It's 10pm in Japan and the word overwhelmed is not enough to describe how I feel right now. Day 1 of the International Stationery and Office Products Show was a success and I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. Since I started this business it has been the Japanese pencils that have been the most difficult to get to the US. I strive to stock and teach all of my friends and customers about all of the greatest pencils I can find and there's been a gap waiting to be filled by all these smaller Japanese pencil makers for a while. After meeting with so many companies today I'm realizing that I haven't been able to find so many of these things because they're unwilling, it's just that I needed to pack my bags and come here in person. Japanese business customs seem to encourage in-person meetings and being here has opened a lot of doors. In Japan stationery and writing instruments are treated in a way much more sacred than anywhere else. Aside from the sheer volume of products available here and the novelty products this country is known for there's a fundamental importance in using these things in daily life. Paper is not just something you write on, its a way of presenting yourself or an idea. Writing instruments are an accessory, not just a way to get words down.  

I started the day by getting really lost in the enormous venue, walking into a very loud ribbon cutting ceremony and eventually finding my wonderful interpreter, Noriko. She was so helpful and already had ideas for a plan of action. We walked all of the aisles of products and found lots of items of interest, including beautiful cotton letter writing paper by Midori's parent company, really hilarious children electric sharpeners and lots of washi tape. SO MUCH washi tape. Maybe someone needs to open a washi tape store in New York next. Any takers? 

We eventually stumbled upon Kitaboshi Pencil Company, who I wasn't even sure would be there. Kitaboshi is a very old, very small manufacturer. They make very simple, really gorgeous pencils including a jumbo, triangular naked cedar pencil in softer hardnesses that I've had my eye on for a while. Their booth was small, but then so are pencils. We had the pleasure of meeting the president of the company who was so chatty and though I couldn't understand him in Japanese, was so utterly passionate about his product. He excitedly showed us these crazy pencil caps with a stylus on the end and a product I've never seen anything like. At the Kitaboshi factory they take the cedar waste from making the pencils and grind it into a fine power. They then mix it with a binder to create a really odd, very lightweight sort of clay. In the booth they had everything from ornaments to little animal figures to a large landscape painting, all make from the pencil clay. He described using it as "painting with wood". Much to my surprise he shared that their little factory on the outskirts of Tokyo is open for tours and that they encourage the visitors to bring their pencil stumps in exchange for a new pencil. Though the translation was confusing, he described making the stumps into a sort of pencil shrine as a tribute to all of the hard work they've done for us. I immediately thought of Marie Kondo's 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' where she encourages us to thank the objects in our lives for working for us. This very Japanese concept is something I've though was a little silly when I first read about it, but being here and seeing how objects are treated I'm starting to appreciate it more. 

We continued the day with sore feet and a lot to see. There were so many really cute novelty things to be distracted by but we continued to find what I was looking for. In fact, almost all the pencils I was looking for. 

I had worried that I was coming all this way to search for things I couldn't have, or to search for things that simply don't exist but I'm certain now that I was wrong. Tokyo is wonderful, and there's so much here that I wish I could bring back. One day I'll open a store here but for now I'll just eat and shop my way through the next few days. 

(Pictured: My favorite silly find of the day--a tiny Bridge pencil from Camel Pencil Company, who also make the new Craft Design Technology pencil)

We most certainly started out the week with a bang! Mr. David Rees of worldwide pencil sharpening fame came into the shop on Sunday. Much to my disappointment it was my day off but Caitlin got to meet him and had nothing but nice things to say about it. 

Our favorite new thing in the shop is a notepad which is a collaboration between Craft Design Technology and Life Notebooks (pictured above). It's A5, bound like a legal pad and is just the most divine creamy, just-thick-enough paper with a grid (on both sides!). We've been using it in the shop since we first received a sample weeks ago and are still swooning over it. It's in store now and will be online really soon. 

We're really thrilled because we've been working on lots of wedding related custom pencils lately. This includes a couple of marriage proposal pencils--something I've been waiting for since we first started stamping pencils. For the record, if you're looking to propose to your significant other on a pencil CALL ME. I will stamp anything on any pencil for free because we're that excited about this. 

Today was a super busy Saturday. We did meet Jenji Kohan, TV writer extraordinaire (of Weeds and Orange Is the New Black fame) who definitely knows her stuff when it comes to pencils. It never ceases to amaze me how many people will come out in the hot, sticky NYC rain just to visit this little place. 

Until next week!

CW

PS. I am embarking on an epic journey to Japan in about a week to attend the International Stationery and Office Products Fair in Tokyo. If there are any pencil things you want me to keep an eye out for let me know! At the top of my list are longer, nicer pencil cases and really nice pencil caps. 

We've been hearing a lot about Mary Norris' new book in the shop lately. It's led many people through our door in search of her beloved Blackwings. We added it to our required reading list after all of the raves reviews we've heard. Little did we know that the Comma Queen herself visited the shop last month! In the most recent episode of her web series for the New Yorker she unboxes and tests the Classroom Friendly sharpener she bought here and boy were we just tickled that she was so excited about it! 

On top of working to be world-class purveyors of superior graphite, we aim to deliver the best, most interesting pencils from all around the world. For this reason, our store is packed with diverse and unique writing utensils, each with their own story and special characteristics. 

Often, customers scan the vast array of graphite in the store and ask "What’s your most unique pencil?” Well, that certainly depends on what you’d define as “unique,” but we definitely carry an array of really fascinating pencils with singular qualities. Here’s a few of our favorites that are currently in production:

Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood: This pencil is a quality find! Made from dark Swiss beech wood from the Jura forest, as opposed to traditional cedar, the Swiss Wood pencil is both denser and thicker than most pencils. Possibly its most unusual characteristic is the scent – it has this rich, sort of cigar-like fragrance, which totally stands out against typical cedar pencils. Couple that with very smooth HB graphite and a beautifully contrasting red tip with a white Swiss cross, and it’s easy to see why this is a favorite of pencil connoisseurs.

Mitsu-bishi Triangular Penmanship Pencil - 4B:  It only takes one stroke across paper to see why this pencil is so special. Formatted with super silky, dark graphite, this Mitsu-bishi pencil is a dream to write with. The triangular shape and extra-thick core are actually designed to aid penmanship and calligraphy, and some have even compared it to (*gasp*) ink! This pencil is a current obsession of ours. 

General’s Copying Pencil: Copying pencils have a totally fascinating history (which I think we’ll blog about more in the future). Developed in the 1870’s as an alternative for fountain pens, copying pencils were designed to permanently sign documents, as well as make copies by pressing a damp sheet with writing to a blank sheet. Because of the dyes used to make them permanent, the graphite in copying pencils was quite toxic. The pencil fell out of fashion with the invention of ballpoint pens, but General’s still produces this one, conveniently reformulated to remove the toxicity. While it isn’t as rich in quality as its predecessors, this pencil is a piece of living history!

Caran d’Ache Technalo Water-soluble Pencil: It really doesn’t get more versatile than this. This HB pencil is both smooth and dark (I think it’s much darker and smudgier than most HBs), and great for line drawing. It also acts like water color when a wet brush is applied, making it easy to blend or create washes! Bonus: we also carry Swisscolor colored pencils, which are also water-soluble and a total art-nerd dream.

Viarco Scented Pencils: Created in Portugal’s oldest pencil factory, these pencils are scented with “Quintais e Jardins de Portugal” – the backyards and gardens of Portugal. The fragrances of these pencils are delicate, created using actual flowers and plants. The result is a delightfully lush scent, perfect for day dreaming about escaping to a Portuguese villa. Or, if you’re like me, dreaming about the orange tree that grew in the backyard of your childhood home.

Rainbow Paper Pencil: We loved this pencil so much, it was our first-ever pencil of the month! It’s sort of rare to see new, innovative pencils, yet Duncan Shotten has created an amazing one. Created from layers of colored recycled paper, this pencil creates a rainbow as you sharpen it. Gorgeous and fun, just right for brightening a dull day.

Caran d’Ache Jass Chalk Pencil: It’s not every day you see a pencil with a chalk core, let alone one designed for such a specific purpose. This chalk pencil was created for scorekeeping in the Swiss card game Jass (thus the name)! This pencil is perfect for slate, which Jass scores are traditionally kept on, but is also great for chalkboards and black paper.

Viarco Art Graf Soft Carbon Pencil: This pencil is kind of confusing and definitely one of the most polarizing pencils in the store! Because of it's bizarrely sticky and waxy qualities, some people find the way it drags across the paper a little off-putting – or, like me, they become obsessed with this totally strange writing utensil's qualities. It's described as smooth online, but I find that it's anything but – it's wonderfully dark, and the ultra thick core allows to make long, thick strokes, but it definitely sticks and squeaks a bit when you write with it. You definitely have to try it for yourself!

Goody Rainbow Pencil: When we got these by accident with an order of Japanese notebooks, we knew we had something special. This is my colored pencil soulmate: it writes in six – SIX – colors! Color me obsessed. Each stroke of this pencil produces a rainbow of creative possibilities. 

Love,
Caitlin, Deputy Pencil Lady

Obviously the best thing about pencils is the tactile experience - seriously, what's more delightful than writing with a freshly sharpened pencil? 

So of course the first necessity of a pencil store is a test station! We adore watching customers fall in love with a pencil from the first stroke written in our test book. And because it's such a delightful experience, the test books end up full of incredible doodles and musings, all joyfully written with newly-discovered writing utensils. 

As we fill our test books, we'll be sharing our favorite sketches and notes from the test station, and hope that you find as much delight in them as we do! And of course, we invite you to stop by and add one of your own! 

Here are our favorites from our first-ever test book!

Love,
Caitlin
Deputy Pencil Lady

P.S. Our notebook of choice for the test book is the amazing Baron Fig Confidant (sorry - we only sell them in stores!) - specifically because Joe Crace claims that the notebook is the best for writing in pencil! It also doesn't hurt that the notebook covers are designed to lay open! 

Summer is in full swing in NYC and we've had an eventful few days. I've returned to the shop from a brief stint in the hospital. Though it's not ideal to hobble around the shop in a leg brace I'm managing in part because of all of the love and cards and flowers I've received. Thank you pencil friends! Here are some high points from the week: 

We're especially excited because we have lots of cool new things this week.   From Portugal we received a fresh box of Emilio Braga notebooks in new colors. We also have the new Blackwing Volumes pencil and the Mitsu-bishi 4B Penmanship pencil (which we're totally obsessed with!). 

If you've been one of the many people who have inquired about this you'll be pleased to hear that we now stock Blum eraser caps/point protectors. The eraser is better than your average pink school topper and the extra length on the pencil holder part of it does indeed make for a pretty good point protector. We're still searching for a truly excellent eraser cap but until then these are more than enough to satisfy your frantic erasing needs. 

More about the Mitsu-bishi Penmanship pencil though--it's super dark, super slick, super pretty and just an all-around winner for all of you soft pencil people. You can find it here but if you come into the shop this weekend it's likely that either Caitlin or I will point it out to you before you even have the chance to ask for it. 

Today we received a mysterious FedEx envelope from Japan which contained a copy of Madame Figaro in which we found our shop (pictured above)! We're delighted but also sad because we can't read what it says. 

If you're in the shop in the coming weeks you might notice a few new faces. We've hired some extra help for the summer and we'll be sure to post profiles for everyone on our team soon. 

Happy weekend!

CW

PS. Expect more regular blog posts. Caitlin and I made a list of things you need to know about including pencil grading by brand (because not all HBs are created equal), situational pencil recommendations and the best pages from our test books. Let us know if there's anything you want us to write about!

As you have probably heard, I opened a physical incarnation of CW Pencil Enterprise in New York City last week. It's been a very busy few days as I've been trying to solve internet problems, figure out my 1960s Kingsley hot foil machine and constantly refilling pencil displays. There's been a lot to sort out, to say the least. I'm not quite used to the 'shop-keeper' job title but I like it. I like it a lot. Best of all, I get to meet all of you and talk about this stuff in person. 

Once I get a routine established I'll blog more--there are so many things I want to talk about. For now, here are the things I've learned by running a pencil shop for a week:

1. EVERYONE loves pencils, they just might not know it yet. 

2. 'Made in America' is something people often take for granted--most are surprised when I tell them that there are only 3 running pencil factories left in the US. 

3. Kids love to play with sharpeners, especially the red Classroom Friendly on my pencil testing station. 

4. I don't know as much about erasers as I should. 

5. Having a bowl of Lemonheads on my desk makes people really happy. 

6. Customers love to talk, they want to hear stories and know about why this little place exists--and I'm thrilled because this is my job and I love talking about it. 

7. This shop not only exists to show off all of the wonderful graphite things in the world but also as a form of personal expression--as my second home. There are things that might not make sense, but they're here because I love them. 

8. Everyone is a kid again when they're under the influence of a pencil scented room. No one has used the antique advertising pencil vending machine without expressing complete joy. 

9. Nostalgia is an enormously powerful thing.

10. I am really happy to be the crazy pencil lady of this crazy city. 

For quite a while every stationary item I came across and loved was Portuguese. Often it was the packaging, usually honestly old fashioned and beautifully made. I'm not sure what it is but there is something so genuine about Portuguese stationery. The notebooks serve a purpose but are never an eye sore and the pencils are simple but function perfectly. As a shop owner, I am thrilled to stock both of my favorite Portuguese brands. 

Emilio Braga notebooks, for one are something I've coveted for a long while but have often had trouble finding. Founded in 1918 by Emilio da Silva Braga, this stationer became known for his well bound notebooks and cloud print which is not dissimilar to what we see on a composition notebook. They may not be the largest or finest stationery manufacturer in Portugal anymore, but their cloud notebooks are still as beautiful. They're made 75% without the touch of a machine and feature details often missed by more modern brands. 

Another brand I love is Viarco. You've probably heard of them or used their pencils but what strikes me most about this company is their commitment to heritage and quality. They were founded by French industrialists in 1914, and after the interruption of World War I started producing pencils under the Viarco name in 1936. As it stands, Viarco is the only remaining pencil manufacturer in Portugal and now produce art materials as well. They still make copying pencil and often release dead stock of vintage items for sale to the general public. What I love most are their scented pencils, the name for which translates to "The Backyards and Gardens of Portugal". Each scent is soaked into the cedar of the unfinished pencil and they really truly do smell of the native flowers they're named after. Their products are made honestly, without compromise and maintain the level of dignity that a pencil deserves. 

Not only are both of these brands Portuguese icons, they are also both rare types of businesses whose roots have remained unchanged over nearly a century, who haven't been bought and sold and bought and sold again, who manufacture the same way they always have and who don't ignore what's modern about manufacturing but manage to work with it and around it with grace and integrity.

There's a new brand that I'm selling and it's one you might not have heard of. There are so many brands that we've become used to hearing about, ones that have reached pencil collectors globally. This one isn't quite that. You will know it if you're from or familiar with Southeast Asia. You've maybe read about it on one of the very very few blog who've covered it. Chances are, you've never written with it. 

It comes from India, from Nataraj--a Mumbai based pencil company who boast being the #1 pencil manufacturer in India. Started in 1958, Nataraj prides itself on making sustainable, affordable, good quality pencils. Below you'll find an early video advertisement and also a new version of the same commerical: 

If you YouTube 'Pencil commercial' you'll mostly only find videos for Nataraj. I wish I knew why these wonderful little videos can exist in India and not anywhere else, but that's something for all of us to ponder. I've been writing with the Nataraj 621, the classic advertised above and I am pleased to admit that it does what it promises. The wood casing is made from Indian vetta and the graphite core is smooth and break resistant. Every country has its standard, for us it's often considered to be the Ticonderoga, for India it's Nataraj and I am so very thrilled to be offering them. 

I am asked daily about pencils. Not by customers or people I know in the pencil community, but rather by those who notice the tattoo on my arm or those who I meet in passing at a bar or a shop. Once they get over the peculiarity of my chosen profession they always ask why. Sometimes they even get really excited and share with me their obsession, often as if they've been embarrassed to admit it to anyone else before. 

To me it's simple. Pencils are one of the few objects which are totally universal. And by that I mean that they vary only marginally in design and manufacture no matter where they're made in the world or what era they were made in. They are necessary but also pleasurable. They engage the senses in a way a mechanical pencil can't. They tell a story of where they came from or when they existed. They smell like freshly cut wood every time you sharpen them. They fit perfectly into a human hand without any clips or grips or fuss. They contain thousands of words that haven't been written yet. 

The one thing I haven't been told is that I'm old-fashioned. In a world where we can have everything, the general consensus seems to be that it's an admirable thing to appreciate something simple and specific. All of that said, I am pleased to announce that Caroline Weaver Pencil Enterprise will officially take physical form in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the wonderful New York City at the beginning of February 2015. My only hope is that I can create a worthy home for the object I love so much and that like-minded visitors feel at home as well.