Hi all!
We have been estimating the start time for our live show at the San Francisco Pen Show up until now, but we are finally locked into a time and place:
Friday, August 23rd, 8 p.m., Aster Room, Hotel Pullman San Francisco Bay.
This is not a ticketed event, and we hope to have seats for everyone who wishes to attend. That said, please stop by the Nock table inside the main ballroom to grab a ticket so 1. We get a headcount, and 2. You are entered for door prizes.
I hope to see you there!
It’s not worth it.
There is no point in burying the lede here. The Graf von Faber-Castell Platinum-Plated Perfect Pencil has not been worth the money I spent on it.
As with any product that costs a decent amount of money, I didn’t rush into the purchase. I was fascinated by the looks of the Perfect Pencil, and spent the better part of two years with it in my mind. I picked one up any chance I could, read reviews when I could find them, and generally worked through the process in my head. I do this a lot for all types of purchases.
I finally decided to bite the bullet this Spring. I was excited! And the excitement didn’t stop once I received the Perfect Pencil. But, after extended use I realized this is not a product for me. Let’s break it down.
This is a beautiful product. That’s what drew me in. It is stunning to look at, to hold, and to use. It’s an all-time design classic. The platinum-plated cap is the star of the show, with its traditional GvFC styling. You can tell from a mile away what it is. The construction is excellent too - it feels like a well-made product. Even the pencil has additional features, such as a matching platinum-plated twist cap over the eraser, and unique machined grooves down the barrel. I have zero complaints around the aesthetic of this product.
The price. Let’s not beat around the bush here. At $260, I knew beforehand that it was egregious for what it was, but that can be said about most any pen or pencil I buy. I buy products like this because I enjoy them, not because I need them. No one needs any of this! But if I am spending this kind of money on what is essentially a glorified pencil cap I want to feel that it is money well spent. That it was worth it. I don’t feel that at all with this model of the Perfect Pencil.
If the overall price isn't enough of a deterrent, the pencil price alone will stop you in your tracks. They are sold in a 5-pack for $50. Even I can do that math. I didn’t buy any extra pencils with my order, knowing that I would be trying and using other pencils I love in the Perfect Pencil cap. The marketing says the cap only fits GvFC pencils, but that’s just not true. It didn’t fit every pencil I tried, but more than enough worked perfectly well.
The sharpener. This is what broke the spell for me. It’s not good enough to make me enjoy the experience of carrying a $260 pencil around. In fact, I hate it. When you are a stationery junkie like me, you learn what you like, what you accept, and what you dislike. I like long point sharpeners. I knew this wasn’t one, and I accepted that fact thinking the experience and quality of the Perfect Pencil sharpener would be fine. It wasn’t. It is frustrating to use, and worse, does a bad job at its only job.
I didn’t buy the Perfect Pencil to use another sharpener with it. That defeats it’s entire purpose in my mind. But I do, because I don’t enjoy using this one.
Everyone has a different formula in determining the value of non-essential items in their life. I’ve spent far more on goods that I love and use daily, and I’ve spent far less on products that are collecting dust. My mental math told me that I would enjoy the Perfect Pencil and that the price would be justified, but I didn’t get a true feeling of the product until I put it through my own personal ringer. In the end, this product provides more frustration than enjoyment, making it not worth it in my book.
My assessment of this product leaves one big open-ended question on the table: What do I do with the Perfect Pencil now?
(I purchased this pencil at full price from C.W. Pencil Enterprise.)
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Each week in Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter, I publish Ink Links as part of the additional content you receive for being a member. And each week, after 10 to 15 links, plus my added commentary on each, I'm left with many great items I want to share. Enter Misfill. Here are this weeks links:
— "8/9/19 #scorebook - Brewers 6, Rangers 5. These things are aesthetically prettier under AL rules.… " (Levi Weaver on Twitter)
— The Lord of the Rings Moleskine Limited Edition Box Review (Writing at Large)
— DC Supershow 2019 (Gourmet Pens)
— Index Card | Last pile of the year (iHanna's Blog)
— Video Review: Karas Pen Co. Vertex Fountain Pen (nib & ink)
— The Soft Bulletin still stands as The Flaming Lips’ trippy masterpiece (A.V. Club)
— Ink Review: Hankyu Maroon (Macchiato Man)
— Review: Karas Pen Co. Vertex Fountain Pen (The Pencilcase Blog)
— Tanner McSwain (Uses This)
— Ensso Piuma Fountain Pen Review (Ed Jelley)
— Praise for the humble composition notebook (Polar Pencil Pusher)
— What Are You Secretly Good At? (A Cup of Jo)
— Ink Review #825: Pelikan Edelstein Ruby (Mountain of Ink)
— Notebook Review - JetPen's Kanso Sasshi Booklets (The Well-Appointed Desk)
— review: de atramentis petrol (ink between the teeth)
— Fountain Pen Quest Trail Log – August 11, 2019 (Fountain Pen Quest)
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