Here is a giant novelty pencil found at the Pottery Barn store, along with a regular pencil for comparison.
The photo was taken during the summer.
Here’s that same picnic bench a few days ago:
Its been a tough winter.
The Wallace Invader pencil
Does anyone remember these?
I have only one in HB, and a few in F.
It has that classic unrounded hexagonal shape. The varnish hasn’t completely survived though the decades, but the pencil’s writing ability is unimpaired.
Dixon purchased Versailles, Missouri based Wallace in 1982.
Tortoise Lead Pointer
Image used courtesy of isu at the uncomfortable chair.
The Tortoise Lead Pointer is a remarkable all-in-one unit for blade sharpening of leads. It can handle:
1.18mm: Traditional mechanical pencils (pre-1950?), and today, Yard-O-Led, some Autopoint, and some Retro 51 pencils.
2.0mm: A standard lead diameter.
3.15mm: A standard lead diameter.
3.8mm: Less common – used by the Pilot Croquis, and some Koh-I-Noor models.
5.6mm: A standard lead diameter.
Two sharpening angles are offered for 2.0mm leads.
I like the playful name, the design, and the focus on the leadholder culture. Though there are individual sharpeners and lead pointers on the market, I have never seen such an all-in-one unit. I look forward to getting one.
The product can be purchased at bundoki.com.
The design behind the product is thanks to U5 Architects Unit.
Please see the review and additional photos at the uncomfortable chair.
Staedtler Mars Lumograph EE update
With thanks to Staedtler staff in Canada, Germany, and Thailand, there is further news on the EE grade pencil.
After the EB and EE grades were withdrawn, Staedtler Malaysia continued making those versions for their market, with graphite cores supplied from Germany. This production ended in 2005.
At present, some of the 8B pencils made in Germany are stamped EE for the Asian market. Staedtler still makes the EE grade pencil!
The photos show a box of the former EE from Staedtler Malaysia.
Related posts:
Under the weather.
My apologies. Fighting a stubborn cold has delayed pencil talk updates.
Don’t worry, there are a lot more pencils to soon discuss!
Pilot S20 drafting pencil
The Pilot S20 is a very special pencil. It could be classified in many ways – as a drafting pencil, a mechanical pencil, or as a luxury pencil.
The S20 has the shape and features of a drafting pencil, and it is a drafting pencil, but it’s also perfectly usable as a general purpose mechanical pencil. The construction and finish are also at a level where a few small changes would make this pencil quite at home at upscale fountain pen shops, selling for much more.
The distinguishing feature is the wood casing. A rich dark brown, the wood gives the pencil a very pleasing appearance, and makes it very comfortable to hold. The wood imbues the pencil with a pleasant, warm, humane aspect.
The balance and grip are superb, in my view. There is a slight concave dip in the traditional “grip” area. You just want to keep holding and using the pencil.
The cap is marked with the lead diameter, and has a lead grade indicator window on the side. These two features are the ones that, if removed, might cause the pencil to be mistaken for something much more expensive.
The lead advances by clicking the cap. The cap can be removed to access an eraser and the lead chamber.
If you want a drafting style pencil that doesn’t look like it might be a medical instrument, this is a great choice.