Today marks this blog’s third anniversary!
Thank you to the many readers who have made this possible.
Happy Hallowe’en!
Happy Hallowe’en!
This year, neighborhood kids will be getting a few Hallowe’en pencils. (Don’t worry, I’m not cruel – this is in addition to the usual chocolates and such.)
The themed pencils came from a promotional offer at pencils.com.
Spielen & Lernen 2008
I’m not sure how a German language pencil catalogue landed at a “Sears” store in Canada, but so be it. This is Faber-Castell’s catalogue for their children’s line.
Here are a few interesting things I noticed:
* Several varieties/extensions of the “Grip” line – including a compass, and several colour pencil sets.
* A Jumbo Grip variant with colour chalk cores that can be used on a chalkboard!
* A nice kit including a fountain pen, pencil, tub of plasticine, and other fun items.
* New sharpeners and erasers.
* A new “Perfect Pencil” version priced at 2.95 Euros. That’s much better than the existing green plastic version, though the clip appears to have become plastic. (Have any of our readers in Europe seen one yet?)
* A red fabric foldable pencil case/box.
Pencil Boxes (IV) – the KUM Nic Nac Box
A late addition to our series on pencil boxes, the Nic Nac Box is a less known offering from sharpener manufacturer KUM.
A plastic box in light tinted blue, the removable lid becomes a standalone ruler. While on the box, a sliding overlay with a window supports looking up a multiplication table.
There is also a built-in sharpener, appropriate for a KUM product.
The box contains twelve pencils, six in black, six in red. The red ones are factory sharpened. All have nice matte finishes. Unfortunately, the lead seems to be a bit scratchy.
Overall, the box has quite a lot of charm, and would be a nice gift for a young person.
My thanks to Gunther for assistance in acquiring this pencil set.
Related posts:
Pencil Boxes (I) – Neiman Marcus
Fila Electrographic 203 pencil
The Fila Electrographic 203 is an exceptional pencil.
Made by Fila in Firenze (Florence), Italy, the pencil has an unrounded hexagonal shape and an outstanding fire engine red finish. The lead is like that of the cousin IBM Electrographic – leaving an extremely dense, rich, saturated black line.
The lead is of such high quality that it makes most competitors seem lacking.
I’ve been comparing it with top modern pencils such as the Pentel Black Polymer 999, and subjective observation suggests it is at least as good at most tasks.
Combined with the outstanding finish, the pencil is a true standout!
Faber-Castell Grip 2001 and Jumbo Grip in alternate finishes
Found by accident – the familiar Faber-Castell Grip 2001 and Jumbo Grip in alternate finishes – red and blue, rather than silver.
The red and blue Grip 2001s (Grips 2001?) don’t indicate a degree, but appear similar to either a B or 2B.