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Dixon Tri-Conderoga pencil.

The Dixon Tri-Conderoga ferrule.
This past month was the first time I had seen the Dixon Tri-Conderoga for sale in Canada. I was quite happy to find a package of six with an accompanying sharpener at a local store.

The package had NAFTA-friendly trilingual (English, French, Spanish) labelling, and revealed that the pencils were made in Mexico. The two-hole sharpener has a crown emblem on the German made blades, while the plastic body hails from China.
Made in Mexico.
In a triangular shape, the diameter is midway between it’s three sided cousins, the Ergosoft and the Jumbo Grip.

The pencil surface is rubbery, like the Ergosoft. It comes unsharpened, and has gold stamping on one side. There is a distinctive Ticoderoga style ferrule, with a black eraser.
The Dixon Tri-Conderoga.
Since it requires a less common large hole sharpener, the included sharpener is an appreciated addition.

In one’s hand, it is indeed grippy. I did find the large stamping to be a drawback, and that side of the pencil side is noticeably rougher and less pleasant to hold. The larger size may require some adjustment, and didn’t feel quite right to me.

On paper, the HB lead, which appears to be a normal diameter core, seemed just a bit scratchier and lighter than an Ergosoft or a regular Ticonderoga pencil in HB.

It is a unique contribution, and the first Mexican pencil that I’m aware of owning. It gets points for design and appearance, and choosing a mid-size diameter creates an excellent new offering.

Despite these pluses, the lead quality makes it not quite as good as the Ergosoft as an actual pencil.

Let’s hope Dixon will upgrade the lead core to be (at minimum) equal to that of their regular diameter pencils.

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Staedtler pencil holder 900 25.


Here is an interesting new type of pencil extender, inspired by the mechanical pencil.

While I’ve mentioned pencil extenders previously, this product is a decidedly new take on the idea.

At first glance, it looks like a fancy mechanical pencil, with a retractable eraser, clip, adjustable window for displaying the pencil grade, and a very finely etched grip. But it takes a woodcase pencil in it’s clutch.

It provides a lot of the characteristics and feel of a mechanical pencil. It’s quite pleasant to hold. Grip styles are of course a personal preference, but if you like the sorts of grips that technically-oriented mechanical pencils tend to offer, I think you’ll like the Staedtler.

It almost makes one want to cut some pencils in half to better use this holder.

(The images can be clicked to see close-ups.)

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Question: pencil for photo paper

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!

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Staedtler Mars Ergosoft 150 Pencil

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.

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Graf von Faber-Castell Ersatzradiergummi, also known as one mighty fine eraser.

Graf Von Faber-Castell Ersatzradiergummi
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.
Graf Von Faber-Castell Ersatzradiergummi
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.
Graf Von Faber-Castell Ersatzradiergummi
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.
Graf Von Faber-Castell Ersatzradiergummi
Overall, it’s a functional, creative and elegant rendition of a stationery staple.

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Prismacolor Turquoise Pencil

Cap of the 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.
Boxes of Vintage Turquoise pencil.

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?

Caps of the Prismacolor Turquoise pencil.