(Image credit Ryan Segedi)

"Back to School" season has always been one of my favorite times of year. Despite being out of school for years now, seeing local stores stocking up on fresh notebooks, folders, and (of course) pencils brings up feelings of starting fresh with a new year. 

So being such a lover of "Back to school" shopping and an open admirer of office and school supplies, I see no reason to stop stocking up on supplies during the season! However, because I'm a adult, I now like to gear up in a slightly classier fashion than my brightly-colored favorites of years past (though I do still love Lisa Frank!).

Here are the classiest items for your grown up "back to school" needs*:

Mitsu-bishi Penmanship 4B - Stunningly silky and smooth on the page, with a surprisingly smudge-resistant finish, this pencil has won over nearly everyone who has tried it. Coupled with a gorgeous gold and burgundy finish, this pencil is just a totally luxurious writing experience. 

Viarco Premium 2001 HB - Ultra simple and classic matte black finish, with wonderful HB graphite that holds its point quite well. This is a perfect pencil to upgrade your desk set. 

Tombow Mono Professional HB - Another gorgeously designed, high quality pencil. The Mono Professional feels just that - professional. It writes beautifully and is rather smudge resistant as well.

Caran d'Ache Technalo - I adore this pencil - the design is beautiful, but what really makes it special is the graphite. Despite the fact that this is an HB, it actually has a velvety dark finish that doesn't feel like an HB, and this is due to the fact that the graphite is water soluble! Gotta love a pencil that pulls double duty as a writing and water color instrument, and looks super slick whilst doing so. 

Midori Brass Bullet Pencil - This gorgeous bullet pencil is great for writers on the go. The casing protects both the pencil and its point, and comes with a clip and eraser, all encased in beautiful shiny brass (it also comes in white!). Unexpected bonus: a customer wrote in and said he accidentally threw his in the washing machine - though the casing finish came out a bit tarnished, the pencil made it through safe and sound! 

Caran d'Ache Swiss Wood - This is definitely a pencil-snob worthy pencil. Made of beechwood from the Jura Forest in Switzerland, this pencil is both denser and a little thicker than most pencils and oddly enough, has a unique smell (some say it smells like cigars, others say it's more like brown sugar). On top of it's unique wood qualities, its graphite is stunning. 

Blackwing 602 - The famed reproduction of the Eberhard Faber classic has a reputation for a reason: It just is that good. The graphite is just so smooth, and the point retention is great. The design of the pencil is stunning as well, and the bright gold uniquely square ferrule isn't just pretty - it's designed so you can replace the eraser! This is a must-have for any grown up desk. 

Blackwing Grand Piano Box Set - The Blackwing matte black pencil (the softer sibling to the 602) is already one of the classiest-looking pencils we have in store, and you can class it up even further with this lovely display! Show off your pencils in style with this shiny black lacquer box, lined with black velvet.

Caran d'Ache Les Crayons de la Maison, Edition 4 - These are definitely too pretty to use. This set of pencils is made from four different rare woods (sustainably gathered) so each pencil has it's own unique color and pattern (such as black with white grain, or red and olive). They're simply stunning to look at, and unlike any pencil I've ever seen before. 

Mnemosyne Notebooks - Gorgeously simple covers, silky-smooth paper and spaces to mark both date, title and sections on each page, the newest notebook additions to our store make all my list-making feel more sophisticated. Comes in both notebook and memo pad styles.  

Seed Super Gold High Class Rubber Eraser - Sometimes, it's all about the packaging. A simple white rubber eraser comes wrapped gorgeously in a shiny gold holder, all packaged within a beautiful matte black box. Almost too pretty to use. Almost. 

El Casco Black and Gold Sharpener - This is the classiest of classy. The mac-daddy of handheld sharpeners. The cream of the pencil-sharpening crop. Luxurious black metal with 23k gold details just begs to be proudly displayed on your desk. 

BACK TO SCHOOL BONUS: You can snag a four-pack of our favorite grown up pencils mentioned in this post for $6.50 (while supplies last - keep an eye out for more!)