Comments for pencil talk

Comment on Knurly: the Rotring 600 mechanical pencil by Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:09:05 +0000

I have the original Series 1 600 – nice pencil but like most knurled grip (or any other grip) pencils the grip area is way too short. Because of the sharp sides where the barrel meets the grip area – and I grip it half on the grip area and half on the barrel it is much too uncomfortable for drawing/sketching. The only MP that gets this right with a long grip area is the Pilot S10. Aesthetically not as pleasing to the eye as the 600 because of the long grip area but more practical in use – particularly for sketching/drawing. But for stealth looks nothing beats the 600 although I also have the 500 with knulred grip and plastic barrel and in 0.3mm a real beauty and more pleasantly weighted than a 600. I also have the Series 1 600 ballpoint which has rarely been used, it has a sloppy push button and doesn’t come close to my Parker Jotters.

Comment on Ito-ya pencil holder by James

James — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:35:22 +0000

That pencil extender, and many others, is available on a very easy to navigate site here: http://www.pencils.jp/product-list/4

Comment on Mitsubishi Uni pencil holder by James

James — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:00:21 +0000

JetPens appears to be out of stock. You can find some on an English-friendly Japanese website here: http://www.pencils.jp/product-list/4

Comment on Ito-ya pencils by amarie

amarie — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:32:43 +0000

I can’t seem to find any itoya pencils on the web or in stores to buy. I have a few left that I got from a friend who was in Japan. Does anyone have a source in the USA either storefront or internet? Thanks!

Comment on Faber-Castell multiplication table pencil by Palimpsest

Palimpsest — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:38:05 +0000

I was going to say as well: these are Faber’s contribution to “cheating at maths”. :)

Comment on Comments and Questions by Phillip

Phillip — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:05:08 +0000

Is the Pentech liquid graphits wooden pencil now history?

Comment on Comments and Questions by Steve

Steve — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:26:00 +0000

Hi Pencilman,
Would you happen to know where I can get a Faber Castell TK 9400 in sterling silver?

Would you happen to know how much they cost? (Excluding the one for 500euro)…(That guy is BARKING)LOL.

If you can successfully help me locate one for a reasonable price I will be sooooooo appreciative.

Thanks,
Sincerly,
Steve

Comment on Knurly: the Rotring 600 mechanical pencil by Leigh Franks

Leigh Franks — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:21:07 +0000

I have owned one of these some years ago and, yes it was very cool. Incredible to pay so much for a pencil, but it is a miniature piece of engineering: just beautiful. It is quite a feat to own one of these for more than, say 6 months, because not only is there the usual risk of losing it, there’s always someone somewhere who thinks its quite alright to just put it in their pocket: after all, its just a pencil right? No, I’m looking forward to the arrival of my new 600 from Japan :-)

Comment on Found in a drawer by Dallas

Dallas — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:38:35 +0000

Ohhhhh, I have many Bohemia works, Granada 1380 HB pencils, made in Czechoslovakia. They are the only true HB pencils i have ever used. they produce light lines with light pressure, and dark blacks with hard pressure. Any other HB takes a great deal of rubbing to produce a black, and most feel hard and the blacks are not true. i covet, these pencils, like fine wine or expensive brandy, using them only when i need to fill in blacks. I would like to get my hands on more of them.

Comment on Comments and Questions by penciladmin

penciladmin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:56:45 +0000

Boris, guest articles are welcome. I see those old workhorse sharpeners at public libraries, but don’t own one, and am sure others could offer more on the subject.

jaisakthi, I would say that in general, yes, in 2010 pencils are commodities, and purchased by schools. Many of the pencils we discuss here are high quality pencils of interest to specialists and serious users, whether professional or amateur. This type of pencil is not yet a commodity.

James, thank you very much for your kind greetings. Graphite is not typically an artist’s sole medium today! It’s great to have you onboard as a reader and contributor.

Comment on Pencil extenders – not a gimmick! by David O.

David O. — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:32:35 +0000

I’d forgotten that I had two of these things. It may be more handy to have that I had thought. I got them with a bunch of older pens & pencils in an ebay buy. The first is marked” “Dixon Pencil Extender – 453″. It has a simple friction fit. The 2nd one is all metal (also friction) and has a chain, like it was worn around the neck. It is stamped “W.U.Tel.Co”

Comment on Comments and Questions by James

James — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:57:29 +0000

Having already left comments in several categories, I feel I have been remiss for not saying just how much I enjoy and appreciate this site. It is an especially welcome resource considering that I am an artist who has chosen to work in graphite pencil exclusively. Finding people who share my enthusiasm for all things pencil is very gratifying, and I look forward to contributing to this community in a way that recompenses what I have already received from it. Many thanks for your excellent labors on this site.