A new pencil trend – scallops or grooves cut into finished triangular pencils, exposing the underlying wood. Seen here, the Stabilo EASYgraph (right and left hand versions) and the LYRA Groove. Lexikaliker reports that Koh-I-Noor will be introducing a similar product in 2011.

Aimed at children, the idea is that the grip is improved, facilitating a good grasp and writing technique.

I wonder, what do the manufacturers do with the excavated pieces?

Comparing the two pencils, the Groove seems relatively simple – round scoops. The EASYgraph comes in two versions, right and left handed, with oval indentations matching the “correct writing grip”. The EASYgraph did feel much more comfortable in my hand.

The EASYgraph also has something very unusual – the lettering in different orientations according to the handedness of the pencil:

For writing, the Groove seemed quite rough and scatchy, while the EASYgraph was comparatively smooth.

My sincere thanks to Gunther from Lexikaliker, who sent all three of these pencils to me eons ago.

Did you know that Stabilo has been making the Boss highlighter since 1972?

Again thanks to Quo Vadis Canada, pencil talk has received samples of the famous Boss and newer Swing Cool highlighters.

The highlighter colours are rich and vibrant. The Boss comes in a traditional wedge form factor, which the Swing Cool’s dimensions are more similar to a pen. The Swing Cool also has a clip.

Well, Quo Vadis sent quite a few of these, so we’re going to have another draw. There are six prizes – three sets of Boss, and three sets of Swing Cool. Each set will include four highlighters. You hear that right, there are six prizes total! We’ll again random draw first the Boss then the Swing Cool sets.

To enter the draw, just leave a comment on this post before Saturday, August 28, 20:00EDT. Only one comment per person, please. Winners will be contacted by email, and prizes sent by Canada Post. Thank you Quo Vadis Canada!

The Draw

Administrative notes: Vikram left two comments. Since I hadn't expressly prohibited this, I allowed it and amended the post, adding the sentence, "Only one comment per person, please." Vikram sent me an email and kindly suggested that I delete his second comment in the interest of fairness. Thank you for your consideration Vikram, I have done so. I also deleted a comment I made about the situation. Another person subsequently left two comments, so I have deleted their second comment.

Following the same method as used in a previous draw, we have the draws for the Boss highlighters…
>>> random.randint(1,25)
6
random.randint(1,25)
22
random.randint(1,25)
4

And the draws for the Swing Cool highlighters…
>>> random.randint(1,25)
3
random.randint(1,25)
14
random.randint(1,25)
5

The winners are Jimmy, awin, Patty, Marby, Roxanne, and Futural. I will contact each of you by email. The package will be sent by Canada Post. Thank you very much to Quo Vadis Canada for supplying these great items!

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At just 155 years old, Stabilo is the youngster among the Nuremberg (Nürnberg) pencil companies – Faber-Castell is the eldest at 249, and Lyra and Staedtler are in the middle at 204 and 175 respectively.

A pencil maker in origin, Stabilo now includes cosmetic products and backpacking gear in their corporate umbrella.

Their stationery products definitely display trendy and youthful themes aimed at a young demographic, and I suspect woodcase graphite pencils are now a very small portion of Stabilo’s business. Of their eight or so pencil lines, I’ve only seen the all-purpose “All” line for sale in person. In contrast, their highlighters and markers seem almost ubiquitous.

The Opéra seems to be a writing line, offered in HB, B, and 2B. The pinstripes on the pencil edges echo the better known Othello line.

With white lettering and striping on a light burgundy body, the pencil strikes my eye as one of the most appealing on the market, and trumping the Othello. The restraint and simplicity are commendable.

The details:

Name: Opéra.

Full name and model no: STABILO Opéra. The pencil does not display a model number, but the packaging indicates “285″.

Manufacturer: Schwann-STABILO of Heroldsberg, which is apparently about 20km from Nürnberg. The pencil packaging states “Made in CZ”, and Stabilo’s website indicates that their woodcase pencils have been made in the Czech Republic since 1992. (Some of the newer Stabilo pencils such as the Exam Grade state they are made in Indonesia.)

Stabilo seems to be doing some innovative things. They have launched a flagship store in Vienna (Wien) that looks really amazing. Notice the pencil shape!

They have put some of the construction online at YouTube:

If you browse further via that video, you can find television commercials by Stabilo for various markets such as Brazil and Malaysia.

They also have various localized websites such as this one for Stabilo Japan. They sell some interesting items I like such as this desk pad.

Background: I can’t find much on the background of this particular pencil line. There is understandably no trademark attached to the “Opéra” name, and I wonder why it would have been chosen.

Weight: About 3.9g.

Dimensions: Rounded hexagon with finished cap. Standard (~175mm) length.

Appearance: The pencils are hexagonal and sharpened. The factory sharpening is quite good – none of that scraped look that many other manufacturers seem to offer.

The pencil is marked:

Stabilo Opéra HB=21/2 (white coloured text)

The reverse says:

EAN No., Bar Code (white coloured text)

Grip: Nothing unusual to note.

Sharpening: The pencil sharpens easily. I am not sure of the species of wood used.

Writing: This is a relatively inexpensive pencil, even when procured via mail order. I was very happy to find a smooth, dark line readily produced by the lead. Each grade seems a shade different. I think it’s an excellent writer on a variety of paper types. The 2B really pops on an Exacompta Bristol card.

Erasure: A Pilot Foam eraser had no trouble with erasure.

Overall: The pencil looks great, writes well, and is inexpensive. A hard to beat combination. I’m very happy to have discovered the Opéra, and look forward to exploring Stabilo’s other graphite pencil offerings.

Last month’s look at the Faber-Castell Textliner pencils elicited a response from a reader in the Netherlands, who asked me to compare them with Stabilo’s new GREENlighter products. Fortunately, the request was accompanied by a set of the pencils!

The modest packaging is appealing. A cutout reveals three highlighting pencils, and the text indicates the pencils are FSC certified, with the cardboard package made from 80% recycled paper. The FSC Chain of Custody number is also listed. I tried to look it up – it is held by Stabilo’s Czech branch and covers the purchase and sale of slats, and the production and sale of pencils, in cedar, basswood, Weymouth pine, and jelutong. Does jelutong (a rainforest species) grow in central Europe? I don’t think so. This “Chain of Custody” could be more transparent.

So the product – they are 12cm (70% the length of a typical pencil) oversize triangular highlighting pencils in yellow, pink, and green. The presentation and ergonomics are fantastic. They remind me very much of the Lyra Ferby.

As to highlighting – the results vary by colour. On index cards and a trade paperback, the green and pink had the general issues associated with this pencil category – faint marking, even scratchiness. The yellow was excellent – rich and saturated. Side by side with the Faber-Castell textliner, I noticed that the Stabilo didn’t crumble, another plus.

So the yellow is a winner – but the other colours are a disappointment.

The X-Shock 286 is a surprise. It is yet another very well made pencil from a major European manufacturer that seems to be manufactured for southeast Asian markets.

The pencil’s box indicates Stabilo’s address in Germany and distributor in Malaysia, though not the country of origin.

The pencil is triangular, and finished in orange, with Stabilo’s trademark red cap and white cap ring. All markings are in white.

The wood is clearly pulai or jelutong. It sharpens very easily.

The lead is smooth, rich and dark. The pencils weigh about 3.9g, a standard modern weight, yet feel lighter – perhaps due to the shape – in my hand.

It is a very nice pencil, and a shocker at the price. There are some triangular shaped pencils on the market that should should be wary of this new competitor.

Though it seems to be inelegantly named (I imagine the name being appropriate for a new running shoe), it is still a great product, and highly recommended.

The Stabilo Trio 362 is an oversized triangular pencil in a natural finish with a splash of colour on the cap.

The pencil is marked “3-6 Gripping Standard”. The packaging reveals the meaning. Can you guess? That’s right, this pencil is meant for three to six year olds!

The core is an oversized 3.8mm. The line seemed somewhat light, though with more pressure it was able to leave a dark line.

What’s really noticeable is the cap. This type of painted pencil end seems to be a feature associated with European pencils. The term I hear in English is “dipped”. But in German, there is more specific terminology. The white ring is a “Lackring” and the red cap a “Lackkappe”. This site translates Lackkappe to “patent tip” or “patent toe cap”. Maybe patent as in patent leather – shiny – but I think the terms more mean lacquer ring and lacquer cap. Corrections/additions to this understanding are welcome!

The bright red and white cap is a nice contrast to the natural finish pencil. Overall, a nice pencil.

The Schwan pencils I have are curious – a yellow version, the Schwan 305, marked HB=2, and a wine coloured version, the Schwan 306, marked HB=2¹/₂. The 306 is also labelled with a barcode.

The 305 is a decidedly darker lead than the 306.

The pencils have unfinished caps, and appear to be in more of a discount line than the Othello.

The 305 lead broke both while writing and during sharpening. No problems were encountered with the 306.

While the simple styling is a plus, I don’t expect pencil leads to repeatedly fracture in anything but the cheapest of pencils, so these are a disappointment.

Their highlighters and markers are what one might see in an office supply store in Canada. Graphite pencils are not typically for sale at local retailers.

The Othello 282 has very unusual colouring – solid forest green, with the hexagonal edges pinstriped in a light green. They look like pieces of candy! The cap is painted red.

The claim is that this style started in the 1920s after a bad paint run in the factory accidentally produced a similar pattern.

The pencil is marked:

STABILO Othello 282 HB=2¹/₂

Of course we usually think an HB grade is an No. 2. The obverse side has a barcode.

It’s also named after a play and character of Shakespeare. I’m curious about this, and have sent a note to the manufacturer. I’ll update this post should they reply.

It lays down a fairly dark line, and doesn’t crumble. It’s a good pencil, though I wouldn’t call it exceptional.

It’s great to find that a 19th century pencil maker is still making good products.