Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

The predecessor of Staedtler’s iconic Mars Lumograph 100 is the Mars Lumograph 2886. According to leadholder.com, this particular box may date from the late 1950s.

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

The lid has some compelling graphics:

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

Half a century old, only the design indicates the age of these pencils:

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

The “A” in “STAEDTLER” appears to be formed like a compass. As well, reflecting the manufacturing processes of the era, there are slight surface differences between specimens.

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

An element I love is the HB grade mark in vibrant gold colour. It is serious but not fanciful, like the painted gold markings that were once typically applied to wood surfaces such as office doors and library card catalogues.

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

The factory sharpening, just like the modern version, is the best in the industry, with no “scrape marks” along the wood.

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

Take a close look. Even the smallest graphical details are impressive.

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

Overall, a classic pencil.

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

Are “MARS” and “LUMOGRAPH” rendered the same way?

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

For me, the caps are a continuing delight:

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

A comparison with the modern version. In case you didn’t notice, this photo should make clear that the 2886 is a “left-handed” imprint, in contrast with the standard “right-handed” 100.

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

Does anyone prefer the modern look?

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

A small delight after all these years is to find a paper insert.

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

Slightly withered, it presents pencil grade recommendations for eleven different professions.

Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2886 pencil

I have tried and tested the 2886, and find it to be extremely similar to the modern 100 in graphite function and erasure. Given the half century between the manufacture of the two pencils, this demonstration of Staedtler’s ongoing commitment to their product excellence is remarkable.

Frank Gehry custom edition Moleskine

Art Gallery of Ontario solid graphite pencils

The weekend before last, I spent a very enjoyable afternoon at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Visits to this art gallery are always great, but experiencing the refurbished building by architect Frank Gehry seemed to take everything to a new level. Even walking through a hallway was an amazing thrill.

At the end of my afternoon I took a look at the gift shop, and saw sets of woodless pencils and some custom edition Moleskine cahiers with Gehry sketches on the covers. I know this type of item can be hard to find and is appreciated by a lot of people. I bought a set to give away on the blog. I hope I’m correct that it may be of interest.

This is another commenter reward draw – only those who have previously left comments are eligible, and the WordPress blog software is set to only allow comments by those who have previously left a comment here.

So to win a set of three Art Gallery of Ontario woodless graphite pencils, three pocket Frank Gehry Moleskine cahiers, and three large Frank Gehry Moleskine cahiers, just leave a comment here before Friday, September 24, 20:00 EDT.

Frank Gehry Limited Edition Moleskine

[Update, September 24, 2010]

Thank you to all those who entered. It was great to see some long time commenters enter.

Using the python random number generator on my Mac, we have:
$ python
Python 2.6.2 (r262:71600, Apr 16 2009, 09:17:39)
[GCC 4.0.1 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 5250)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import random
>>> random.seed()
>>> random.randint(1,34)
19

I wish everyone could win, but this time it is the 19th commenter, awin. Congratulations, awin!

Seven Argentinian red and blue pencils

Argentinian red and blue pencils

Seven red and blue pencils from Argentina. They are:

Eberhard Faber Van Dyke 2000. Note the unusual stripe pattern. Hexagonal, oversized.

Eberhard Faber Hevi-Check 6540. Round.

Johann Faber “Alligator” Copiativo. Round red and blue copying pencil.

Pax bicolor. Hexagonal.

Faber-Castell 737. Hexagonal.

Consul Bicolor. Hexagonal.

Eberhard Faber Van Dyke 2000. Hexagonal, oversized.

The Pax and Faber-Castell pencils, the only ones not stating “Industria Argentina”, are the two contemporary pencils. I have read suggestions that the Pax comes from Chile, and the Faber-Castell from Brazil.

Argentinian red and blue pencils

My thanks to blog reader dasmarians for many of the pencils shown.

LINK: Other posts on red and plue pencils at pencil talk.

Berol Handwriting pencil

Berol Handwriting pencil

The Berol Handwriting pencil come to us from Sanford UK, a division of Newell Rubbermaid. The Berol name remains active in the UK and other countries. The Berol history at that link is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in pencil and fountain pen corporate history.

Please see Handschriftbleistift (a great name) at Lexikaliker to see another UK “Handwriting pencil”.

The name is intriguing – why so specific? Differentiation from drawing pencils is all I can guess.

Berol Handwriting pencil

The official product page indicates an official price of £0.80 for 12 pencils – well into discount territory.

The choice of pencil finish is very interesting – alternating red and white sides, with a red cap. The white sides in particular seem thinly painted, and rather prone to revealing flaws or any stray graphite dust.

No place of manufacture is mentioned.

Alas, the pencil has a very hard and scratchy lead. While the statement made on the box, “Hard Wearing,” is no doubt true, the Handwriting pencil seems a poor choice for handwriting. Whether child or adult, I can’t really see any extended use of this pencil being very pleasant.

Berol Handwriting pencil

Tombow 8900 pencil and Victorinox pen knife

Tombow 8900 pencil and Victorinox pen knife

A delightful accessory, this pen knife by Victorinox sports the colours of the Tombow 8900 pencil.

Tombow 8900 pencil and Victorinox pen knife

The 8900 is a general purpose pencil whose packaging continues to use traditional graphics.

Tombow 8900 pencil and Victorinox pen knife

What a great idea! Tombow was founded in 1913, so they have a big anniversary approaching – I’m sure we’ll see more special products from them.

Pre-production pencils

A fortunate side benefit of this blog has been an occasional request to evaluate pre-production pencils. I thought some readers might like to see a few genuine pre-production pencils:

Pre-production pencils

The pencils shown don’t have many distinguishing surface characteristics – because they are pre-production. No product name has yet been chosen, let alone a finish or design. That’s because at this stage, the company is seeking feedback from testers – they want to know about the pencil’s function in order to inform future development.

The pencils have some laboratory markings (there are more details and annotations on other sides) and are nowhere near being ready for sale – they are pre-production.

Pre-production pencils

The company behind the pencils shown here is doing fine. But why, oh why, would any another company intentionally mislead?