July 21, 2005

Pencil Revolution.

Self-promotion, but without shame. I have been kicking around the idea of starting a blog devoted to pencils for a few months now, since at least last autumn. It never happened, though, for several reasons. For one thing, I'm lazy, and getting it started would require me to do something. That took a while. Plus, I was and am afraid of being accused of copying Moleskinerie in style, format, etc. I certainly don't want to do that. I have seen a few blogs that tried to do just that. They're not great. A hobby of mine has been, for a long time, to try out different kinds of pencils. You think pens are different! You should try different kinds of pencils! You'd be surprised how different a Dixon Ticonderoga Black Millennium is from a Faber-Castell Grip 2001, and not just because one is proudly American, while one is historically German. I'm not necessarily in search of the perfect pencil, but I certainly enjoy looking anyway. So I emailed Forest Choice out of the blue last week to ask how much shipping they would charge to send me a dozen of their unfinished cedar pencils to review for such a pencil blog, should I get off my butt and do it. I made a deal with myself that, if they wrote back at all, I would get on with this blog. I didn't hear anything from them for nearly a week. But I received an email from them today stating that they would send me one gross of their pencils to review, via 2-Day FedEx, and they sent them today already. Now, that's just the kick in the pants I needed. So, without any shame, I am plugging my own blog: Pencil Revolution. It will feature pencil-related bits, product reviews (pencils, sharpeners, etc.), quotations and the pencil philosophy -- not the least tenet of which is never to write with something that doesn't smell good.

10 comments:

Lorianne said...

You know, I know scores of folks who are pen/notebook fanatics...but I think you're the only person I know who's a PENCIL snob!

Thoreau would have loved you, of course, since pencil-making was the family biz.

Evelio said...

hello from mexico city...

honestly, I am eager to read your blog devoted to pencils...

Anonymous said...

Good for you! Nothing helps procrastination like adding another blog to feed... ;-) ...not to mention a seriously clever way to feed your pencil habit without endangering other things like food, shelter, clothing, etc...

Gary
http://www.inkmusings.com

Mo said...

im pretty sure im not old school enough for pencils. too smudgy.

Pencil Revolution said...

The Mirado and Faber-Castell HB pencils aren't very smudgy, I've found. But some of the cheaper-cored pencils definitely are. "American"/"American Naturals" smear all over.

Anonymous said...

Blessed is He to promotes the pencil, for he is basically amazing.

I'm a pen using, deep down pencil lovin gal.

lucidity said...

Still using analog methods to document?

I prefer neither pencil nor pen. I'd rather type. :)

In my experience, a BIC pen, although not reliable, worked fine for writing.

Pencil Revolution said...

Pencils are more reliable, and they smell good. BIC be gone!

Anonymous said...

I love your pencil blog! Very cool idea!

Pragmatik said...

Stas, I do have a blog, so I obviously don't always prefer analogue means of communication:)