pencil talk

I’m not certain if this is the one leadholder to rule them all, but it is very nice - exceptionally nice.

There is a notable new post over at the uncomfortable chair.
A vintage L. & C. Hardtmuth No. 43B leadholder is featured. One end holds a red lead, and the other a blue lead.
Though unusual, there are other examples of this category. Leadholder.com shows a 1948 red and blue Caran d’Ache Fixpencil 33 at the bottom […]

I can’t read much of it, yet it seems to speak very well to many interests of mine.
Red and blue pencils, leadholders, quirky office accessories - they’re all here, and featured prominently.
The magazine is in Japanese, with about 150 glossy pages crammed full of photos of woodcase pencils, mechanical pencils, leadholders, erasers, sharpeners, staplers, hole […]

Mechanical pencils with multiple usable leads can be seen at online auction sites or at the uncomfortable chair, though I have never previously seen one in person.
I also remember school days, when those Bic four colour ballpoints became popular.
My opinion was that they were a gimmick - a solution to no particular problem.
So when I […]

This leadholder represents an interesting extension of the venerable Turquoise pencil line.
Made in Japan (the pencils are made in the U.S.), it is a “Sanford Turquoise” rather than a “Prismacolor Turquoise”.

The body colour seemed correct in my memory, but next to a pencil, it is much closer to blue than turquoise.

It is a basic […]

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, […]

Wow, this is just a beautiful leadholder.

Made by Staedtler Japan, it has a number of interesting features, not least of which is a push button advance. The 2.0mm lead advances by clicking the cap. It functions just like a regular mechanical pencil, but with 2.0mm lead. Very nice.

It has a cylindrical sleeve, a […]

Bic needs no introduction. Makers of much more than ballpoint pens, their many woodcase pencils seem to rarely be exported outside of France. Similary leadholders. I would love to be able to try some modern pencils from the country that gave the world the technique of blending graphite with clay - but I have rarely […]