Pencils

A review of the Staedtler Mars 502 Lead Pointer Pencil Sharpener

March 1, 2018 ♦

Expert Advice & Product Reviews, Pencils

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Today: something different. A video product review. A quick look at Staedtler’s 502 Lead Pointer pencil sharpener, which works great with the Mars Technico 788C clutch pencil and the more luxurious 780C clutch pencil. The Mars 502 sharpener has been around for fifty years which just proves what a timeless, high-quality…

5 alternative uses for pencils

September 7, 2017 ♦

Pencils

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Here at The Pen Company we love pencils, as do many of our customers. However, did you know that a standard, cheap pencil can come in useful for many tasks other than just drawing or writing? Here are five handy tips for solving everyday issues with the humble pencil. Loosen…

Kaweco Skyline Sport mechanical pencil review

August 1, 2017 ♦

Expert Advice & Product Reviews, Pencils

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This review is of the Kaweco Skyline Sport mechanical pencil in Mint with a 0.7mm HB lead. If you’re already a fan of Kaweco, like me, you will immediately recognise the silhouette of this Skyline pencil as the classic octagonal Sport design; this shape has certainly stood the test of…

The remarkable history of the pencil

November 4, 2016 ♦

Pencils

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The history of the pencil. This probably isn’t an article you’d expect to surprise or excite. However, the history of the beloved and humble pencil is far more complex than most people realise, which actually makes it rather a fascinating tale – encompassing many nations, a war, and some smuggling…

Lamy AL-Star mechanical pencil review

August 4, 2016 ♦

Expert Advice & Product Reviews, Pencils

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Today: a look at Lamy’s AL-Star mechanical pencil. The AL-Star series of pens was released in 1997 and was created by Wolfgang Fabian, the same designer who came up with the fantastic Lamy Safari. I was a fairly early user of the Lamy Safari – I’ve been using Safari fountain pens since…

A review of the Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil

April 11, 2016 ♦

Expert Advice & Product Reviews, Pencils

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Welcome to my blog post about the Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil. 50 years of the Lamy 2000 The Lamy 2000 was first released in 1966 so this year is its 50th anniversary – and after several special editions covering materials like grenadill wood, ceramic, titanium, and more, we can expect a…

Lamy Scribble Mechanical Pencil Review

July 30, 2014 ♦

Expert Advice & Product Reviews, Pencils

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Me and Lamy, Lamy and I You might not have guessed, because of the lack of Lamy posts on Bleistift, but Lamy is one if the stationery brands I feel strongly connected to. It all started about 1985 when I got my first Lamy Safari fountain pen. From that point…

Brown Graf von Faber-Castell No.III Desk Pencils

April 11, 2014 ♦

Expert Advice & Product Reviews, Pencils

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These No. 3 luxury desk pencils from Graf von Faber-Castell are truly in another class. Each pencil is made from fluted Californian Cedar wood and topped with a silver plated end-cap. These pencils are available either in a box of six or twelve. The twelve pack comes in a Beech wood box perfect for…

Why I use wooden pencils (though I still love my fountain pens)

February 27, 2013 ♦

Pencils

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Don’t get me wrong, I love pens. When I was six years old, my grandmother let me play with her fountain pen. It was a dusty blue Esterbrook from the 40s or 50s, and once a month, she’d let me watch while she gently cleaned out the internal bladder. Occasionally,…