woodchuck

Going Pro

/ Andy Welfle / 13 Comments

I consider myelf someone with a wide variety of interests and passions. Some of my passions, in no particular order, include literature, the arts, technology, Apple computers, and, of course, pencils. And it is really exciting when, as a friend told me recently, you can go from “passion to paycheck.”

It is with that in mind that I make an exciting announcement: As of January 2011, I will be working for our friends at CalCedar as the Marketing and Promotions Coordinator for Pencils.com! This is a really exciting opportunity, and I’m honored that I was even considered for the position, let alone accepted for it. Continue reading →

Checking in

/ Andy Welfle / 6 Comments

The brand-new Palomino Blackwing gift set. I got a good look at it during my visit. See end of post for a link.

Whew! It’s been a busy couple of weeks for this humble blogger. My blog silence is not an indication of having nothing to talk about, but merely me not having much time for anything! I went to California for a few days last week, to visit a friend and also to visit someone I’ve wanted to meet for a long time, WoodChuck.

I was fortunate to be in Stockton and hang out a little bit with Charles Berolzheimer, President and CEO of California Cedar Products. We all know the organization as the maker of California Republic-brand pencils, like the Golden Bear, the Palomino, and the oft-talked about Palomino Blackwing. They also own and operate Pencils.com, which sells products as well as maintains a large resource for pencil enthusiasts.

He showed me their offices, warehouse, some products we don’t see every day, and even took me to the Duraflame offices (his brother is the president and CEO), which are on a decommissioned ferry boat!

I even got a look at his amazing pencil collection. When your business is to supply cedar slats to many pencils companies globally, they send you lots of awesome samples. And since his family has been doing this for at least three generations, he has some incredible old pencils.

Of course, bad blogger that I am, I have no pictures to share with you. I told him that I want to spend two hours in his office with a DSLR camera, and I’d be set with blog posts for a year. Maybe that’ll happen next time I’m in Stockton.

I also went to San Francisco, rode some cable cars, ate some great food, and bought a few pencils and notebooks I can’t find in the midwest. Look for that soon!

I wanted to link to the Palomino Blackwing gift set, but apparently WordPress doesn’t let me place a link in a photo caption. Here is that link.

WoodChuck in the flesh!

/ Andy Welfle / Leave a comment

Well, on video at least. Charles Berolzheimer from California Cedar and Pencils.com made a short video about the Palomino Blackwing! It’s short and sweet, though nothing a faithful reader of this blog probably doesn’t know already. Still, I think you’d be interested in seeing it.

Pencil geeks: If you are trying to explain to someone what you’ve been blathering on about for the last two months (like people have asked me), or someone simply wants to know what that cool pencil you’re writing with is, this is the perfect video to show them.