Posts filed under Pencil Reviews

What Is In Your Perfect Pencil Kit?

As my pencil month experiment winds down, I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite products I’ve had in use. And, if I took some of these products and put them together as a kit, what would it include, and how would I set it up? Here are the options I settled on for my personal pencil kit:

A writing pencil. This should be the core of your setup, and your most-used pencil. What pencil do you want to use the majority of the time? For me, that means a dark, firm core with solid point retention. Bonus points for looks. The Mitsubishi 9850 comes to mind here, as does the Blackwing Eras - two of my favorite pencils to just pick up and write. There are no questions here, only solid performance every time I pick it up.

A sketching pencil. This could go a few different ways depending on your needs, but for me, it means something on the soft side, or B side, of the graphite scale. For example, the Tombow Mono KM-KKS 4B, which features a much softer core than the writing options above, but one that is rock solid for such a soft, dark pencil.

A detail pencil. This is my H side option. I’ve toned it down over the years from the 4H range to 2H, which is still plenty aggressive for what I need. This Tombow-made Tajima 2H - for hi-precision drafting, it says - is a perfect choice.

A fun pencil. Do you like a certain character that you can buy pencils for? A wild color? A unique material, either for the wood barrel or core? I always want to have some fun in any kit, whether it is my favorite Aggretsuko pencil, or the Caran d’Ache Stinkwood, which is always a good time.

A color pencil. Or three. Honestly, you can never have too many color options. A magic pencil works wonderfully here, as do the two-sided pencils, like the classic Mitsubishi Vermillion/Prussian Blue, or my favorite, The Editor, a collaboration between Caran d’Ache and the artist formally known as CW Pencil Enterprise.

A self-contained sharpener. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to make a mess unless I am prepared to make a mess. That means that unless I have a trash can handy to sharpen over, I want the pencil shavings to be stored inside the sharpener until I can empty them safely. The KUM Long Point is my favorite option for this. If you don’t care about containing the shavings, then you could opt for the open-blade KUM Masterpiece. The Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener does do a fantastic job of sharpening and containing the shavings, as long as you get a good blade on order.

An eraser. This is a do as I say, not as I do moment. I don’t use erasers, even the ones attached to the pencil. I scratch out and move on, as if I were using a pen. That said, I do like having one on hand just in case. Tombow makes the best in this category, or you can toss in something cool like this Seed Clear Radar eraser, which comes in two sizes: small, and smaller.

A pencil cap. I mean, we are nerds about this stuff, right? I don’t put pencil caps on all of the pencils I carry (that’s why I carry a sharpener,) but I will usually put it on my writing pencil because it is likely the most used pencil. I feel better knowing that if I am banging it around the most that it is protected when I need to pick it up and write quickly.

Pencil paper. What is pencil paper? Take what you like for fountain pens, and choose the exact opposite. Ok, maybe that’s a bit much, but you don’t necessarily want a smooth, slow-drying paper for graphite. The paper doesn’t have to be toothy, but you want some grab from the pencil tip so that it leaves a solid and consistent mark. Field Notes fit the kit size perfectly.

A pouch. Is this the toughest part of the pencil kit? I think so. I made my perfect pencil pouch when Nock Co. was going (R.I.P.) which was exceedingly simple. It didn’t need to hold too much, but it needed to be long enough to hold an unsharpened Blackwing. That was the measurement we used because Blackwing’s are the longest pencil on the market, and longer than most standard pencils off the shelf. Rickshaw makes a nice option for this.

What else? I think I’ve covered my bases here - what else do you put in your pencil kit? Let me know in the comments below.

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Posted on October 21, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Pencil Reviews, Pencil Sharpener.

Musgrave Pencil Co. Tennessee Red Review

Why has the Musgrave Pencil Co. Tennessee Red become one of the must-have pencils for the more graphite-inclined among us? For starters, have you seen it?

This is one of the most beautiful pencils on the market, without question. The natural look isn’t everyone’s favorite - I do love a colorful paint job myself - but the way this one is executed sets it apart. The way the cedar slats are produced and assembled gives each barrel a unique look, which is then topped with a clear matte coat to really bring out the color. To seal the deal, the gold ferrule, white eraser, and red imprints bring the entire package together.

Eastern Red Cedar was originally used by Musgrave up until the 1970’s, when the company transitioned to the more common California Incense Cedar. Only in 2020 were they able to bring Eastern Red Cedar back into the lineup in small batches for the Tennessee Red.

I think the Tennessee Red is the softest, but the Blackwing Soft and Balanced cores may be darker. It’s close. I will say that the HB of the Mitsubishi 9850 is nothing like the Tennessee Red “HB.”

As awesome as this cedar is, and as good as this pencil looks, the graphite core and writing experience is really the only thing that matters with any pencil. The Tennessee Red is sold as a #2/HB pencil, but almost anyone who uses them will tell you that these cores are soft and dark, making them feel like at least a B, if not softer. And honestly, that’s what kept me from using them for the longest time.

*Below: Before, and after. Decent point retention for such a soft core.*

Tastes change, and like how my reliance on Extra-Extra Fine fountain pen nibs has morphed into a comfort zone more in the Fine range, my pencil choices have moved from the H side of the ledger to B. It’s not because I am old and have bad eyes (allegedly,) but that I get more enjoyment from seeing the marks, colors, and shapes that wider and darker lines provide.

That said, if I were taking pages of notes with a pencil, the Tennessee Red would not be my first choice. It’s a bit too soft for me in that scenario, but for notes, lists, and doodles? Absolutely.

*Some cores are slightly off, but not too far to prevent their usefulness.*

One interesting thing about the Tennessee Red is the challenges Musgrave has making them into the perfect, consistent pencil that we all expect. To their credit, they own those challenges up front:

Most of our reviews of this pencil have been overwhelmingly positive, but it hasn’t been immune to production challenges. Getting the pencil slats uniform is ideal for running them through the machines, but this was difficult as our supplier wasn’t used to prepping slats for pencils. For perfectly aligned cores, it’s crucial that each slat is cut perfectly symmetrically. As such, you may notice in your packs some slightly off-center cores. This won’t affect the ability of these pencils to write beautifully or to sharpen. But we do note that if perfectly aligned cores are of the utmost importance to you, this pencil may not be your best choice.

I appreciate this so much.

*Quality blades, like in the KUM Masterpiece, had no trouble with the Red.*

The other interesting fact they mention is that the preferred method of sharpening a Tennessee Red is with an electric sharpener. The what now? Am I some kind of heathen over here? To their point, Eastern Red Cedar is a denser wood, so you might have more of a challenge with smaller hand-held sharpeners. I use desktop hand-crank sharpeners, like the Uni KH-20, and have no issues putting a good point on the pencil.

At $14 per dozen directly from Musgrave, the Tennessee Red is almost in the instabuy category for those who love classic pencils. Your boy here loves them so much, he travelled to England and paid over twice that price for some of that good stuff. And I’d do it again.

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Posted on October 7, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Musgrave, Pencil Reviews.

Sun-Star Metacil Pocket Pencil Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available for pre-order!)

There are a number of reasons why pencils haven't made their way into my daily use. One, the leads are always breaking. Two, they always seem dull or like they need to be sharpened. Three, they get used up so quickly and need to be replaced often. I still enjoy them, but I don't rely on them. I was intrigued by this Sun-Star Metacil Pocket Pencil because it seemed to solve all three of my pencil woes. And it mostly does, though it comes with a few of its own.

This unique pencil has an aluminum body faceted like a traditional pencil. It is very light and feels great in the hand. Best of all, it isn't consumed as the pencil is used. This model is the short, pocket-sized version, which is the perfect length for a purse or pants pocket. It comes with a leather tip protector to keep it from marking the inside of your pocket.

The reason the pencil body isn't consumed is because this pencil never needs to be sharpened. Instead of a wood and graphite tip, the tip of this pencil is made from a blend of graphite and metal. While it does wear down slowly after much use (the package promises 16 kilometers of writing), the tip itself can be replaced with a new one.

The writing experience is where this pencil falters a bit. One of the highlights of pencil use is the texture of writing with the lead and the way its softness shades, getting darker with pressure. This pencil doesn't do that. While the friction of writing isn't unpleasant, it doesn't feel pencil-like. And the writing is much fainter than most pencils. It's comparable to the hardest, faintest pencil leads I've used--ones that aren't usually used for writing, but for shading in sketching. The lines are readable, so this still works great as an in-a-pinch/just-in-case writing tool, but I wouldn't want to write pages and pages with it. At that rate, it's going to take me a long time to wear down that 16km tip.

The lead can be erased like pencil lead, though the pencil doesn't come with an eraser--another fact that moves it more solidly into the quick-jot tool category, rather than something I want to spend time writing with.

If I stop holding this wee pencil to the same expectations I'd have of a standard pencil and just think of it as its own thing, I can appreciate it more. It definitely has handy potential. I think it would be great for camping or travel, or for craft purposes, like marking wood cuts. I even think it could be perfect for some sketching. And it still does solve my issues with pencils, so it earns a spot on my desk, for sure. I just won't be writing whole books with it.

If you're as curious about this small wonder as I was, you can get one at JetPens for $10.25, and after 16km of writing, you can replace the tip for around $4.05. I do think it's worth the cost. And if you don't mind the faint lines, it might be the perfect thing for you.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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