Musgrave Round-Up

The Musgrave round-up is first in a series of reviews I will do about all pencils (that are currently obtainable) in a specific brand.  I often wonder if pencil companies that brand pencils with different names really have differences within each pencil.  Besides aesthetics, do these different pencils have different cores?  To test this out, I will take each pencil and write one full college ruled page and compare how each pencil feels while writing and how well it performs when it comes to erasing, smearing, and darkness.  Before we get to the actual reviews, let’s talk about Musgrave as a company first.

Musgrave has been making pencils in Shelbyville, Tennessee since 1916.  Supplied by Tennessee red cedar and a system of recycling cedar rail fences for more modern wire, Musgrave had all the resources it needed.  Musgrave not only bartered with farmers for the old cedar, but their crew installed the new wire and pole fencing that would be replacing that cedar.  Since the cedar rails had been outdoors for an extended period of time, they were already weathered and in perfection condition.  The cedar was cut into pencil slats that were sent from Tennessee to German manufacturers like Faber.  In 1919, the Tennessee red cedar had been depleted and a new source needed to found.  Luckily, a wood with similar characteristics from California, California Incense Cedar was shipped it.  This new wood was fast growing, plentiful, and renewable.  Musgrave held on as a company through the Great Depression and during World War II and still operates today in Shelbyville.  One the few pencil manufacturers left in the United States, Musgrave is an example of how ingenuity and dedication to one’s product can last the test of time.

The pencils I will be talking about today are the ones that are easily available for purchase.  There are other pencils in their lineup that I would have liked to try, but I am still waiting for a response from the company about how I can acquire those.  I will update accordingly if that ever comes through.  All pencils reviewed today were purchased via CW Pencil Enterprise.  Please note that I am not comparing these pencils against each other– that would be unrealistic as these pencils have a variety of purposes.  Instead, I have used each pencil for a period of time and have provided some feedback and thoughts on how each performed.

Bugle ($0.25)

The Bugle has a very simple design.  It has a round, unpainted barrel with a thin clear overcoat with the word “BUGLE” and 1816 stamped in white.  There are also two little bugles stamped on the pencil which make it completely adorable.  There is no eraser and the pencil is very light in your hand.  Based on the smell test, I do not think this pencil is made of cedar, but I could be mistaken.  Writing with the Bugle produced a very loud scratchy sound, but not a scratchy feel.  I felt it was a bit light for a number 2 pencil and because of this lightness it was very easy to erase.  Point retention is amazing and I was able to fill an entire sheet of college ruled notebook paper before I had to sharpen again.

I would recommend this pencil for a few reasons.  Aesthetically speaking, this pencil is great.  I really like the bugles stamped into the side and I am a sucker for natural looking pencils.  I personally don’t like round barreled pencils, but that’s just me.  Also, the Bugle has wonderful point retention even though it is a bit lighter than I like for a number 2 pencil.  As a furious note taker, I find myself having to sharpen a lot.  This was not the case with the Bugle as it seemed to just keep going and going.

Harvest #2 ($0.35)

At first glance, the Harvest is your typical looking yellow school pencil.  Upon further inspection, you can see that it is so much more than that.  I have to admit, I am in love with the design of this pencil.  It has a nice sharp hexagonal barrel (some hate this; I love it) and a thick coat of yellow lacquer.  The typography of the word Harvest is wonderful and the other gold foil stamping has a nice, retro look to it.  The Harvest advertises that it has “bonded lead” which means the core is glued right onto the barrel.  This increases strength and decreases breakage.  The ferrule of this pencil is great as well with a crimson brown stripe in the middle of it.  It holds a bright pink eraser (that performs very meh).  It appears the Harvest is made with white ash as it is much lighter in color than the other pencils in Musgrave’s line-up.

Sadly, the core of my pencil was a bit off-center so it sharpened unevenly, but not so much so that it impacted its performance.  The Harvest wrote as dark as a number two pencil should and had average point retention.  I was able to fill up an entire notebook page, but towards the end I found myself rotating the pencil a lot to get a sharper edge to write with.  Don’t let my off center core dissuade you from picking up this pencil.  It is beautiful!  I would recommend not using the supplied eraser as it is pretty bad and feels as though you might rip your paper while using it.

Test Scoring 100 ($0.40)

The Test Scoring pencil produces a love/hate sentiment among users.  Some like the sharp hex edge and shiny graphite lay down while other abhor it.  Say what you will, but the Test Scoring pencil looks pretty rad.  I like that there is “100” on the side of it almost encouraging you to do your best.  The graphite composition of the Test Scoring pencil is artificial and is actually called electro-graphite.  The reason this formulation is used is because it puts down a more reflective mark so the grading machines can pick up on it.  It writes nice and dark and has a smooth feel while writing.  Of course because of this darkness, point retention suffers.  This may be fine for grade schoolers, but for post grads taking tests, sometimes pencil sharpening is not allowed so I’d bring a dozen or so pre-sharpened just in case.

The eraser is shit.  Seriously, it almost ripped my paper,  I wouldn’t dare use this eraser on a Scantron for fear of ripping a hole right through the sheet.  I wouldn’t recommend this pencil for heavy note taking since it dulls pretty quickly and smears a great deal.  I do enjoy the sharp hex it offers, but I can’t see myself ever using this outside of its intended purpose.  This pencil would be perfect for jotting down short notes or lists.

Ceres 909 ($0.40)

The Ceres is another one of Musgrave’s standard yellow school pencil offerings.  It has the usual stamping of the Musgrave brand and then the word “Ceres” in a font that I know I’ve seen before, but I can’t remember what it’s called.  It has a standard number two pencil kind of darkness and I’d place it somewhere in between the Bugle and the Harvest as far as darkness is concerned.  Writing with the Ceres can be a mixed bag; at times it wrote pretty well with very little feedback, but at other times it was very scratchy.  It was almost as if there were some kind of little chunks of something within the graphite because the scratchiness would go away after writing for a little bit.

The graphite it does lay down is easily erased, but not by its own eraser.  I mean you could erase it with the built-in eraser, but it is very rough on the paper.  Also, the eraser disintegrates, but does not create any dust and instead kind of tears off in chunks.  I wouldn’t say that this pencil is trash, but if it were in a pencil cup with others I would not reach for it unless I had to.  It certainly is better that the garbage most offices order from Staples or WB Mason, but marginally.  Musgrave really needs to work on their eraser game.

News 600 ($0.40)

The News 600 is not your standard writing pencil.  You will have frustrating results if you try to use it for note taking– just don’t.  It is super dark and soft; I’d say it would be around a 4B or so and it has a larger than normal core.  Be careful with handling this pencil as pencils with larger cores can break if the pencil is dropped.  Having a broken core inside a pencil will render it pretty much useless since when you sharpen it, the point will simply fall right out of the pencil.  I would only recommend this pencil to be used by artists or if you are doing a newspaper crossword puzzle.

Final Thoughts

Musgrave is one the oldest pencil manufacturers still making pencils in the US.  They offer a pretty large line up of pencils, but their main business seems to be in novelty pencils.  I would say that for the cost of each pencil, you get what you pay for.  If Musgrave made some small improvements like improving their erasers and moving back to using California cedar, they would be a contender for one of my favorite pencil companies.  I love, love, love a sharp hex and Musgrave seems to be the only place that can offer that.  Too bad small, easily remedied things make me not want to carry much of their stuff in my daily rotation.  I mean, I love the Bugle, but it’s a round pencil, so unless I was all out of hexagonals I will not use it.  One final thing for Musgrave: please update your logo.  It’s bad.  Please.

 

CW Pencils Pencil Box Subscription

These days, it seems as though everyone is getting in on the subscription business.  The latest entry into the arena is CW Pencil Enterprise.  The quarterly subscription service is $120 for a year, but it is paid in four installments.  This model is unique in the stationery subscription service model since it allows you to cancel mid subscription.  Also, for those that have a hard time coming up with a large chunk of money at once, $30 at a time makes it easier.  According to the description on the website, the pencil box is guaranteed to contain:

• At least 3 pencils
• At least 1 pencil accessory (sharpener, eraser, extender, etc)
• A wild card item (notebook, pencil case, more accessories)
• Exclusive ephemera
• Whatever else we are excited about

Now that the details are out of the way, let’s get to the contents of the box.  I will list each item and its fair market value.  Afterwords, I will talk a bit about my thoughts on the subscription service itself.

General’s SEMI-HEX #1 – $0.67

Papermate MONGOL 480 #2 – $0.17

Caran d’Ache Technograph – $3.00

Koh-i-Noor Original Magic FX – $3.00

Stationers Inc. Reporters Notebook – $1.98

Faber Castell Double Hole Sharpener – $4.95

Doppel-Laufer Universal Eraser – $0.37

Exclusive Postcard/Pamphlet – $2.00

Shipping/Materials – $10.00

TOTAL: $26.14

Now let me state the obvious and get it out of the way here: the value of the items in the box does not equal $30.  BUT.  You are not just paying for items in a box.  You have to factor in materials and labor to pack the box as well as shipping costs.  You are paying for the thoughtful, intentional selection of pencil paraphernalia.  You are paying for an experience.  Also, this is the first subscription box from CW, so I am sure there are exciting things in the works.  I’d like to revisit the whole cost/value issue after a year’s worth of boxes.  I would like to see more exclusive stuff like enamel pins, patches, stickers,etc.  And as far as themes go, I’d love to see a Japanese box, a vintage (with actual vintage items inside) box, and (well this is Dee specific) an all things neon box.  My final verdict on the subscription: BUY IT.  This little collection of items are things that I would not have tried out otherwise and love how everything stays related to the theme.  Nowhere else can you find a personal pencil curator to satisfy your pencilly needs.

***NOTE: I paid for this subscription with my own monies***

 

Massive Mechanical Pencil Lead Review

This post seems to be the antithesis to what I preach all day: “The only good pencil is a wooden pencil!  Wooden pencils for life!”  Even though 95 percent of my pencil usage is in the form of wood cased pencils, there is still room for a good mechanical.  I actually have quite a few mechanical pencils and enjoy using them from time to time.  For testing purposes I am using a Tombow MONO graph 0.5mm mechanical pencil and writing on standard printer paper.

Pentel AIN Stein ($3.30 for 40 pcs.)

The Pentel Ain STEIN lead was nice and smooth and had a moderate darkness.  Point retention with this lead was moderate.  The case it comes in is nice and sleek and the lid stays attached.  You twist it to expose a hole where you can get the lead out.  STEIN stands for “Strongest Technology by Enhanced SiO2 Integrated Network” (whatever that means).  It has an “enhanced reinforced silica core” which claims to make it smooth, strong, and smudge free.  Lefties rejoice!

 

Uni Kuru Toga ($3.30 for 20 pcs.)

The Uni Kuru Toga lead was smooth with a moderate darkness and point retention was a bit better than average.  I believe it probably has to do with its special formulation.  The Kuru Toga lead has a “soft outer layer around a hard inner core” and they claim that one can easily shape the lead into a point.  It comes in a round, cylindrical case with a removable lid.  While it is round, there is a small nub on the lid that makes it so it doesn’t roll off of a table or desk.    This is important to note since the Kuru Toga mechanical pencils do just that.  The pencil rotates the lead ever so slightly each time you lift the point off the paper.  If you don’t have a Kuru Toga pencil, you should buy one!

 

Pilot Neox ($3.55 for 40 pcs.)

The Pilot Neox lead is nice and smooth ad a bit darker than most other HB lead grades I have tried out.  When writing with this lead, it glides across the paper effortlessly.  Point retention is on the low average side.  Pilot claims this lead contains “high quality graphite with few impurities, and the bond between the carbon atoms is strong than ever.”  Pilot makes some bold claims here stating that their lead uses lubricating properties of graphite crystal to ensure a smooth writing experience.  The canister has a sliding mechanism up to that opens to allow you to pour out the lead.

 

Uni NanoDia ($3.30 for 40 pcs.)

The Uni NanoDia Low-Wear lead glides easily over the paper as you write and feels very strong and durable.  Point retention is very strong considering it is so smooth.  The Uni NanoDia Low-Wear Pencil Leads are infused with nano-diamond pieces to create an unusually strong and high-quality lead.  The canister has a sliding mechanism in its lid that allows you to dump lead out.  I really like the overall design of this container.

Zebra DelGuard ($3.25 for 40 pcs.)

The Zebra DelGuard is moderately dark, but felt kind of scratchy which was disappointing as I usually enjoy Zebra’s products. Point retention was average.  The case features a clever mechanism that opens a trap door and pushes out leads automatically when you use the slider on the side of the case.

The Pentel Ain STEIN Hard and Soft ($3.30 for 40 pcs.)

I was really excited to see if there was much discernible difference between the soft and hard versions of the Ain STEIN leads.  Much to my delight, there was.  The soft is a dream to write with as it slides right across the paper and legitimately feels like you are writing with a stick of butter (ok, maybe not that soft).  What was interesting was that it seemed lighter than the regular Ain STEIN and hard versions.  Perhaps this had to do with how it was laid down on the paper.  On the other hand the hard version was semi-scratchy as to be expected, but was slightly darker.  Obviously the point retention on the soft was poor and the hard was excellent.

 

Rotring TIKKY ($3.00 for 12 pcs.)

 

The Rotring TIKKY lead was beyond disappointing.  It was very soft and point retention was awful.  What made me ever more frustrated was that you only got TWELVE leads for $3.00!  Also, the opening mechanism up to was really hard to fiddle with.  The canister is an ugly brown.  Avoid this at all costs.

Tombow MONO Graph ($3.25 for 40 pcs.)

The Tombow MONO Graph leads are one of my favorites on this list.  They have a hard feeling to them when you write and the lead is nice and strong.  Point retention is slightly better than average.  These high-quality leads offer smooth writing, crisp lines, and great break resistance. The case features an innovative cap design: sliding it one way allows a single lead to come out a time, and sliding it the other way allows several leads to come out at a time.

Hi-Uni Hi-Density GRCT ($4.95 for 40 pcs.)

I really couldn’t find much in the way of a description for the GRCT leads, but I did wander across this great vintage commercial for them:

The Hi-Uni GRCT had the most “pencily” feel out of all the lead I tried.  It was also the truest to an HB.  Point retention was right in the middle.  The case has a sliding mechanism on top that allows you to dump the lead out.

Tombow MONO WX ($3.30 for 40 pcs.)

The Tombow Mono-WX lead was nice and smooth and laid down a medium line.  Its point retention was better than average which was surprising considering how smooth it wrote.  Also, it felt very strong for a smoother lead which was nice.  The top of the unique dispenser opens to the right to dispense a single piece of lead at a time, or can be pushed to the left to extract multiple lead pieces at a time.

Lamy ($4.30 for 12 pcs.)

Another huge disappointment here.  I couldn’t really find any description about these leads anywhere.  They come in an ugly, plain case and have a lid that comes completely off which is annoying because it is small and slippery and can easily be lost.  The lead itself is super hard and light.  It has a great point retention, but for $4.30 for 12 leads, this is horribly expensive for what you actually get.  Avoid.

Staedtler Mars ($2.00 for 12 pcs.)

Staedtler’s Mars Micro Carbon lead glides smoothly across paper, producing dark lines. It is kinda flexible and pretty break-resistant. Point retention is a bit below average.  According the Staedtler, the lead is also environmentally friendly, composed of more than 90% natural raw materials. Plus, it is produced using unique ecologically-responsible manufacturing processes without PVC or softening agents.  The design of the canister is a bit odd and it has a very tiny top that is difficult to remove.  You also only get 12 leads and while it is still expensive at $2.00, it is not as sinful as Lamy or Rotring.

Wrap-Up

Overall, it was fun trying out many different leads.  While I didn’t rank each one, I have a top three: Tombow MONO graph, Pilot Neox Graphite, and the Pilot Ain STEIN soft.  All of these leads were purchased by myself from JetPens and I was not compensated for my opinions at all.

 

 

 

 

Write Notepads: A Year in Review

For the uninitiated, Write Notepads is a small, local business based in South Baltimore, Maryland that makes pocket (and other sized) notebooks.  For every notebook you purchase, one goes to an inner city student that needs one.  From the packaging to the actual notebook, everything is designed with meticulous attention to detail.  While Write sells standard notebooks that are always available for purchase, they also have a subscription option where you receive a new limited edition every three months.  Along with the limited edition notebooks, you receive limited edition pencils that match.  I will take a look at all four editions in this overview and comment a bit on their aesthetics and choose a favorite.  I’d like the send out a huge thank you to Kathy Rogers, a member of the Erasable group for providing the samples I reviewed.

Lenore

Write’s first edition was a an ode to Edgar Alan Poe.  Inspired by the darkness of Poe, each notebook has the simple word “Lenore” foil-stamped on its cover.  The inside of the notebook is 70 lb. small graph paper.  I am not sure how I feel about the tiny squares– I prefer a larger grid so I can make easier checklists.  What I do like is the matching pencil– there is a raven foil stamped on the barrel.  The ferrule, eraser, and wood of the pencil is also black which stays within the dark theme Lenore has going.  While I like the pencil a lot, the notebook is not my favorite.  I’d rank it 4th due to the small graph paper inside and the minimalist cover.  The pencil get 1st place hands down.

 

 

Kindred Spirit

Write’s second edition Kindred Spirit, was inspired by the idea that us notebook and pencil enthusiasts are all kindred spirits and share the same feelings about our niche hobby.  The notebooks have been packaged as “Charcoal Bookettes” as a play on the idea that each notebook is like the beginning of a fire with the charcoal resembling the potential fire that is formed when we put our ideas to paper.  The outside of the notebook is a light orange-yellow with the slightest of marbling and the word “Write” stamped inside of a black flame.  The 70 lb. paper inside is lined like a ledger notebook which is a feature I like since I use a lot of my pocket notebooks for lists.  The pencil that came along with it was a natural wood-grain pencil with a pinkish-red eraser and “Quickstrike – Safety Pencils” stamped in red on the barrel.  I like this notebook a lot– the bright cover and the ledger-lined paper inside does it for me and puts the book 2nd on my list.  The pencil is a creative design and I have a thing for natural wood pencils, so it gets 2nd place as well.

 

The Royal Blue

This Fall edition features the B&O Railroad and was created to honor The Royal Blue, a train that shuttled passengers from Washington D.C. to Jersey City.  The notebooks are a Saxony Blue and gold– the railroad’s traditional colors.  A crest in gold is printed on the cover and “The Royal Blue” is at the bottom in the original font of the train line.  This edition also has 70 lb. paper with the ledger lines I so love.  The pencil that comes with this edition is also blue and has a round barrel.  Stamped in gold is a picture of the Royal Blue train, the words “The Royal Blue” and “Write”; there is a sliver ferrule with a white eraser.  This notebook gets 1st place due to its design and ledger lined inside.  The pencil gets 4th place because I hate round barreled pencils (sorry).

 

In the Pines

Write’s final edition of their inaugural subscription year was titled “In the Pines” and was inspired by a “cold walk through a dense pine forest.”  According to Write, the title pays homage to an “eerie hymnal originally attributed to Lead Belly, and popularized by Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged session.”  As a lover of trees, I wanted to love this edition.  The detail of the dark green embossed cover is beautiful with a silver pine tree and the words “In the Pines” on the front.  Inside is 70 lb. dot grid paper which I am not in love with as the dots seem a bit more spread out than I am used to.  The pencil that goes along with this edition is also in dark green with silver stamping on the barrel.  I really like the detail of the number 2 inside a pine tree.  What is disappointing is I feel like the quality control on these pencils is not the same of the others.  I ordered a few and some have chips in the paint and sloppy stamping.  The chipping is not a big deal since it is at the end of the pencil and will be sharpened away anyway, but still disappointing.  I give the notebooks and pencils from this edition 3rd place on my lists.

The Pencils

Penmanship Pencils: A Review

In Asia, there is a lot of emphasis on penmanship.  So much so, that there are specific pencils for that exact purpose.  I suppose in Asian countries the intricacy of their handwritten language necessitate a need for such tools.  The penmanship pencil offers a smooth, dark graphite that glides across the paper and provides ample feedback for your writing experience.  I would relate the writing experience to writing with a crayon and marker combined into one.  What is equally great about these pencils is that they do not smudge much like other darker lead grades.  This is very useful if you want to use them to take notes or journal (note: I have tried these on a few different paper types, but not all).  Today I am going to take a look at the two main penmanship (pencilship?) pencils; the Tombow MONO and the Mitsubishi Uni:

At first glance, both of these pencils are beautiful.  From the striking finish to the inscriptions on the side of the pencil, they are a writing implement you are just drawn (no pun intended) to.  Like most Japanese pencils I have used, the attention to detail is phenomenal.

The cores of both of these pencils are nice and thick with the Mitsubishi core being a tad bit thicker.  Both were sharpened with the Classroom Friendly sharpener:

Writing with the Tombow proved to be a dream.  The pencil was nice and smooth and laid down nice, dark lines.  Compared to the Mitsubishi, the Tombow provided more feedback when writing– the actual sound of scribbling resonated much more so than the Mitsubishi.  This may have had to do with the fact that the Tombow was a lighter pencil overall weight-wise.  The graphite laid down was almost identical to the Mitsubishi and did not smear.  I also preferred the color scheme of the Tombow as I like bright colors, but my opinion is entirely subjective.  The Mitsubishi on the other hand was heavier, provided almost no feedback when writing, and the finish, while not as attractive as the Tombow was better.  The thicker lacquer and the larger core most likely added to the overall weight of the Mitsubishi as I feel both of these pencils are made from the same wood.  Another positive is that the Mitsubishi is a bit easier to find than the Tombow.  Both CW Pencils and JetPens carry the Mitsubishi, while only CW Pencils carries the Tombow.

I really cannot say that there is a clear winner here.  Both pencils perform well and I think it comes down to which is more aesthetically pleasing to the user.  Here are links for both pencils at CW Pencils: Tombow and Mitsubishi 

 

No. 2: Story of the Pencil

This is my first (and probably only) movie review that I will do on this blog.  As soon as I heard that there would be a documentary produced about my favorite writing implement, I was excited.  Up until now, the story and use of wooden pencils has only existed in small, close-knit groups and this documentary would provide more exposure to something I hold near and dear to my heart.  Let’s get to it:

No.2, overlooked as a common tool, continues to lose dominance in a media saturated world. However, history tells a different story.

The Pencil changed everything. Invention, craftsmanship, art, engineering, manufacturing, government, history, and business are a result of the pencil. Although the Pencil technology provided a way to move thoughts to a tangible form, technology is never static.

As technology is a key focus to every aspect of society today, the pencil begins to lose its significance. With so many aspects of society existing in binary code, the pencil needs to be honored. We are in a battle against time. If we move away from using this analog piece of technology, what is society losing? How significant is the pencil to ingenuity? Should we care if the pencil shifts to the backseat?

Source

I wanted to love this documentary, but I walked away feeling meh.  Let me address the pros first.  As I have mentioned earlier, just having a documentary about the pencil is awesome in itself.  I also loved seeing Caroline and her shop featured, how the filmmaker traveled to various locations to document the history of graphite, and Petroski’s commentary.  That’s where my love affair ends.  First, the music.  There was constant music playing throughout the documentary which I found distracting.  I was hoping it would cut out, but it didn’t and really took away from the message some interviewees were trying to deliver.  Also, it was a bit pretentious at times.  I think for the layperson this would ring especially true.  What would have been an ideal setup would be the history, a lot more of the manufacturing, the players in the pencil community, and– most glaringly omitted– the Erasable community.  I enjoyed the commentary, but I KNOW about pencils and all the nerdy things about them.  I guess what I am trying to say is to make it a bit more approachable to all.  Also, my opinion may be entirely invalid because I enjoy seeing things being manufactured and learning about the different elements of said manufactured item.

Overall, I don’t think this film was entirely crap.  It hit some good notes with me, but fell short on a lot of others.  I’d give it two out of five pencils.  It’s definitely a rent and not an own.  I am glad that the object of my beloved hobby has been featured in a full length film, but it could have done so much more.

Musgrave Ceres

There is something to be said for a classic yellow pencil.  After being inspired by episode 60 of Erasable, I decided to dig into my pencil case and try out a pencil I have yet to review/use.  I was immediately drawn to the Ceres due to its sharp lines and unique script that was stamped on the barrel.

Musgrave produces four grades of this pencil and I am using the #1 grade for this review.  Immediately upon sharpening the Ceres I was greeted with the smell of good old cedar.  The Ceres sharpened very easily and the graphite was perfectly centered which allowed for even sharpening.  Interestingly enough, about a third of the way through the pencil, I found a knot in the wood barrel.

I had never seen this before and though it was pretty interesting.  The small imperfection made the next few sharpenings difficult as the graphite was exposed unevenly, but once I sharpened my way out of it things were fine.  Writing with the Ceres was great and the pencil laid down decent lines.  The graphite was nice and smooth and I’d say the darkness was comprabale to a 2B (this is totally just eyeballing it).  The eraser on the Ceres was below average at best.

The rubber was very gritty and when I did try to erase with it, it wore down very quickly.  Don’t plan on using the eraser if you don’t have to.  The black paint on the barrel began to wear off pretty quickly with normal use, but that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me.  I prefer a well-worn writing instrument.  Overall, the Musgrave Ceres is a great little pencil that is completely affordable (40 cents a piece at CW Pencils), but did not entirely win me over.  While I stated the graphite was smooth and not scratchy, it did not have the buttery smoothness I prefer in my graphite.  Also, not only is the eraser pretty crappy, but I had a hard time erasing with my everyday block eraser as well.  The graphite comes off the paper, but not as cleanly as I like.  If I had to give a rating it would be a meh.  average.  Stay tuned, because next week I will be reviewing the newest CW Pencils acquisitions: The Goldfish Autocrat, Blue Bird, and Vista from Shashon Pencil Company.

Marking Pencil Round-Up

For those of you that are unaware, I work part time in a community college writing center.  I find myself reading and editing papers for hours and have been searching for the perfect marking pencil.  While my list is not exhaustive, I tried to explore a variety of brands that are easily available to anyone.  I have used each pencil for about a week and have been able to form what I feel is a solid opinion on what to try and what to avoid.  First, here is a general overview of each pencil and a writing sample for each:

As you can see all six pencils are quite different when it comes to color and hardness.  I will address the list top to bottom.

Tombow 8900 Vermilion ($0.85)

The Tombow 8900 wrote smoothly and the point retention was one of best of the pencils.  The ability to keep a sharp point on the Tombow allowed the maximum amount of correction with a minimum amount of sharpening.  For me, this is key when working with a student.  Less sharpening means a longer lasting pencil as well.  I could see myself using this pencil on a regular basis for correction.  I found the Tombow 8900 at a Kinokuniya bookstore, but Ebay tends to carry them occasionally.

Caran d’Ache 999 Bicolor ($2.80)

The Caran d’Ache 999 is vibrant and one of the truest to the color red behind the Mitsubishi 772.  The core is super smooth and much to my surprise point retention is above average for such a smooth pencil.  I also like that the 999 is a hex pencil as it is much more comfortable (for me) to hold and rotate while writing.  The only drawback is the price of this pencil.

General’s Red ($0.40)

The General’s Red has the best point retention of all of pencils I have ever used, but it is the worst as far as pigment is concerned.  It is way too light to be effective and feels horribly scratchy.  This pencil is a disappointment and you shouldn’t buy it.  I struggled trying to make my marks noticeable on papers for students and halfway through a session I picked up another pencil it was so bad.  Just don’t.

Musgrave 525 Hermitage ($0.29)

The Hermitage is a great middle of the road pencil.  The core is dark enough to be effective, but is not so soft that you feel like you are writing with a crayon. I found myself using this pencil more and more as the weeks progressed and was not disappointed with the results.  For this reason, I was pleasantly surprised as a lot of my experience with Musgrave products has left me feeling meh.

Mitsubishi 772 Vermilion ($1.00)

The 772 is vibrant and works very well for making small grammatical edits to 12-point font.  When editing papers, clarity is key and the Mitsubishi 772 is as clear as day.  The core is a bit softer than others, but as long as you rotate the pencil ever few marks you make, it seems to wear down just as much as an average pencil.  If I had to pick a winner it would be this pencil.

Mitsubishi Red “Smooth Writing Taste” ($1.65)

This pencil is smooth alright.  So smooth that you feel like you are writing with a crayon.  I love the color it lays down, but the Mitsubishi Red is not for making small edits or writing within the margin.  I’d say this pencil is perfect for making “checks” and “x” marks on papers or maybe even for underlining text, but not for the work I do.  It does get bonus points for its slogan though!

Overall my top two are the Mitsubishi 772 and the Caran d’Ache 999.  Both pencils have great, vibrant color without feeling too waxy.  The Hermitage comes in a close third (I’d even say a tie for second) with its point retention and affordability.  Either way, I hope this has helped those of you that are looking for marking pencils.

 

 

Nataraj Neon vs. Casemate Neon

Back to School season always gets me excited.  As a college student, I feel justified in purchasing extra notebooks, pencils, and erasers.  I peruse the aisles of the local Walmart or Target to see what’s new and have found myself gravitating to the Ticonderogas or USA Golds.  There has been a lot of discussion recently in the Erasable Facebook group about Walmart’s awesome deal on pencils from the Casemate line (97 cents for a dozen pencils and a sharpener).  A lot think that the canister of pencils is manufactured by Hindustan Pencil Company and are pretty much Nataraj pencils without the branding.  Even the sharpener that comes with the pencils says Nataraj. Now that back to school season is in full swing, I have seen the Casemate Neon pencils start to crop up.  There are two versions; the ones that are hexagonal and made in India and the ones that have a round barrel that are made in the Philippines.  DO NOT buy the round ones.  They are horrible and not worth your time.  What follows is a comparison of the Casemate (made in India) Neons and the Nataraj Neons.

Upon opening the Casemate pencils, I immediately noticed that the production quality was not that great.  Chipped pencils and sloppy finish were on quite a few of the pencils.  The graphite cores seemed to be a tiny bit off center, but nothing drastic:

Hand sharpening was quite easy, but I noticed something interesting in the shavings– the neon finish was separating from the wood of the pencil.  I do not have pictures, but the Nataraj pencils do not do this at all, so again I am left wondering if these are factory seconds or a few steps have been skipped in the manufacturing process to cut costs.

Both pencils are almost identical save for the few production errors I have found in the Casemate brand.  The neon color on the Nataraj pencils is a bit more vibrant, but from a quick glance one would not be able to see much difference.  The ferrules on both pencils are the same black aluminum, but the Nataraj pencil has a cleaner look to it (Nataraj pencil is on the right in all of the pics below):

Aesthetics aside, when it comes to writing, there is a noticeable difference.  I found that the Casemate pencil wrote a lot smoother than the Nataraj but laid down slightly lighter marks.  This observation does not seem to fit the experience, but I prefer this– some may not.  I wonder if this is due to the fact that there might be some additives to the graphite in the Casemate pencil to cheapen the cost.  Both pencils were a delight to write with, but I found myself preferring the Casemate.

As you can see from the bottom of the writing sample, both pencils have HORRIBLE erasers.  Do not use them.  You can, but don’t expect good results.  They shading erased beautifully, but trying to erase text is an exercise in futility.  At 97 cents a 12 pack, the Casemate pencils are a steal, but remember HEXAGONAL only.  If you are interested in Nataraj Neons, head over to Caroline where one can pick up a dozen for about three and a half dollars.

Viking 029 Skoleblyanten

Hello pencil pals!  I am back from about a month long hiatus.  Life– mainly school, work, and moving to a new place got in the way of my ability to post regular updates.  I apologize for not keeping the blog updated, but going forward I should be back on track.  After all, I have quite the backlog of pencils and projects to post about!  OK.  Now onto this week’s pencil, the Viking 029 Skoleblyanten (Skoleblyanten translates to school pencil in Danish).  Viking is a pencil company based out of Denmark and has a 100 year history of making pencils ever since a Danish matchstick company started making pencils.  For a deeper write-up on the history of Viking, head to Bleistift where you will find some great reviews and details about the brand.

Appearance wise, the Viking 029 is more than just an ordinary yellow school pencil.  From the classic yellow lacquer of a school pencil, to the black stamping of a Viking ship on the hexagonal barrel, and the ferruleless dipped end, the Viking 029 is quite nice to look at.  The Viking 029 not only excels in form, but in function too.  While the pencil is classified as an HB grade, I felt as though it wrote a bit softer and darker than HB grade pencils I am used to.  The graphite is nice a smooth on paper and erases cleanly and easily.  The weight of the Viking 029 is nice.  I usually don’t like the lightweight feel to ferruleless pencils, but the Viking 029 has just enough heft to it to feel comfortable.

I have spent the past few weeks writing with this pencil and I can honestly say that while it writes a little bit darker than a standard HB, its point retention is great.  Breakage was non-existent and no grittiness was felt while writing at any point.  The graphite had almost a soft waxy feel to it, but it didn’t crumble like most waxy feeling graphite pencils do.  I can easily say that this pencil will make it into my school year rotation in the Fall.  The Viking 029 can be found at CW Pencil Enterprise for $1.25 a pencil and it is well worth throwing a few in your cart next time you shop.  For more information on Viking’s other products check out their beautiful page.