Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
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Pencil talk is a blog devoted to exploring woodcase pencils and related topics. Exploring the art and science of pencils since 2005.
Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
1M ago
This morning, a complete set of the original 1997 Colleen Woods pencils sold at an online auction for ¥110,000. The price is a validation of the importance and rarity of these pencils. Please see the previous posts on the Colleen Woods for more information: Colleen Woods Volume 1 (2010) Colleen Woods Volume 2 (2009) For ..read more
Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
3M ago
Another Thoreau pencil is for sale. This follows an auction by the Thoreau Society earlier in 2023. This time the seller is online vintage pencil store Brand Name Pencils. Asking $USD4500 (and the website offers a 10% discount for subscribing to a newsletter), this is roughly double the price of the Thoreau Society pencil. This ..read more
Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
3M ago
A recent link from Hacker News led to a significant traffic spike at pencil talk. From what I see in the logs, over ten thousand people visited that day. Welcome ..read more
Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
9M ago
This morning, the New York Times published the obituary of Professor Henry Petroski. Duke University’s obituary is here. Petroski was the author of The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance, the authoritative history of the pencil. My thanks to Michael from Orange Crate Art for sharing the news with me. In 2020, Prof. Petroski ..read more
Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
1y ago
Last week, a Thoreau pencil sold by online auction for $USD2200. The auction, arranged by the Thoreau Society and Thoreau Farm Trust, offered a single pencil from the famous Thoreau & Company. This pencil maker, associated with the earliest organized pencil making in the United States and a family business of Henry David Thoreau, is ..read more
Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
1y ago
Last year, Caran d’Ache released an unusual product, a pencil with a lead containing coffee grounds. This blog took a look at the pencils, and deemed them innovative but having problems. Caran d’Ache recently released a second version, officially called a Set of 3 NESPRESSO graphite pencils Limited Edition 5th Edition. This is a series ..read more
Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
1y ago
For me, red and blue pencils are special. They are practical and hardworking, yet fanciful and a specialty product. I love having one on my desk, and I’ve loved sampling the many varieties that exist. But they’re not an eveyday pencil for many. Even less common (and “common” is relative – I don’t think I’ve ..read more
Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
1y ago
Two years ago, I noticed that a very interesting handmade pencil was listed for sale at the now closed CW Pencil Enterprise. CWPE was sold out of the product, but I quickly discovered the manufacturer Numen Design and an interesting retailer named Apuntes. I was able to acquire some Numen pencils, and a photo posted ..read more
Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
1y ago
Goods for the Study is a stationery store in New York City. Their website tells me they have two locations. I visited the “West Village” shop at 50 West 8th Street in late 2022. The neighbourhood is really interesting. It’s close to Washington Square Park. There are pop-up art galleries on West 8th, and I ..read more
Pencil Talk | pencil reviews and discussion
1y ago
Today is the 17th anniversary of pencil talk ..read more