I just received an interesting question. Can anyone help? The question is:
What type of pencil would be ideal for writing on the back of glossy photo paper?
The individual is hoping to avoid using a pen.
Thanks!
Staedtler Mars Ergosoft 150 Pencil
There aren’t a great number of modern pencil usage innovations. Pencils are already fairly evolved – most ideas have probably been tried at some time. The exterior dots on the Grip 2001 are one notable excellent advance. Another, also in the grip/hold area, is the Staedtler Mars Ergosoft.
Though the triangular shape might catch the eye, this pencil’s most interesting aspect is it’s rubbery grip exterior. Some people who’ve tried it out instantly like it. The ease of grip may allow those who tend to clench writing utensils, to relax just a bit.
Combined with the triangular shape, the Ergosoft (notice the name?) is clearly engineered to be a very comfortable and easy to use pencil.
The lead is first rate, as one would expect from Staedtler, and despite the HB grading of the version I tried, more like the 2B of most manufacturers.
With a lower price than other quality pencils, from either Staedtler or others, I certainly recommend trying them out.
Graf von Faber-Castell Ersatzradiergummi, also known as one mighty fine eraser.
There are erasers, and then there are erasers. Once again, the Graf von Faber-Castell line exceeds expectations. An elegant white vinyl eraser with ribbing that matches their pencil line (and sharpeners), the eraser looks good as is. With a silver-plate cover, it becomes a must have object for pencil lovers.
The eraser is in the typical shape – a three dimensional parallelogram. (Those with recollections of high school geometry can assist me if there is a more precise name.) The ribbing is lengthwise, and it’s a nice weight for such an object. With the cover (which looks engravable), it becomes even nicer.
I’ve been using some soft lead vintage pencils this weekend, and this eraser removes even very dark lines with aplomb. The residue is unusually fine, which may not be ideal depending on the circumstance in which it is used.
Overall, it’s a functional, creative and elegant rendition of a stationery staple.
Prismacolor Turquoise Pencil
Here’s a modern pencil with a unique retro look and quite a bit of history. The Eagle Turquoise dates from at least 1901 (according to the Berol UK website) and is mentioned in Petroski’s The Pencil. It was made by Eagle (which became Berol), and eventually acquired by Sanford.
The pencil is turquoise (did I have to state that?) with silver stamping, and has a noticeable metal cap. It’s not a common feature. The cap has a faint red stripe.
It is imprinted:
USA ‘Chemi-Sealed’ Prismacolor Turquoise 02263 (375) 2B
The five digit number varies with the pencil grade.
It’s a good pencil, and does indeed seem quite strong. It writes smoothly and darkly without the graphite crumbling – no complaints.
The box (a typical art supply tin) has this description:
“The long-standing tradition of Turquoise professional drawing pencils continues to set the industry standard for the highest quality in technical and fine art drawing. Pure and smooth laydown in a wide variety of grades, the lead sharpens to a perfect point for a scartchless, glossy line in any weight.”
The “Prismacolor” branding is much more emphasized than the “Turquoise” name.
I happen to have a couple of older boxes of Turquoise pencils from the Berol and Eagle eras, shown below.
The newer box says, “Turquiose Eagle Drawing Pencils with strong, smooth durable leads precision graded in 17 degrees.”
The older box is more verbose:
“Stronger points…Developed by seven years of intensive research, the super-bonding process (U.S. Patent Nos. 1,854,905 and 1,892,508) welds the Turquoise lead and wood into a solid unit that effectively resists point breakage.
“Exact grading…Scientific proportioning of graphite and clay in 17 different lead formulas akes every Turquoise true-to-grade. The super bonding process prevents any change in this basic perfection and guarantees lasting uniformity.
“Smoother leads..The correct content of rare lubricating waxes is permanently retained in the leads by the impervious coating deposited on them in the super bonding process.”
Wow! Would it be possible to market a pencil in this manner today? I love all the references to science and research.
The older pencils actually have the patent numbers printed on the pencils!
The Turquoise is a winner – a reasonably priced high quality modern pencil, with some design flair and a century of history. What’s not to like?
Faber-Castell Jumbo Grip Pencil
Following the immense success of the fantastic Grip 2001 pencil, Faber-Castell extended the line with erasers, sharpeners, colour pencils, mechanical pencils, and this, an oversize pencil.
Marketed as being easy to grip, and useful for children learning to write, both the pencil and the lead core of the Jumbo grip are oversize. Unlike the Grip 2001, the cap is unfinished, and the pencil has a reserved place to write one’s name. While the colour scheme is the same as the 2001, the dots are raised much less, the paint seems much thinner, and is more matte than glossy.
I found it a little bit awkward to use. It may just be that I’m not generally using oversize triangular pencils.
It’s also noticeably not the calibre of finish that the original Grip has. This is quite disappointing, as these are sold at a high price point.
The lead is visibly different (lighter) than that of the original, and perhaps a tad less smooth.
Overall, it seems like Faber-Castell made a derivative knock-off of their own high end product.
Bruynzeel High Grade 1605 Pencil
It’s always great to find a new pencil brand. Though I had heard the name long ago, it was quite a while before I found some pencils made by Bruynzeel in the Netherlands.
They came in a tin of the sort that’s found at art supply stores, with a range of pencil grades. There are eleven grades from 4H to 6B, with two of the HB included. The tin itself is generic, with a sticker as the only marking.
The pencils are a bright yellow, with stamping in gold or black. I couldn’t see a pattern in the stamping colour choice. The two HB pencils came with one in black, and one in gold. The hard pencils have blue caps, the soft pencils red, and HB in the middle gets black. Overall, the presentation and appearance of the pencils is sub-par. They also suffer from the adherence of graphite dust to the pencil. Having chosen a bright yellow finish, the dust stands out quite a bit.
Trying them out, it doesn’t take too long to make a judgement – they are scratchy, scratchy, scratchy! A Sanford Mirado is more pleasant to write with. Even the 2B and 3B are markedly less smooth than almost any quality pencil one would want to use.
Unfortunately, this 1605 isn’t a pencil I can recommend.