Review by Tina Koyama Once I grabbed onto the Caran d’Ache Klein Blue Maxi pencil, the slope became slippery. I had already had my eye on the Klein Blue Fixpencil ($52), which I had resisted for a while . . . until I realized that it came with Klein Blue leads! And the leads are…
Showing all posts tagged pencil
Pencil Review: Caran d’Ache Klein Blue Maxi
Review by Tina Koyama When Caran d’Ache recently brought out a limited-edition line of products honoring the French artist Yves Klein, the Fixpencil and standard-size graphite pencils were expected, but this item was a delightful surprise: the Klein Blue Maxi graphite pencil. (Unfortunately, it’s now out of stock at the Gentleman Stationer, but Joe’s blog…
Pencil Review: Caran d’Ache Fixpencil 884 and M+R Lead Pointer
Review by Tina Koyama First, I must begin by admitting that I am not a huge user of mechanical pencils. Though I use clutches with certain art materials, I’ve always preferred woodcased pencils to write with. Call me fussy, but many mechanicals I’ve tried are either too heavy, too light, too cold, or just too…
Notebook Review: Geistnotes Pencilog
Review by Tina Koyama Every stationery-related collection goes through these stages: At first you have a few, or several, or even a dozen, and they look beautiful displayed on your desktop. Very soon, you have too many to keep on your desk at one time, so a few select ones stay there, and the rest…
Tool Review: Kutsuwa Round and Triangular Pencil Caps
Review by Tina Koyama My daily-carry bag contains many pencils, both colored and graphite. To prevent broken points and inadvertent stabs, I keep them and myself protected with pencil caps. Although I’ve tried some fancy ones made of leather or metal, my favorites are inexpensive, lightweight, colorful plastic ones. Kutsuwa makes several, including round ones…
Sharpener Showdown: Handheld
Review by Tina Koyama A few months ago, I conducted a satisfying sharpener showdown between two hand cranks to beat my old Carl Angel-5. It was satisfying because both contenders came out equally good. Since I spend just as much time using pencils on the sidewalk as I do at my desk, it’s crucial to…
Pencil Review: A Taste of Blackwing Sampler Set
Review by Tina Koyama Maybe you’ve been wanting to dip one toe into the Blackwing pencil pool without diving into the deep end of the mixed metaphorical rabbit hole. Or perhaps you are already a Blackwing aficionado, and you want to show your uninitiated friend (the one who insists that pencils are for school kids)…