A sharpener is a pencil's best friend, and for every pencil and ever pencil user there's a perfect sharpener. Choosing the correct one has a lot to do with diameter and point length, but also has a lo ..read more

Welcome to our new website! We've been working hard to re-group and reset while we've been offline, and have lots to share with you!Here are some things about our new site that we're excited about:Pro ..read more

With the re-launch of our store, both physically and online, we've set new standards for ourselves when it comes to sourcing. One of the reasons we decided to renovate and re-think the way we do thing ..read more

Did you know that April is National Letter Writing Month? As you might expect, we're big fans of snail mail around here and love promoting analog communication, especially this time of year.When we po ..read more

If you're new to pencils, you've probably noticed that one of the things that distinguishes one pencil from another is the letter or number printed on its barrel. It might be a #2 or a #1, or it might ..read more

This shop has historically specialized in pencils, but my second stationery love has always been glues. Do I have a reason to use glue every day? Absolutely not. But there are few activities at my des ..read more

You may have heard that we've been hinting at some shop changes lately, or that our website has been a bit of a mess as we sell out and remove products. There's a reason for all of this.  In late January/early February, we will be debuting a brand new website and a renovated shop. CW 2.0, we've been calling it for now. Before I tell you about the actual differences, let me first share this:  Six years ago, when I first put our website online, I had the goal of opening a shop that specializes ONLY in pencils. The products on the website were extremely edited and carefully selected thr ..read more

Almost four months after closing our doors to the public, we are ready to re-open! This first phase for us is going to be a cautious one, as we don't feel comfortable yet allowing full access to the shop as it was pre-Covid.  To ensure that we'll be able to keep our staff and customers safe and can keep track of what's being touched, this is how it's going to work: 1. We are allowing one customer into the store at a time (two if you're together) 2. Masks are required (ages 3+), worn properly, please. 3. We have set up a service area in the front of the shop with a few things to browse. Th ..read more

Dear friends and customers,  Over the past three weeks, we've been using our Instagram account to share resources and utilize our platform to act and promote social change. Our team of 5 is made up of individuals who all agree, without question, that All Black Lives Matter and that the movement we're in the midst of is long overdue. Individually, we've been doing the work behind the scenes to unlearn, utilize the resources available to us to act, and seek ways to commit to the fight long-term.  And as a business owner, I recognize that it's my responsibility to set an example, to be ..read more

Esther: Today's dispatch is an act of rebellion somewhat– I have started reading Han Kang's Human Acts, a book that was voted out early in the first round of our book club matchups we hosted on Instagram. My goal is to read it in the original Korean, alongside the English translation. I'm only a few pages along in my dual-language reading project, and I'm not very good at committing to reading books, so we'll see how it goes. Fingers crossed I can stick with it! Caroline: These days, about 30% of my weekly joy comes from my end-of-week visit to the Union Square Greenmarke ..read more