Pencil Review: Caran d’Ache Klein Blue Maxi

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: A Taste of Blackwing Sampler Set

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)…

How to Pick the Right Colored Pencils

How to Pick the Right Colored Pencils

In the US, there are three major colored pencil brands that vie for the “most popular” spot in the professional/high-quality colored pencil category. They are colloquially known as the Ps: Prismacolors, Pablos and Polychromos. Prismacolors First up are Prismacolors which are currently called Prismacolor Premiers. These beloved pencils have been passed around to so many…