Lead Display

I have accumulated a few kilometers of lead over the years and decided that my leads should have their day in the sun too. So here's a few - some old, some new.

From the back row to the front, left to right.

Pentel blue leads. The first is just 'color leads', the second has a blue band and says blue but the third is black band and says blue. Modern Ain and Ain Stein.

Some old Pilot. Does the second from left container look familiar? The Neo-Xu and Eno are the same containers just relabeled. Colour coded tops by diameter.

I like the yellow container with its little window. Ecomate and BeGreen, more relabeling.

Good old Staedtler. The bulk injector dispenser holds 40 leads. Then Mars Micrograph 'Super Hi Polymer'... sounding a bit Pentel-ish there. Then  just 'Super' and finally 'Carbon'. 

Up above I asked if that Pilot container looked familiar. At first glance the Pilot container looks identical, but upon close inspection it is merely exceptionally similar, clearly someone is copying someone.

Some Less Common Ones

This week on the desk stand we have some less common brands of mechanical pencils, and a pen! Of course when I say less common I mean that in a general international sense, as some of them are very common in their home market.

Lets take the left hand stand first.

From top to bottom

• Cello ballpoint pen. Cello, a leading Indian manufacturer. Don't worry, that's the only pen, the rest are all mechanical pencils.
• Berol Turquoise TM-5. Vintage mechanical pencil from the Berol pencil company of the USA, but Made in Japan.
• BelBol 03.306. Don't let that model number fool you, this is a 0.5mm Portaminas.
• M&G M-1001. From one of China's largest manufacturers.
• Kyung In SK2000. So much is written on this mechanical pencil. Left side of body = "Kyung In SK200 Made In Korea". On the pocket clip = "Michiko London Koshino". Right side of body = "KISP20001 Kyung In Co Ltd 0.5m/m"
• Pro-Max PR-7025. As I understand it the brand translates as "Thousand Comparison Stationery"

Now for the right hand stand

From top to bottom

• Schneider Graffix. Made in Germany.
• Erich Krause Delta EK-22004. Triangular body. The little eraser under the top button is triangular too.
• Soennecken 150. I really like the sound of that brand name, but of course I will be butchering the German language in the process.
• Manufactum Druckstift Feinstrichmine, Item # 1765 1830 0.5mm. Phew, now there's a mouthful. Of course that's from the Manufactum catalogue. The actual retracting tip mechanical pencil is itself completely and utterly unmarked. No brand name, model number, lead size, country of origin... nothing
• Tajima SP20R.
• Tajima SS13MH.

Manufactum - totally unmarked mechanical pencil. Stainless steel body, and good vanishing point mechanism.

It is my understanding that in Japan, Tajima primarily market their mechanical pencils to carpenters, woodworkers, and other such tradies and hobbyists.

The black SS13MH has knurled metal grip and takes 1.3mm lead.

The red SP20R is loaded with 2mm red lead. It is a push top ratchet mechanical pencil, not a lead holder.

Some of the mechanical pencils shown above are also in my Collection Image Gallery.

A Few Fabers

On my desk display this week, a few from Faber-Castell

Ambition

Twice multi pen  (1 x BP, 1 x MP tip)

Basic

TK Fine Vario L

TK Fine Executive

I often think that the TK Fine Executive and Vario L are the "Forgotten Fabers". They have been around for so long and never seem to get the hype, advertising, acknowledgement or attention of their constantly changing array of competitors from Japan and elsewhere.

Sometimes you just have to lay down some ink. Don't hate on me, the G-man makes me do it !

FP e-motion pearwood dark brown

BP e-motion pearwood dark brown

MP e-motion pearwood black

Cross Time

It is Cross time on my desk display stand. I used to have quite a few more pencils by Cross, but let a few go recently.
A little bit of luxury.

Cross - finally out getting some sun and fresh air

From top to bottom

ATX

Century II Medalist

Solo (probably a Solo Classic to be specific, but I'm not 100% sure)

Tech 3 Multi Pen - 2 x BP + MP tips

Rotring Display

One Dozen Red Roses Rings

This week on the desk display, twelve of my Rotrings.

The first stand.

Top to Bottom

• 800
• Rapid Pro
• 600 - version without "Rotring 600" printed on the body.
• 500
• TS Slide 0.3mm - not made in Japan or Germany, but rather West Germany :) A reminder that innovative sleeves and mechanisms to enhance the usability of 0.3mm lead have been around for over 30 years.  
• 300 - 2mm leadholder

and on the other stand.

Top to bottom

• 900 - a "side knock" body bend mechanism.
• Newton Trio multi pen/pencil.
• Trio multi pencil - 0.35/0.5/0.7mm.
• Side Knock - like the 900, a "side knock" body bend mechanism, but unlike the 900 it is a Rotring without a rot ring.
• Initial
• Core Tecnor - psychedelic rubber madness.

Some more views.

And the other rack

Vintage Parker Pencils

Many of my pencils need to get out more. They are far too solitary, spending their time hidden away deep down in some dark cupboard, so recently I bought two cheap plastic display stands and am going to start having my mechanical pencils out more, slowly working my way through the collection.

First out of the cupboard then, five old Parkers. Vintage I suppose, but exactly how old you have to be, to be vintage, is somewhat vague. I guess I'm one of those who thinks 25years for mechanical pencils.

Top to bottom, models

17

Victory

Unknown (now identified as 51 Writefine from aeromatic 1948-57 series)

Classic - in sterling silver Cisele pattern

Jotter

If you happen to know what model "unknown" is, then please do enlighten me.

The tip and visible clutch jaws are the most distinguishing feature.

Old Friends

A couple of old friends from the desk, still going strong, but probably not for much longer :)

Jeopardy is updated, now down to 655. And from the comment archive, this gem put a smile on my face.

Maybe we collectors are the villains here - why does any of us need so many pencils? (My wife told me to say that. I'd like to know why any one with only two feet needs that many shoes.)

2013 - It's A Wrap

Well 2013 is almost over, just time for a final quick post.

My recent use of a Montblanc Meisterstück mechanical pencil inspired me to go right back to the beginning and so I have spent the last two months using my Yard-O-Led Deco 34 as my everday mechanical pencil. My original review was very short and basic by later standards, but what would I add now? Actually rather than adding anything I would re-emphaise two points. "The all silver square body and uncommon looks of this mechanical pencil make it stand out from your everyday office pens and pencils" and "...but I would prefer a thinner lead." Yes, 1.18mm really is just bit too thick for me. Still, I actually quite liked having to take a little time out to twist the top to advance the lead, and putting a new lead in is certainly something different. Overall an enjoyable change, and I think I will start 2014 with some other luxury writing instruement.

Anyway, moving on, here's a final post to wrap up 2013.

Pencil Rolls

First off, a very nice present from my pencil buddy in Korea. The Cplay Sevenroll Pencil Case in colourway "rich espresso".

There is a single loop on the outside of the wrap so you can have a 'quick access pencil' always at the ready.

The wrap is made in Korea, from what seems to be very good quality leather and materials... with a price tag to match. There are four pencil slots in the sevenroll wrap. For me personally the storage pocket is a bit on the small side. I would like to get an extra eraser and lead refill tube in there, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

 My friend commented that normally this Cplay brand stationery is aimed at teenage girls... but he thought it was ok for me!?

Product branding details are embossed into the top flap. This wrap is a class act.

There is of course a much cheaper and in some ways better option to buying a fancy pencil wrap. Make your own! All you need is some material, needle and thread and time. Or, if like me, and the needle and thread bit sounds a bit too daunting you could do what I did, and find someone else to sew it for you. So, I made a mock up of my pencil wrap out of paper, bought some marine canvas, stuck it all in an envelope and posted it to a young relative who knows how to sew. Surprise, surprise, guess what I got for my next birthday? The Dave Design Pencil Wrap!

The various pockets and slots are sized for erasers, sharpeners, lead refill tubes, thin and fat pencils, etc.

Sorry, something about the blue colour caused lots of photographic problems. This was the best I could do.

So there we have it, from one end of the wrap spectrum to the other.

Wishing you all the best for 2014.

Happy New Year

From The Desk hmmmm, Courtyard Deckchair.

Happy New Year folks. Well I'm back from holiday, melting in the heat. However, whilst I've been away several of you 'up over' northerly folk have sent me pictures and/or stories of yourselves buried beneath mountains of snow and ice so I do spare a thought for you. Also of course my friends and rellies across the ditch in Aussie sitting unhappily in the middle of their muddy lake the size of Germany and France put together.

But this is a pencil blog, so we must move onto pencilicious matters. This Christmas I purchased a little pencil present for myself. A book, which I'm slowly working my way through, from the chair, as it were.

"Fountain Pens for the Million
The History of Conway Stewart
1905-2005"
By Stephen Hull

Published 2010, my copy is one of the Limited Edition copies, signed by the author, with gold stamped cover box.

Hmmmm, number 93 of 100....I'm kind of worried that might mean I'm the 93rd biggest Conway Stewart nerd in the world? I don't even collect FP's!!!

It's a history of the company just as much as, perhaps even more than, a history of their writing instruments. Some interesting stories like the difficulties of manufacturing during the wartime. From the amount of vintage Conway Stewarts available locally I've always assumed the Antipodes were an important market for CS and the book confirms this.

• Chapter 1939-1948, "Conway Stewart were particularly strong in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa" and "By 1948 60% of Conway Stewart's output went overseas with Australia, New Zealand and South Africa still the major markets".
• Chapter 1955-1962, "New Zealand, despite the size of its population (with sheep outnumbering them 100 to one!) was also an important market".

Of course most of the pictures are of inky things, but graphite and mechanical pencils gets it fair share.

Also lots of data like tables of model numbers, copies of old patents, etc.

Clearly a must have for anyone with an interest in Conway Stewart. The book is available as detailed here.

A special thanks to Leigh Reyes (she's a verb not a noun) for alerting me to this book by mentioning it on her blog.

Normal blog transmission will resume in a week or two.