Stealing from one of my favorite blogs, Ironic Sans, I want to post an idea here. Like many of the pencil-toting hybrids of lo-fi and hi-fi people out there, I often find myself with my iPhone, scanning emails, and making lists on a pad of paper with my pencil. Sometimes I’m also doing this one-handed, while the other one is holding a mug of coffee or a computer mouse.
Wouldn’t it be great if I could use the eraser on my pencil to flip around on my iPhone? Continue reading
I really enjoyed reading all the comments on Mark Frauenfelder’s Boing Boing post about the Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils. One commenter, mypalmike, wrote, “After you buy the pencil, you’ll need a good Lego-based pencil sharpener robot.”
Here’s that video. This is so fun!
I posted a link to a great How It’s Made video the other day, then proceeded to spend the better part of an hour watching videos for other office-supply related clips from that show. And because I like to help others find ways to waste their time, I thought I’d share it with you.
You’re welcome.
Of note is the fountain pen video: it’s amazing how they regulate the ink flow, and how much is made by hand!
Which one was your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
Pencil sharpeners (hat-tip to David Wasting Paper)
Fountain pen
Retractible ballpoint pens
Bic Cristal ballpoints:
Dri-mark highlighters:
Eraser
Graphite cores for pencils
Copy Paper (disturbing if you fancy yourself an environmentalist)
Pre-inked rubberstamps
http://youtu.be/e2w7REXrGnQ
Full disclosure: I do contract marketing work for CalCedar to promote Pencils.com and and the California Republic Stationers brand on social media. Though I am not being paid to write this post for Woodclinched (my personal blog), I’ll refrain from reviewing the performance of this pencil, past a few general statements about it.
So I was getting ready for work this morning; a dark gloomy day in Indiana, when my doorbell rang. It was the FedEx woman, she she was bringing me a package from Pencils.com! Suddenly, the sun came out, and the bird started singing!
Metaphorically, of course.
I opened it right up, and checked out the pencils. I didn’t have a lot of time to examine them, but I grabbed an original Eberhard Faber Blackwing from my desk drawer and one of the new Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils, and headed out the door.
Because Grant was kind enough to send me a pack of pink erasers, I popped one into the signature Blackwing ferrule, and took some side-by-side photos of the new 602 with the old.
So, without getting into details, it does indeed feel firmer than the Palomino Blackwing, but smooth and dark just the same. The real test will happen after Monday, when I’ll be in two or three meetings taking notes.
Here are a few pictures — as I’ve said many times, I’m not the best photographer out there, especially with something as hard to shoot as pencils.
Questions about the pencil? Leave ’em in the comments. Otherwise, check out the product page on Pencils.com!
It’s been a while since I’ve checked in, so I thought I’d share a few things with you. I promise, some original content will be coming soon.
New Pencil Blog, Pencil Reviewer
This guy is awesome. He’s a long-time blogger, and a long-time pencil fan, but, according to his About page, only recently did he combine those two. He already has a couple of reviews up, including the Palomino Blackwing and some Koh-i-Noor Mephisto pencils with awesome typography on the barrel. And just today he posted a great list, 10 Things Pencils have in Common with Cigars.
Go check out the blog, here.
Special offer from Staedtler for PencilTalk.org readers
I am most definitely a Pencil Talk reader, so I was thrilled to see this. Staedtler is giving away 175 kits to build your own historic pencil, to celebrate their 175th anniversary, and they’re giving them to PencilTalk readers! Go over there and learn how to request your own.
When I was recalling my favorite Staedtler line (have I written about them for this blog? I don’t think so…), I recall the Noris, a beautiful yellow-and-black lacquered pencil with an apple-red tip. This is a clip from a show called How It’s Made, about how those Noris pencils are made, from cedar slat to finished pencil. I’ve watched it on YouTube no less than 20 times. Check it out for yourself:
Woodclinched 