Santa usually leaves a few novelty item stocking stuffers for me, and this recent Christmas was no exception. Included this time was a pencil sharpener - Geppettos Pencil Sharpener - Made in China but the brainchild of Israeli design studio Monkey Business. Package, pencil + point protector, and Geppetto. The weighted base keeps Geppetto smily face up, even with a long nose. The sharpener works well, although the blade does not appear to be replaceable. Also in the stocking, not pencil related.... but then again, perhaps its a little something to help contemplation on future pencil acquisitions?

SPOKE DESIGN MECHANICAL PENCIL REVIEW I was alerted to the Spoke Design mechanical pencil project back in July this year, and a little while ago they very kindly sent me a freebie pencil. I really like the pencil, so heres a few pictures and words on it. I will not go into the detail of the mechanism etc as it is a Pentel Sharp P205 series mechanism fitted into a new aluminium body. As you can see they sent me a mechanical pencil, notepad and a sticker. The mechanical pencil is packaged in a printed clear hard plastic tube which also secures the lead sleeve in place so the pencil is held very securely in position.  Lead sleeve inserted into centre hole of tube stopper The Spoke Pencils self-adhesive label, pictured with the pencil stand or dock, and pencil. I chose the black pencil because thats a standard colour for me, but frankly it was a mistake. The spoke cut-outs in the body allow you to see the internal lead reservoir tube of the pencil, but it too is black, and so with black on black you loose a great visual effect. Check out the gallery at Spoke Pencils to see what I mean. Having said that, black is always in fashion, and the Spoke Pencil is a class act. Note the cut-outs in the body, running down to the flared grip section. Like the body, the grip is hexagonal and smooth, however the flare at the tip of the body helps secure your fingers in place. Note the single dot at the top of the body. That indicates this is from the first manufacturing run. The pencil stand or dock is a very nice addition. It has an adhesive pad underneath should you wish to stick it in place, but it holds the pencil upright without difficulty on any flat level surface. The original Kickstarter project saw nearly 800 pencils manufactured and shipped out. It was a stand alone project and production run so there may or may not be future production runs. I hope they will make more, because it is a good pencil and an interesting design. If Spoke carry on like they have started, then the guys at Porsche Design should keep an eye on their rear-view mirror as one day they might just see a Spoke cruising up behind them. With that in mind I offer some comments for possible modification of future pencils. * This is a great pencil, be proud, put your brand name on it. I would also love to see "USA" on it too. * The pencil stand is a great idea and works really well. I wonder though that over time the metal on metal contact with the pencil tip section may lead to some wear on both. Perhaps a plastic insert in the stand is worth considering. * The edges of the hexagonal body are just a little sharp for me. Some more rumbling or perhaps some deliberate rounding in the finger grip zone would be in order. * In the right light, at the right angle, with good eyesight... boy, Im being very picky here... you can see some very minor tool marks. A little more rumbling might help. If Spoke make more pencils, and you dont already have one, then I suggest it is a worthy addition to any collection. The Spoke Mechanical Pencil - definitely one to help the thought process.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - THE FINAL SHOWDOWN FABER-CASTELL ALPHA-MATIC AND TK-MATIC _by __Pencil Paul_ Well I have left the best till last, these are my all time favorites. I wanted to show the alpha range, so here we have I feel the finest mechanical pencils available. The sheer quality of manufacture becomes immediately apparent as soon as you handle these pencils. The silver TK-matic shown was purchased in 1980, the year of inception to the German market and it has worked flawlessly for me throughout all the years of sweated magazine print deadlines, rattling around in the bottom of a brief case, running for the train in rush hour, bomb threats, 3 day weeks, power outs, being dropped and borrowed! In fact the whole gamut of working life in a busy London studio. It has never missed a beat or fluffed a line, this pencil deserves a medal for outstanding devotion to duty! It is the only true draughting pencil in The Magnificent Seven, having a lead sleeve for use with rulers etc, and was often used with blue 0.5 lead for print proof marking up, a job that is now of course done on screen. The pencil itself is a solid, reliable heavyweight, that is made from stainless steel with the cunning auto lead advance feature, which is shared by all pencils shown here. As you write/draw the lead advances according to usage, you dont have to worry about leads till fitting a new one, which is just a question of pumping the cap button till one appears at the point. The cap is removable to access the small eraser with cleaning wire which I have never had to use, and the lead store below within the body. The knurled grip is superbly positioned and I feel the whole mass and ample weight of the pencils 26gams improves accuracy and control. The other pencils shown here have been acquired along the way from various sources. These are all general use mechanical pencils in the alpha-matic range, lacking the drafting sleeve. Again the build quality is top class and they range in finish from the maroon red plastic, to the charmingly named Bronce and to the most expensive Titanium almost black finish. All are equally fine and able pencils. I would recommend anyone wanting the best in an 0.5mm pencil to seek out any one of these superb examples of German excellence. Was it Oscar Wilde who sated that "one never regrets purchasing quality"? Faber-Castell Alpha-matic and TK-matic Mechanical Pencils _Paul - Thanks very much for showing these fantastic pencils from your collection. Perhaps after some rest at the saloon and bunk house The Magnificent Seven may ride again? _ _Dave._

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - PART 6 PARKER ITALA MECHANICAL PENCIL _by Pencil Paul_ The Parker Itala - a wasted opportunity. The pencil and matching pens were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro for Parker in 1983, as prototypes. There was an absolute meltdown by Mr Parker Sr himself when he discovered that the pens were designed to be disposable, a disposable Parker... Blasphemy! So the president of the writing instruments group who was developing these items was fired, and the pen versions never went into production, and the pencil is quite a rare item. If you find one for sale buy it. The pencil shown here is by far the lightest in all my pencil reviews, at around 7g in weight. It consists of a very simple set of 4 plastic castings - nose/body, top/clip, plug with eraser, and a cap with a hole in to show the top of eraser, all in textured easy-grip with polished highlights. There is also a tiny metal lead sleeve so its technically a drafting pencil. This must have been a very cheap item to manufacture and assemble, yet it possesses all the grace of its Italian lineage and is a superb shape in the hand. Coupled with the extreme light weight this makes for perfectly tireless writing/drawing. Sporting 0.5mm leads filled from the plug opening and push button lead advance this has to be rated as a superb first design for Giorgetto Giugiaro. Apart from the Parker Itala molded branding on the pencil there is also the very clever graphic device printed in white referencing the original Parker fountain pen arrow clip design. On seeing this one immediately thinks Parker. To sum up, a great design for a whole writing set, ballpoint pen, felt tip, and pencil range abandoned by backward thinking on the part of senior management. This is a design as fresh and strong now as it was in the 1980s. Warranting re-introduction this time around with proper support and encouragement.  Parker Itala Mechanical Pencil

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - PART 5 THE SOCIAL SLENCIL MECHANICAL PENCIL _by Pencil Paul_ The SOCIAL SLENCIL, mechanical pencil invention and lifelong work of Carl C Harris. The pencil shown is a recent introduction to the Slencil line for me. I could not resist the central lead advance wheel coupled with the slightly Buck Rogers styling. The first models were introduced in 1933 and named the Stag, my pencil as shown is the later Social Slencil, copyright shows 1945 on the paperwork. Running alongside the pencil range were companion slim notepads also produced by The Slencil Company of Orange, Mass, U.S.A, and when you consider the bulk and fuss of carrying a fountain pen and address book of the period it all makes very good sense - a place to record the date of the Pony Club Diner & Dance or a swift note home to the folks from the front line. The super little Social Slencil, the way to take notes long before the advent of the personal electronic PA, barely 115mm long and approx. 2mm thick! The pencil is loaded by inserting 1mm lead into the nose point and pressing it into the clutch mechanism, then it can be adjusted by means of the centre wheel. The eraser is inside the end removable cap along with storage space for spare leads. That this tiny item of engineering was a success is born out by the fact that the company is still going strong producing new plastic versions of TOMORROWS PENCIL.  Social Slencil Mechanical Pencil

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - PART 4 TROPEN MECHANICAL PENCIL _by Pencil Paul_ Despite the ravages and destruction of war, the German pen industry of the early 1950s still boasted many many pen makers both large and small, and among them was a company called Tropen. They produced an huge selection of items from fountain pens and stylographs, to the humble mechanical pencil. The post 1930s offerings all seem to share a common Art Deco design theme, which is what attracted me initially to this company. I have a couple of the 1.2mm lead pencils, they are loaded by unscrewing the barrel halves and filling the bottom half with short leads, advancing the lead is achieved by rotating the nose. Finish is a plain colour usually gloss black with gold plated/washed trim, the nose being brass. Top of the line fountain pens had GF trim, plus excellent solid gold nibs. The grey pencil shown is inscribed Made in Germany suggesting that it is of pre-war manufacture. As with most things German and mechanical they have an innate sense of quality about them and work simply and flawlessly, that aspect along with the sharp deco looks offer a very affordable and usable collectable. A large number of vintage Tropen items are still available on certain websites today. The Tropen company along with many other German manufacturers disappeared in the mid 1950s victims of changing times and taste, and the rise of that ultra modern invention the ballpoint pen.  Tropen Mechanical Pencil

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - PART 3 TOMBOW ZOOM ESPANA MECHANICAL PENCIL _by Pencil Paul_ This has to be one of my all time favorite Japanese pencils, again a 0.5 mechanical pencil. For me 0.5 is almost a default setting for pencils, this stems from my career as a graphic design editor. When I started out people actually used pencils in the work place and a tablet was something one took for a headache. Back to the business in hand, this is a beautifully built and finished push button lead advance pencil, with no other tricks up its sleeve, believe me it doesnt need any. Very light in weight therefore effortless even on the long haul, aluminum construction with some cast metal parts. The grip for instance is cast metal and provides just the right amount of holding power showing what can be achieved without recourse to rubber, which I find always breaks up or melts in your hand like in those chocolate ads. The top button is removed by a gentle tug revealing the lead chamber. This thin end is too slight to carry an eraser. Meanwhile down at the front this could almost qualify as a drafting pencil as it does have a short lead sleeve. Not an easy pencil to carry as there is no clip and the lead has to be persuaded back from whence it came by pressing nose down while pressing the advance button - much more civilized to transport it in its own smart maroon red tin. To sum up a lovely writing/drawing instrument both to use and to admire. If you see one on sale, buy it you will not be disappointed.  Tombow Zoom Espana Mechanical Pencil

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - PART 2 PELIKAN NO 1 MECHANICAL PENCIL _By Pencil Paul_ The Pelikan No.1 pencil designed by Luigi Colani, a brave move by Pelikan at the time of its introduction in the 1980s. Produced in collaboration with the Swiss born designer Professor Luigi Colani, the pencil and pen share the same molded one piece body with integrated clip, a very clever and practical item in use. The side button in black advances the 0.5 lead, is very comfortable in the hand, and easy to pocket clip. Unusually the leads are fed into the open nozzle end as the rest of the pencil is a sealed unit The pencil is shown with its usual black plastic packaging, from which it is hatching. Packaging also by Colani. The bone white colour is the most common, however there are several others and if you have a spare arm and a leg they can still be purchased from some online sites. I would strongly encourage all interested in this design to visit the online Colani Design Museum. In his career spanning over 50 years, and still going strong, he has designed over 5,000 industrial and consumer products. I also show the pen variant to illustrate the Shark in a tank packaging. I wonder if this influenced Damien Hurst? Pelikan No. 1 Mechanical Pencil

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - PART 1 PARAFERNALIA REVOLUTION MECHANICAL PENCIL _By Pencil Paul_ We will start this Mini-review series of some of my favorite pencils with an Italian product. Parafernalia has been making cutting edge writing machines for many years, I have a Black Fountain pen styled by design guru Pininfarina for this company in the 1980s. Back to the item in hand, the pencil is supplied in a simple cardboard box, however inside you find the pencil defying gravity on its very own wooden wall of death display as if in its own little art gallery perhaps. On to the actual pencil, this is a design recalling the age of exposure, think the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Lloyds building by Richard Rodgers in London, and of course the Dyson Cyclone, never has dust been so exciting! It was a time when designers and architects let it all hang out showing the guts of an object was the was the way to go. In this case the pencil works superbly well. In theory one can unscrew the 3 chrome boosters and completely disassemble the pencil, however I have never felt that brave. Construction and finish are immaculate on this 0.5 push button lead advance pencil, also it is remarkably comfortable in use as I find my steering finger sits right at the base of the tri-section and has a firm grip against the black central lead chamber. No room for an eraser on board this rocket! The pocket clip with ubiquitous rubber ball end, works after a fashion, though I feel this is a desk item ready for all who glimpse this pencil to be intrigued. Parafernalia Revolution Mechanical Pencil Daves review of Parafernalia Revolution Mechanical Pencil

Ive recently received two communications that Ill pass on. First a new blog that might interest you. Drafting and Mechanical Pencils by Vittorio from Italy. Second, a new project on Kickstarter. Let me be clear - I am in no way whatsoever associated with this project, but it looks interesting. Heres the main part of the email I received from the project _"I see on your blog that you are a fan of Pentel P200 series pencils. I just started a Kickstarter project called Spoke Pencil...a CNC machined aluminum housing utilizing the P200 series mechanism. You can check it out at: __http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/690647277/spoke-mechanical-pencil__"_

Starting soon, for each of the next seven weeks I will be featuring a mechanical pencil from the collection of fellow New Zealander "Pencil Paul”. Pencil Paul originally hails from England but he emigrated to New Zealand. His home was very badly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, but fortunately he, his family and his pencils all survived uninjured, and he now shares with us seven of his favourites, one per week. If any of you are overwhelmed and feel the need to make a donation, then Paul is desperate for an Eversharp Coronet pen+pencil set in GF.

EVERSHARP DOLLAR MECHANICAL PENCIL REVIEW Many years ago I did a silly thing. I visited the “Website That Must Not Be Mentioned”… I didn’t have adult supervision… I was quickly ensnared. When I finally escaped I had gained a very nice mechanical pencil, but I soon regretted "the arm and a leg” it had cost me. Years have now passed, my arm has regenerated, and so now I can write a little review of the pencil in question. Its all in the eye of the beholder It’s a very nice pencil. It was sold to me as an “Eversharp Model 4112TC Jade Green mechanical pencil, from the 1932 catalogue”. In Jonathan Valeys recently published “The Catalogue of American Mechanical Pencils” it appears on page 64 in sub-section 12 "Eversharp Dollar Pencils 1927-1935" and according to the text it would have been produced in the early 1930’s and was described in the Eversharp catalogues as a “popular priced” line, hence the Dollar Pencils terminology. Dollar Pencil, well let’s just say I paid a lot more than a dollar. In fact I paid a lot more than the $10-20 price guide stated in the “The Catalogue of American Mechanical Pencils”. Despite being a “popular priced” dollar pencil, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it’s still something of a beauty, especially considering it’s age. The jade green marbled plastic body is still in bright glossy condition, and the gold fittings are in great condition. If you look hard you can see some marks from use, but there’s no brassing on the gold fittings and they are pretty close to original condition. The colour of the green marble body is nice, but the lustre and depth of colour do not match that of pencils like the Conway Stewart Nippy No 3, although that’s perhaps not a fair comparison given the difference in time and price between the two. The pocket clip is very sturdy and strong. Proudly embossed with the Eversharp name, and “Made in USA”. The gold plating still seems as good as new to me. The full length, normal diameter body and tapering tip section mean this is a good writing pencil for everyday use. Typical of its time, this is a screw mechanism pencil. You twist the tip section around to advance the 1.18mm lead. The lead is advanced by a simple push rod so it is not grasped and help. That means the lead doesn’t retract unless you reverse twist the mechanism and then manually push the lead back in. Also the lead not being grasped means it will always twist and orientate so you are writing with the chisel edge formed on the tip of the lead. A fairly blunt writing experience by todays standards. Well anyway, that’s how mine operates. It is possible other examples maybe different. There is an eraser under the top end cap. Although somewhat hardened with age, the eraser in mine is in far too good a condition to be original and must be a replacement from a more recent decade. There appears to be the usual lead storage under the eraser. I’m not a mega-millionaire so of course price has some part in the equation, but collecting is my hobby, it’s not a commercial activity for me. Like anyone I would rather get a bargain than get ripped off, but I paid what I paid in an open market auction. I received exactly what I bid for. Eighty years on from its date of manufacture, I am very happy to be the owner of this Eversharp mechanical pencil. If anyone out there actually has an old Eversharp catalogue that shows this pencil I would really appreciate confirmation of the actual model number 4112TC. Dimensions – Length 143mm, diameter 10mm

There’s an old saying, “All roads lead to Rome”. Well for me it seems “All graphite trails lead to Southern Illinois University” I live a quarter of a world away from SIU Carbondale, but it seems I am somehow inexorably linked to it. Back in the days when a penfriend necessitated pencil and postage stamps, I had one, and as the years rolled by she ended up at her local college…SIU (before moving onto Boise and poll-dancing, but that’s another story). Then my first contact with internet pencildom came via that leading beacon of graphite, Pencil Revolution, based at…SIU Carbondale. One aspect of this blog I have really enjoyed is contact with other people from far away places. Recently an MP user contacted me for a bit of advice, and later, as a thank you, offered to send me a few promotional items from their business. Guess where they are based…yep, Carbondale…and they have an association with SIU. So, here I am, inspired to actually post something on this blog for the first time in a very long time. You might say this blog sort of started due to SIU and has sort of been re-started by SIU. To say thanks for the promotional items they sent my way, and acknowledge the role of SIU, here’s a little free advert for Little River Research & Design. Remember folks, if you are in the market for some river simulation, some fluvial geomorphology in a box, then Little River is the place for you! Here’s a link to a video about the Emriver river process modelling…in a box. Cool. I like those little rivers. Oh, and heres the goodies they sent me. Littel River Research & Design cotton carry bag and cap Emriver - its fluvial geomorpholgy made even more fun! Official SIU Salukis Team Merchandise. Left = new, right = 25+ years ago Appears there has been some shrinkage...I certainly havent changed! Go Salukis!

Well, 2011 is nearly over, and despite my recent lack of activity I thought I should make an effort for the 4th annual DMP Awards...but not too much effort! So, there is only going to the one announcement, the supreme award, the “Mordan-Hayakawa Trophy” for the best mechanical pencil (or item) of the year. So, without further to do, the winner is...drumroll...Tombow Mono Stick Eraser. Insanely useful. Enough said. Time to go now, good luck for the end of year holidays, etc. Ill see you all in 2012.

The Christmas holiday season is fast approaching for me, and a reader has suggested a _"What pencil would you chose for Christmas money no object competition? survey? thing?"_ Thats seemed like a worthwhile idea, so, if money and availability were no object, what mechanical pencil would you wish for? Remember, availabilty is not a problem - you can wish for discontinued and vintage items. Just because money is no object, dont feel compelled to go all diamond encrusted solid gold on me, not that theres anything wrong with that, but maybe a 1930 plastic Eversharp would complete your collection, or that MP you had when you first started school?

A few folk wanted to see the collections new home, so here it is - Down in the garage in a nice freestanding cupboard, about 1.8m high x 0.8m wide. Theres also some spill over into the cupboard next to it. I am still only part way through organising it within the cupboard, but basically items with their own packages or cases are stored in small boxes (like photocopy paper boxes or shoeboxes) by brand The Lamys and loose pencils are stored mostly in these plastic paper filing drawer sets. In side each drawer I have folded up paper inserts (acid free paper, archival grade glue, etc) to organise the contents. Again storing by brand. One of several Pentel trays Trays are double layered and can easily be taken out. Basically Ive still got to re-box things, but then its pretty much done.

I have been silent for a long time now. I would like to say that the rest has refreshed me, and that my muse has returned, but it hasn’t. However, I get occasional flashes of inspiration, like last weekend when I was moving the collection to its new home in a nice big storage cupboard. I was rearranging the Lamys, Rotrings and a few others and was struck by the variety of boxes they used. Perhaps they are not so important to many collectors, but I’m sure for many people who are buying a writing instrument above the everyday price range, then a nice presentation package or box is part of the decision making process, particularly if it is a gift. From some catalogues I have, it seems that most writing instrument sellers have a standard range of packages and boxes, and within reason retailers have some choices to do some mix and match of boxes, particularly within the business ranges offered to corporate gift buyers. So, here’s a quick selection of packages from my Lamy collection. Lamy are a company who pride themselves on design and innovation, and some, though not all, of their packaging matches that. A clear plastic cigar tube sort of container. I really quite like this one. Very unusual. Black foam, split in two with a hole drilled down the middle for the pencil to fit into. This is the sort of thing that sets Lamy apart. I am surprised they do not do more of this unusual type of packaging, although it is not terribly functional. A clear plastic package with silver-paper binder. Unusual, but I’m not so sure I like it that much. Let’s say it is a little bit too economy class when matched with a Lamy. These cardboard packages are a staple of the Lamy range. The grill-like cut-outs are some attempt to set them apart from others. These plain metal containers are another common offering from Lamy, and lots of others too. Plastic cases are another common alternative to the metal cases. Nice enough, but nothing special. A more expensive and less common plastic case, double hinged. A somewhat more retro case on an older pen-pencil set. Another older item, with a cardboard case with elastic binder. This may not be the greatest post to make a return with, and the photography may not be the best, but hey, I had some inspiration, 10 minutes spare time and Arnie’s comment gave me a kick in the pants at just the right moment. So there you have it.

New Zealand 8 - France 7

Some of you will have previously visited Jonathan Veley’s pencil museum (link in the sidebar). Well, Jonathan recently contacted me to tell me his book on American Pencils will soon be published. You can see some details about the book on and sign up for a copy on his website. While there, do visit the mechanical pencil museum, and take a look at that opening image. Bow down in wonder and awe! All Hail the Wall of Pencils!

Well, a big international event is coming soon to my hometown and country, so heres a little brain-teaser for you. Kind of a cryptic Jeopardy. Instead of a normal Jeopardy where I give you the answer and you guess the question, the pictures are a clue to the answer. So, what then is the question? Sorry, theres no prize. You are just competing for honour and glory. _PS - I am thinking normal blog transmission will resume in another month or two._

Hello Folks Well I write this with some trepidation, but my muse has deserted me. Gone. It happened around the time of my 5th Birthday celebrations. Suddenly it sort of hit me...5 years of nearly twice weekly blogging...I just sort of felt like Id reached the finish line of the marathon, the race was over, I was drained. I have struggled on since then, but as is usual around this time of year I am soon going on vacation and would have put the blog on hold for a while anyway, so I think its time to come clean and try taking an honest break from blogging for a while in the hope that a little RnR will recharge my batteries and that Ill be back as good as new in a couple of months or so. My interest in MPs is unaffected, just my ability to convert that into blogging. I have got a couple of articles half started, so if a burst of enthusiasm strikes I may finish something and publish it, but in general dont expect to see anything new on this blog for the next 6 - 8 weeks or so. In a few days I will turn commenting off. Thanks for reading this blog, and I hope you will continue to do so when I return. Ka kite ano, and Ill see you in a while!

Germ sent me these ages ago. A bunch of NOS "novelty message" mechanical pencils made by Mutsubishi Pencil, i.e. Uni. As mechanical pencils they are just lightweight aluminium bodied push top ratchet basic models. Their only branding is the Mitsubishi diamond logo on the body, and on the price sticker. 500 Yen. There is some corrosion to the chrome plating on some of the pocket clips and tips, so I would guess they are about 15+ years old. Each has a different message or pattern printed on it in English. They are those sort of messages which dont really sound right to native English speakers. I always assume these sort of things are verbatim translations of the original idea or thought in Japanese, and it just gets lost in translation. Fantastic Sharp - Pretty flowers are perfumed in your room. LOVELINESS - Shes kind of a friend of mine.

I seem to be tripping across more and more Pantone stationery these days. It’s certainly not commonplace, but it’s not exactly uncommon either. Do you ever see any Pantone products in your part of the world? Early this year I was in an upmarket booksellers store and they had a rather large selection of good quality writing instruments and stationery including a lot of Pantone products. In one of those bizarre coincidences, the very next day the postie delivered a present from my friend Kent in Korea…Ta-dah!! Pantone Universe mechanical pencil and notepad I quite like the marketing ploy of numbering the products with their Pantone colour number. In this case the yellow mechanical pencil and notepad are colour 13-1746 “Maize”. For a proper colour swatch (well as accurate as your screen can display it) you can go here. Not the greatest of colour matches between pencil and notepad The mechanical pencil is nothing flash. In fact it surprises me Pantone haven’t gone for something of better design and quality. I’m not saying it’s a bad pencil, just to me it doesn’t fit with the price point and the market niche they appear to be aiming at. For the record it is a push top ratchet 0.5mm mechanical pencil with retractable sliding sleeve conical tip. The sticker on it states “Made in Japan”. I might not be that impressed with the pencil, but I am impressed with the notepad. It is A6 sized with 100 sheets of lined paper. The Pantone Universe branding is rather subtly marked onto the cover by a difference in the gloss level. Nice. That paper is smooth, your pencil really seems to glide across it, yet it grabs hold of graphite. Frankly, it’s the sort of paper that makes me think I should pay more attention to the quality of paper that I use. If a pencil writing experience consists of three elements – pencil, lead and paper - then I admit it’s a bit incongruous how I generally ignore the paper. My three legged-stool must be on a terrible lean! (Erasers are of course a fourth element). I also like how the cover folds right back, and how the pages easily tear out. Apparently "Maize" evokes feelings and thoughts like ‘radiant’, ‘inviting’ and ‘wisdom’. Anyway, if you see some Pantone stationery, take a few minutes and check it out.

From far away, and an embarrasingly long time ago, a parcel arrived in my letterbox. Amongst the contents was this interesting little fellow. The Koh-I-Noor 5608 Notebook 2mm mechanical pencil. The 115mm length and 7mm diameter belie its rather surprisingly substantial presence in the hand. Thats clearly an effect of the knurled grip zone and its weight to size ratio from all that metal componentry. Its an ordinary push top ratchet mechanism pencil, but the lead is an 80mm length of 2mm diameter. Only one lead fits in the pencil, there is no spare carried inside. A replacement lead is fed in through the tip rather than in through the top end. Although not my favourite size, 2mm lead would suit many for writing quick rough and ready notes, particularly where thinner leads might get broken from the rough and tumble of being carried around in a bag, or where the writing situation is not ideal. There is no eraser under the top cap, rather it unscrews to reveal a lead sharpener. Its a particularly vicious looking little sharpener. Lots of nasty little fangs to attack the lead. Just FYI - you can unscrew things and remove the pocket clip. Thanks to Nick from Hungary for sending this to me.

_Here we have the last of the feedback from the Dave Turns Five Giveaways. The Grand Finale Prize, a shopping spree at __Cult Pens__ to the value of £150 was won by "Stell" and here now is an article she has sent in about her prize. So, over to Stell._ REVIEW OF WöRTHER SLIGHT 1.18MM MECHANICAL PENCIL 130mm long, 9mm diameter, 18g, Price Range - Mid/High Disclosure : this pencil was part of a prize in the celebrations of Dave’s Mechanical Pencil Blog turning Five. Why Did I Choose The Wörther Slight Pencil? Well ‘back in the day’ I worked in a Engineering drafting office (the early 1980’s), when mechanical drafting pencils came in 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9mm and each draftsman was issued with a complete set on day one. We were also issued with two 2mm clutch pencils. All drawings were completed using the mechanical pencils, selecting the lead size for different thickness lines on the drawing to indicate different materials or construction details. Final drawings were inked in, using pens with the same line thicknesses. Those pencils were held perfectly vertical and rotated as one drew lines to ensure the line was always of a constant thickness. Any text or writing was done with a 2mm pencil. I left engineering for academia in the late 80’s but I just can’t bring myself to use a pencil in the sub 0.9mm category for anything other than technical line drawings, even though I know that a 0.5mm lead has become the default standard for most mechanical pencil users for writing. I simply enjoy the line variation that a 0.9 and 1.18mm pencil provides when writing and sketching. When I spotted the Wörther Slight Pencil at Cult Pens, I was curious to try out a modern production 1.18mm pencil, and I’m so glad that Dave’s birthday celebrations provided the impetus to order one. First Impressions The Wöether Slight comes packaged in a stylish, almost too stylish grey cardboard box. The outer sleeve is in fine ribbed corrugated cardboard with the Wörther logo centred in reverse silver. The sleeve slides open to reveal a sleek black pencil and two information cards. Everything about this packaging is elegant and in keeping with my understanding of current EU regulations on manufacturers responsibility on providing packaging and products that are recyclable. There is not a plastic tie, band, or bag to be seen, only cardboard. Right on top was a small thick white card detailing the 3 steps to replace the leads. In an era where what Dave calls ‘keep on clicking’ 0.5mm pencils dominate the market, having this information readily available is probably a good move. The reverse of the card has the same instructions in German, well I suppose they are the same as German is not one of my languages. Also on top of the pencil is neat little folded card explaining the pencil is manufactured by hand, to a high standard, comes with a world wide guarantee and a ‘wish for great pleasure with Wörther products’. There is a link to the Wörther website which lists some lovely pencil products. That site was enough to make me wish for an executive desk on which to display such things. But what about the pencil? Well the first visual impression is that it is a classic pencil shape, hexagonal with a sharp taper at the writing end just like a wood cased pencil. Picking up the pencil there is a sense of weight, of quality; the pencil is metal and weighty, at 18g. My heavier vintage fountain pens weigh in at between 19.4 and 24 g, and a wood cased Faber-Castell 6B at 5g. The Wörther Slight feels substantial, cool to the touch, smooth and heavy, but is of course much thicker than a wood cased pencil, at 9mm diameter is more like a fountain pen, or significant ballpoint/roller ball pen. The Wörther Slight is available in two finishes, Aluminium and Black. I ordered the Black with some slight apprehension about the matt black marking with finger smudges, but after several weeks of constant use there are no noticeable smears or marks. Unlike many mechanical pencils there is no special grip section or grip area. You can hold the pencil anywhere that suits you best, if anything the pencil is too smooth, initially the cool metal finish felt very smooth, almost slippery, but after using the pencil for a few weeks I realised that even though it felt slippery it wasn’t. This is a sleek pencil, with no pocket clip. Many pencils have pocket clips to prevent them rolling off a desk, as well as to clip them to pockets, but as this is a hexagonal pencil there is no risk of desk roll. I don’t clip pens and pencils to my self, in the past I have even amputated clips from some cheaper plastic pens and pencils because I disliked the way the clip interrupts the design. The lack of a pocket clip was something I liked about the Wörther (YMMV). The balance point is 65mm from the tip, exactly half way, making for a nicely secure feel in use. The Lead, a 1.18mm, is advanced by a twist mechanism, as is common in many vintage pencils taking this size. To advance the lead you twist the nose cone of the pencil until enough lead protrudes for your use. A firm hold is required to twist the nose cone enough to advance lead, which may annoy if your fingers are not so nimble or are perhaps prone to slipping. The twist mechanism isn’t always obvious on vintage pencils, on some the mechanism is cap activated (push-click) or the twist mechanism is at the non-writing end of the pencil so there is always a sense of discovery as one works out how to advance the lead. The supplied lead is soft, possibly a 2B. Replacement leads are available from Wörther, in the same grade as supplied with the pencil, Autopoint 1.1mm leads fit and are available in H, HB, as well as Blue, Red and Green. Scripto leads fit and come in H, B, 2B, and CX supersoft leads, as well as Red, Green and Blue. 1.18mm leads are not commonly available where I live but are easy and affordable to buy online, and vintage and usable packets are often found ‘in the wild’ in antique or used goods shops. Spare lead access, is at the non-working end of the pencil where there is a hexagonal plug, with Wörther and Germany etched on it. This is the only branding on the entire pencil, unlike much of the commercial pencil offerings which are branded, bar-coded, logo’d and have lead sizes and other information liberally applied to the entire surface of the pencil barrel, and clip. Removing the hexagonal plug reveals an eraser so small that it could only be considered an emergency eraser and a black rubber tube plugged with a grey stopper. This tube contains spare on-board leads, and prevents the classic mechanical pencil rattle sound from occurring. I can’t help but think of this as a stealth pencil, rugged, silent, and dark. Leads are replaced by removing the old lead stub, fully retracting the lead mechanism and inserting a new lead thru the nose cone before tamping it home gently with a firm push against a hard surface. Second impressions, after a few weeks of constant use. The all-important use test. The pencil has a conical lead sleeve so is a writing and free-drawing pencil rather than a drafting or technical pencil. The supplied lead is soft and generous so writes like a classic wood cased pencil, but can be sharpened or rotated to write with a fine line. What I like about 1.18mm leads is they are thick enough lead to last a while and to give you options. I have been known to use a lead pointer to sharpen the lead to a point, or drafting sandpaper block to smooth the lead to a chisel suitable for italic writing. My only negative comment about the pencil is that the hexagonal shape is sharp, the edges are very noticeable when handling the pencil but not at all noticeable when using the pencil, so hardly bears mentioning. In contrast my Black Fixpencil 22 is a similar shape and material but far slimmer and the edges are much more rounded. Did This Pencil Live Up To My Expectations? Good question, as well as my drafting office inititation into the world of quality mechanical pencils, my expectations were also based on a small collection of very nice vintage pencils I have and use daily. My collection consists of a few Conway Stewart Duropoints, a Scripto, Parker 51 pencil, two Burnhams, some Autopoints, a Koh-i-nor, and a Fixpencil. All those are well made, comfortable to use and by their age alone have stood the test of time and use. The Wörther Slight certainly feels like it is in the same league in terms of build quality and durability. Compared to my vintage pencil collection there is a different aesthetic with the Wörther Slight, it is without a doubt a markedly more modernistic pencil, showcasing ideas of form follows function and total absence of any decoration in the design. If I was at a meeting and some one borrowed my Wörther Slight to jot down a note or two… I can imagine their sense of discovery that this uber-conservative pencil was a lot more than they expected. The Wörther Slight is already one of my favourite pencils and I expect it will age well. Again – a huge thank you to Dave and his blog, to Cult Pens, and all Dave’s blog followers which allow me to experience not only the Wörther Slight but also to indulge my love of quality writing instruments at a technical geek level. Stella aka Knitknitfrog _Thanks Stella, a great read, and Im glad you enjoyed the fruits of your shopping spree. Stella also sent in this photo of the whole spree. Dave._ _A full list of the items pictured is __here on Knit Knit Frog_