majored in drawing.

I can categorically state that the EE and the EB are NOTHING like a 7B or an 8B.(they might be the same for the manufacturer but they are not the same for an Artist) The EE and EB are intense BLACK pencils which have nothing of the shine of a 7B or 8B.
Infact – I would say that the EE and EB are closer to a black pencil such as a Derwent Ivory Black or even a Faber-Castell Black Watercolour pencil. The Black pencils give a closer blackness to the EB and EE but drag more due to their waxier consistency.
Whatever Staedtler has done to adjust the formulae has changed the way the pencil behaves.
If the true EE and EB are out there – I will be pleased to recommend them to our students.

]]> By: mel trott http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-106999 mel trott Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:11:24 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-106999 well guess what i too am on the search for an EB pencil my favourite, gave my daughter my last one to use not thinking i would have so much difficulty finding another. So, just to clarify is it that the EB is now a 7B and is it up to the job? also is the 9B pencil even softer? well guess what i too am on the search for an EB pencil my favourite, gave my daughter my last one to use not thinking i would have so much difficulty finding another. So, just to clarify is it that the EB is now a 7B and is it up to the job? also is the 9B pencil even softer?

]]> By: Lexikaliker - H und B http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-38631 Lexikaliker - H und B Sat, 15 May 2010 16:45:01 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-38631 [...] Buchstaben anderen Benennungen wie z. B. „Extra Extra Black” (erst EX-EXB, dann EEB und EE, dem heutigen 8B). Daneben etablierte sich die Kombination aus Buchstabe und Zahl, denen manche [...] [...] Buchstaben anderen Benennungen wie z. B. „Extra Extra Black” (erst EX-EXB, dann EEB und EE, dem heutigen 8B). Daneben etablierte sich die Kombination aus Buchstabe und Zahl, denen manche [...]

]]> By: Lexikaliker » Blog-Archiv » EX-EXB http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-34213 Lexikaliker » Blog-Archiv » EX-EXB Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:04:01 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-34213 [...] Details zum Härtegrad EE gibt es unter “The hunt for the EE grade pencil” und “Staedtler Mars Lumograph EE update” bei pencil [...] [...] Details zum Härtegrad EE gibt es unter “The hunt for the EE grade pencil” und “Staedtler Mars Lumograph EE update” bei pencil [...]

]]> By: Jan Hart http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-33740 Jan Hart Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:31:06 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-33740 I just had a student ask me," what does the EE on my pencil mean? " I went to ASK, and there it was, Khup Kuhn Khup, Kuhn Jan I just had a student ask me,” what does the EE on my pencil mean? ”

I went to ASK, and there it was, Khup Kuhn Khup,

Kuhn Jan

]]> By: penciladmin http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-32670 penciladmin Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:51:25 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-32670 There is some more information <a href="http://www.penciltalk.org/2008/03/staedtler-mars-lumograph-ee-update" rel="nofollow">here</a>, though lead refills were not considered. I believe that the current EE and 7B and 8B pencils are "carbon" pencils - a graphite/charcoal blend. (Also made by others.) I'm guessing based on comments that the EB and EE grades were once solely (or primarily) graphite based. There is some more information here, though lead refills were not considered.

I believe that the current EE and 7B and 8B pencils are “carbon” pencils – a graphite/charcoal blend. (Also made by others.)

I’m guessing based on comments that the EB and EE grades were once solely (or primarily) graphite based.

]]> By: TraditionalAnimator http://www.penciltalk.org/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil/comment-page-1#comment-32664 TraditionalAnimator Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:50:24 +0000 http://173.203.81.145/2007/12/the-hunt-for-the-ee-grade-pencil#comment-32664 http://www.rsaum.co.uk is no longer available, so I still don't know what the reason for removing EB and EE is. I have probably the only copy of a 2MM EB Lead refill in California, and I'd sell all I had to get that line back into production and distribution! They can be erased compleately with an electric eraser, and they don't smudge or smear no matter how heavy a line you put on any kind of papaer if you can't use a toxic fixative or a scanner! Is there some sora petition or boycott we could send to the company to get at least those leads back on the market? http://www.rsaum.co.uk is no longer available, so I still don’t know what the reason for removing EB and EE is. I have probably the only copy of a 2MM EB Lead refill in California, and I’d sell all I had to get that line back into production and distribution! They can be erased compleately with an electric eraser, and they don’t smudge or smear no matter how heavy a line you put on any kind of papaer if you can’t use a toxic fixative or a scanner! Is there some sora petition or boycott we could send to the company to get at least those leads back on the market?

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