Pointing a lead

Pointing a lead

One of the great advantages of leadholders is the wealth of available methods for pointing the lead. Let’s take a look!

Sandpaper

This low tech approach is still in use, and an appropriate grade sandpaper is generally for sale at art supply stores. Some pencil / art supply firms have their own branded sandpaper, sold with ten or so sheets stapled to a wooden paddle.

Pointing a lead

How does it work? If you haven’t tried it, you might be in for a very pleasant surprise – it is remarkably easy to create an excellent conical point, or should you prefer – a chisel point!

Pointing a lead

The only downside is that you have to be careful about the stray graphite powder getting on your artwork, clothing, etc.

Sharpeners

The general-purpose handheld pencil sharpener has been adapted to sharpen 2.0mm, 3.15mm, and 5.6mm leads. Almost every sharpener in this category that I’ve seen (with one amazing exception that we’ll look at in a future post) is made by KUM. Now there are other brands and labels – but every single one I’ve seen, whether from the US, Europe, or elsewhere, appears to be a rebranded KUM product. I guess you could say they own the category!

These sharpeners work extremely well, and I think the blades, touching just graphite, will last much longer than their woodcase pencil sharpening cousins. If part of a container system, they also have the advantage of containing the resultant graphite dust.

Pointing a lead

KUM makes a version (the 23A R) that includes 2.0mm and 3.15mm brass housed sharpeners with two spare blades, plus a sandpaper area (extra sheets included) and a sponge for post-sharpening cleaning. Very nice.

Pointing a lead

A more basic version, the Onit 250, has a container for the graphite dust. I have rebranded versions of the 250 from Faber-Castell, Staedtler, and Koh-I-Noor.

Pointing a lead

They also have a very basic sharpener, the 233, that is possibly the smallest and least expensive pencil accessory around, while still being quite useful.

A larger model, with a metal sharpener and round canister, resold by many, can handle 5.6mm leads.

Cap sharpeners

Some leadholders have a small sharpener in the cap. Usually underneath the cap, the sharpener can also be facing outwards, as with the Criterium.

Pointing a lead

Montblanc’s cap sharpener is a work of art by itself.

Most such sharpeners have a blade pair forming a crosshair inside the cap.

Pointing a lead

As to sharpening, the quality of the implementation varies. Some are perfectly usable, while others are more in the ’emergency use’ category.

Since there is nowhere for the graphite dust to go, they can be the worst at creating an unexpected mess.

Specialty pointers

For serious users, there are also specialty pointers. The lead is pointed by rotating it around either the interior or exterior edge of a sharpening blade or ring.

The Staedtler 502 tub is a classic. Did anyone ever get it to work on their very first try? The instructions are on page 13 here (PDF format). It does work! Basically, stick the leadholder in the opening, and turn clockwise. It will seem simple after a few tries.

Pointing a lead

Rotring also has a version. Basically similar to the Staedtler, this made in Germany pointer has a wider circumference blade, and some fashion forward styling, with an orange body and interchangeable conical guides in four colours. They also kindly provide a couple of spare sponges.

Pointing a lead

Gedess is a bit different. It has a sandpaper-like rough metal surface, and the lead is rotated around the interior of this blade. The system is remarkable simple.

Pointing a lead

Some more information from leadholder.com:

The Gedess Patent

The Gedess Leadpointer

There were some very serious desktop models once made, but in the era of CAD, they are long gone.

Other Considerations

Clutch leadholders in a traditional drafting housing work with all of these sharpening methods – but leadholders with newer push-button mechanisms – which are essentially mechanical pencils with wide width leads – don’t necessarily have the grip strength needed to use a sharpener – the lead, not being tightly held, just twists.

And wider bodied systems, even if having a clutch mechanism, may not be able to fit into the specialty sharpeners.

Pointing a lead

Further reading: the excellent leadholder.com.

Bic Criterium 2603 2.0mm leadholder

Bic Criterium 2603 2.0mm leadholder

The Criterium is a classic writing instrument, especially this aluminum version. In production for decades through various corporate ownership changes, this leadholder is a low cost well made writing implement that has the potential to last a lifetime. The official product page indicates the Criterium was launched in 1939.

Last year we saw the plastic 2613 version. The exteriors of the versions appear to have the identical shape and imprint – only the model numbers differ.

Bic Criterium 2603 2.0mm leadholder

Truly a classic, it officially has international distribution. Unfortunately, the reality is that it can be quite hard to find.

The grip reveals one difference between plastic and aluminum versions – the serrations of the aluminum version are much deeper. They are all made by ‘subtraction’ (removing pieces) from the hexagonal barrel, rather than ‘addition’ of a grip pattern.

Bic Criterium 2603 2.0mm leadholder

It does seem very lightweight to me, surprisingly so. I like it, but it has a much less substantial heft than I imagined. I would love to find an older model for comparison.

Pelikan pencils

Pelikan 2B pencils

Pelikan is a famous fountain pen manufacturer, well regarded for maintaining quality though several decades.

It was a real surprise to learn that they also sell woodcase pencils! Unlike the ambiguous situation of the Rotring pencil we looked at last year, the Pelikan pencil does get official corporate acknowledgement at Pelikan’s website.

The Pelikan 2B has a cartoon Pelican on the box, wearing green shorts (lederhosen?), a red shirt, and yellow cravat.

The box states:

* Made of high quality wood and sharpen smoothly (sic)
* Minimum breakage and lesser lead-flaking

Pelikan 2B pencils

The pencils are blue with silver striping, and marked:

2B 0 Pelikan

There is no country of origin information that I can discern. Pelikan pencils in South America originate in Pakistan, according to Pelikan’s website.

The pencils are quite ho-hum. Other than the product’s interesting corporate origin, there is not too much to recommend them.

Mitsubishi Hi-uni lacquer pencil

Let’s continue celebrating the new year by looking at a rare and special pencil.

Mitsubishi Hi-uni lacquer pencil

Sold individually with a cloth pouch and leather strap closure, it is meant to be a masterpiece of pencil production.

Mitsubishi Hi-uni lacquer pencil

The pencil is a Mitsubishi Hi-Uni HB, finished with a traditional Japanese lacquering process. I am not privy to the technical details.

Mitsubishi Hi-uni lacquer pencil

The pencil was produced in black, navy blue, and brown finishes, with thirty pencils produced in each colour. There are no markings or text on the pencil. The only accent is a section of woodgrain near the cap.

Mitsubishi Hi-uni lacquer pencil

The pencil in the photo is the navy blue version, the only colour I was able to purchase.

Mitsubishi Hi-uni lacquer pencil

Mitsubishi Hi-uni lacquer pencil

The charms are on the subtle side, and the design is very restrained and simple.

Mitsubishi Hi-uni lacquer pencil

pencil talk – the print edition

pencil talk - the print edition

Would anyone be interested in a special print edition of pencil talk? (The above illustration is taken from a test mockup.) Just a concept at this point, it would be a newsletter aimed at our usual readership of pencil users, aficionados, artists, drafters, and doodlers.

Stationery revisited

Let’s take a second look at some of the items we saw last year. Today we’ll recall notebooks and stationery items.

Stationery revisited

The Rhodia pad was the topic of the blog’s first post, back in 2005. I still use the A3 sized No. 38 at my desk. As 2009 begins, Rhodia now produces all sorts of brand extensions and products. Some of these don’t use Rhodia’s traditional paper. Overall, I think this is a mistake. While I now own a few black covered Rhodia pads and staple-bound notebooks, I think the new products are diluting the product name. The corporate parent Clairefontaine owns several established brands, and should have released these new lines under another name.

Whitelines. I can’t quite believe I ordered these samples from Sweden. They are now available at retail all over Canada. I like the products – quite a bit – especially the tablet format – yet the notebooks seem perhaps a bit too conspicuous, and the claims of being easier on the eyes – well, I think it would have been better to let people draw their own conclusions.

Behance Action Paper was another interesting find, which I can also now buy locally! After posting about them, I gave away all but one of the items I had ordered – and the feedback was unanimously positive!

It took me a while, but I started using the “Action Book” I kept, especially when I had a few more tasks to organize. Though it can be part of a fancy organizational system, it also makes an excellent uncomplicated to-do list. I think they’re great.

Stationery revisited

The Exacompta Bloc Faf remains a prized possession. After I “upgraded” to graph paper – the Bloc stays beside the keyboard, and gets daily use.

There have been a few questions about where to purchase it. Nota Bene in Montréal stocks these, and has always treated me very well.

Stationery revisited

The Remake Retro. It looked cool, but the setup didn’t survive. The cover was really accounting ledger paper glued on cardboard, and quickly came apart. Also, the Zebra pencil had a problem – the clip is attached to the cap, and the pencil regularly became detached.

Stationery revisited

Exacompta Record Cards. These I loved. I thought they were a tad expensive, but they are such high quality that I couldn’t resist.

Stationery revisited

I also discovered that the 148x210mm size is precisely the A5 standard (which most software and printers support), so I found a double bonus in being able to easily print templates, headings, diagrams, etc. on the cards in a laser printer, before writing on the cards by hand.

Stationery revisited

I’ve since purchased other items in the line: the A4 record card, which must be the world’s largest index card. Also, colour cards, and a punched version which fits in an associated binder – while it wasn’t my intent, I realized it formed a good quality self-assembled notebook.

Stationery revisited

Nava Notes. I think their date scheme helps enforce the organizational discipline. I gave some of these away, and was shown some quite creative results, where colour highlighters were used to efficiently associate notes with subject matters as well as the date.

The Mucu Type RN-B notebook has worked out. I hope they get better distribution, as it is a good (and fun) product.

Mateo Ilasco – I’ve bought more in the series, which I’ll show in future posts.

Overall, my two favourites (judging by what was used the most) are the Exacompta Record Cards, and the Bloc Faf.

Stationery revisited

Now for something new: The Miquelrius “Twen Magazine Willy Fleckhaus 1959 Grid-it! Notepad”

At an an oversize 265mm x 335mm with an intriguing gridding, it is an amazing notepad. The story is here. If you wonder what layout artists and typesetters did before the computer era, the partial answer is that they were mighty clever!

Stationery revisited

The grid relies on properties of the number twelve (12). The columns, used in pairs, allowed easy mixture of 2, 3, 4, and 6 column widths.

It takes a while to appreciate, but after observation, it seems clear that the challenges of laying out photos and columns for print are immensely aided – probably even in the computer era – by this design. (I have recollections of the challenge of dealing with an electronic typesetter which displayed a line of text at a time.) It is just delightful, both a tribute to the past, and still a useful implement.

The notepad is seen with a 30cm aluminum architect’s scale from emform. (Also a nice dual modern/historic stationery accessory.)

Stationery revisited

Finally, two notebooks from Maruman’s Memosyne series. They both have micro-perforated removable sheets.

Stationery revisited

“Today’s Act” is a clever to-do list notebook. The first column is for numbering the tasks. The second is for checking the task when done, and the main column for describing the task.

A useful instructive diagram is provided.

The “Inspiration” is an A5 sized notebook meant to be used in landscape format.

Stationery innovation is quite alive!