Hello, Pencil People!

This is Esther here to share with you a craft activity we had fun with during our respective quarantines: making a pencil cup! This is a great opportunity to give new life to something you might have just thrown in the recycling– all it needs to do is be able to hold some pencils. 

We all ended up choosing different kinds of containers and decorating methods, which shows that there are plenty of ways to do this– no wrong answers in pencil cup crafting!

Take a look at our processes and results below:

Julianne decided to up-cycle a can of tomatoes... soon to be a can of pencils! First, she drew a spiffy little pattern on paper, cut it out, and then she wrapped her decorated paper around the can, using tape to stick it down... et voilà! 

This is perfect for anyone who may not be overflowing in fancy crafting materials, but has all the basics: paper, drawing tools, tape, scissors/paper cutter and of course, a container. Actually, all of our methods were pretty simple, as you'll see!

We think Julianne's end result is plenty snazzy– don't you? Pro-tip for those who have a ton of pencils and nowhere to put them: Use a can to collect them all!

Alyx chose what was previously a spice jar as her pencil vessel, and for her tools, a favorite of so many artists out there: the beloved POSCA marker! These paint markers contain a water-based acrylic paint and mark on all kinds of surfaces. If used on a nonporous surface, like Alyx's glass jar, just know that if you scratch at it, it can come off. Let's take a look at all the sides!

Joining her drawings of a pencil point and its end are a tiny forest of eraser caps– how cute!

One last side to reveal, and it's another eraser-tipped pencil end! The humble spice jar lives on as a nice statement pencil cup, with its interesting shape and limited space to hold a select amount of pencils. 

I used a jam jar that was sitting on my kitchen counter for literal weeks. It was basically waiting for this moment to arrive! My only decorating tools were washi tape and stickers– I'm sure they were happy to see some use after having been abandoned following the holidays. Washi tape's amazing because it combines style and function into one perfect tool: decorative adhesive! 

I alternated two different washi tapes to create a base pattern, and then stuck a ton of washi stickers (from our very own sticker room!) all over that surface. I'm actually using my pencil jar now, so I guess this gave me a chance to make something I apparently needed. It holds approximately 40 pencils of varying sizes... not too shabby!

And here's Caroline's! She cleaned out a candle jar, which she decorated with an assortment of foreign stamps. For the stamps without an adhesive backing, she used a glue stick (Coccoina, also found in our sticker room!) to paste them down. 

How cool! Gotta love the Miffy stamp– a classic!

Caroline left a little space to add more stamps later. Since they're foreign stamps and can't be used for mailing here in the States, this is a fun way to enjoy and showcase them! 

We hope you enjoyed following along on our craft adventure and that it spurs you to make a pencil cup of your own. I'm sure there will be more quarantine crafts to come, so until next time, take care of yourselves and stay crafty~

Hello pencil pals!

Most of the recommendation questions we get from you guys are about the different things that pencils can do on paper. But sometimes you need a pencil that can write on something else (our favorite is the dentist who needed an indelible pencil to label dental molds--now their office bulk-orders Viarco Copying Pencils). We have two kinds of pencils now that are made specifically for writing on difficult surfaces, so I thought I would break down what they're made of and what they can write on so you can decide which one best suits your needs!

The Stabilo All-Surface Pencil is a water soluble-pencil made in the Czech Republic that can write on paper, glass, plastic, and metal. Because it is water soluble, it can be easily wiped off of surfaces with a damp cloth. We carry it in graphite, white, and red. They are the size of a regular pencil and come pre-sharpened. You can use a regular sharpener on these pencils (knife, hand-held, or crank), though I wouldn't recommend going for a long point on the white or red ones, as the cores are quite soft.

The Mitsu-bishi Dermatograph 7600 are paper-wrapped grease pencils made in Japan. They come in 12 colors, and we have five of them. I love holding these pencils--they are about the size of a mini-jumbo and the paper is super glossy. The cores don't come sharpened, so they can be a bit funky to write with straight out of the box, but the core is so soft and pigmented, it doesn't matter so much. These are also really fun to "sharpen," by pulling off a strip of the paper. The cores are made of wax, talcum powder, and pigment.

Here's how both the Stabilo and the Dermatograph look on glass:

I was surprised by this result as a few of the window sign painters in our neighborhood come in regularly to get the Stabilo's to lay out their designs on the windows before painting them over. But I can see how the red or white one would be good for making precision marks on glass for something like a "rough draft" or a cut mark. The graphite Stabilo was barely visible on this glass (I did try it on a regular window and it worked a bit better, but I had a terrible time trying to photograph it!) The Dermatographs showed up much brighter, but you lose a bit in precision. All of these marks were resistant to running water. The Stabilo's wipe off easily without much work. The Dermatographs required a bit more elbow grease, but I wouldn't consider either pencil difficult to remove.

Cut to me, wandering around my apartment, looking for alternative surfaces to write on. On plastic:

All of the pencils performed very well on the plastic lid of my turntable, including the Stabilo Graphite. Again, the Stabilos wiped off very easily with a damp cloth, while the Dermatographs wipes off "moderately easily" (is that a thing?).

On metal (this is my bike):

Again, all the pencils worked beautifully on this powder-coated metal. The water-soluble Stabilos wiped right off. This was the most difficult surface from which to remove the Dermatograph though. I scrubbed and you can still kind of see traces of my little swatch rainbow.

In conclusion, I think the Stabilos are good for temporary marks on difficult surfaces: measuring things, writing prices on items at a yard sale, sketching a draft, etc. The Dermatographs feel better for high-visibility and more permanent work, like labeling, color-coding, etc. Both of them are fun to play with and work really well on paper, so they're all great for playing around!

Dear friends and customers, 

After a lot of consideration, we've decided to temporarily close our doors for browsing from Monday, March 16th until further notice. It's my #1 priority to keep our staff, our customers and our community safe, which means keeping as many people at home as possible. It's a scary time to be a business owner and to also be out and about in a densely populated place and though there's no rulebook for how to handle this, this seems to be the best plan of action for now. 

One of us will still come in Mon-Sat for the time being (and fortunately a couple of us live nearby) to get online orders out. We'll be offering the option to order for in-store pick up between the hours of 12 and 4 for now, if you're local and want to swing by. 

To place an order for pick up: 

1. Enter INSTOREPICKUP in the promo code field to remove shipping fees from your order. 

2. Leave us a note in the NOTES field at checkout so we can catch it and fulfill it for pick-up. 

If you need recommendations or have any questions, please feel free to message us or email info@cwpencils.com. Those of us working from home will keep a close watch on our inbox to make sure we can help you as quickly as possible!

This isn't the easy choice, but it's the right choice for us. Remember a couple of years ago when we had to close and relocate because of a mold problem in our Forsyth shop? We found a way to make it work then, and we'll make it work this time around. For now, my priority is to keep everyone safe, continue to pay my employees regular salaries and do what we can to help our customers and stay afloat. 

Tomorrow will be our last open day. We'll be around from 12-6, come say hi and stock up on supplies to keep you busy while you're social distancing/self isolating :)

Stay safe! 

Fondly,

Caroline

P.S. On Monday we're putting a bunch of new stuff online and emailing about a free shipping promo. If you don't already get our newsletter, sign up at the bottom of our home page. 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a movie about the power of the hand-written word. It is a movie about stationery. There are other, incidental themes like young love and sisterhood and vulnerability. But let’s focus on the important stuff right now. 

Where does Lara Jean Covey store her private, personal longings? In letters to her crushes. Each is hand-written, decorated, and placed inside their own distinctive envelopes. If you, like me, have watched the movie a half-dozen times you’ve seen that Lara Jean knows her way around washi tape, kraft paper envelopes, felt pens, stickers, even calligraphy. (I am deep in my bones certain that LJ would be right at home in the CW Sticker Emporium.) 

Love letters are Lara Jean’s form of no-risk romance. Through her letters she can inhabit her fantasy world where she gets to fall in love with the neighboring field hand, wispy breeze carrying her dress as her lover draws her hand to his lips et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And all the better that she doesn’t stand to lose anything by writing letters she never intends to send. Why not go wild with that calligraphy if the guy isn’t ever going to see her spilling her mushy guts to them?

Then, once those letters are out in the world and it’s time for her to do damage control, Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky draw up a contract, all LJ’s idea of course. At a picnic table underneath a shady tree Lara Jean writes down the most important parts of their pact on a sheet of notebook paper before making them both sign their joint document. 

We don’t see her pencil pouch but I have a few ideas about what’d be inside it. In that scene we learn that Lara Jean Covey is a lefty. Her sisters would for sure have gone in together on a Lefty Gift Set made just for her. The package includes the essentials: a notebook from our friends at Iron Curtain Press that’s bound on the right side for left-handed people, a pencil sharpener that’s oriented for lefties, and CW Pencil Enterprise’s set of hand-picked pencils for lefties that minimize smudging while still providing a smooth writing experience. 

During that negotiation Peter pitches his smartest, sweetest idea to sell their love to the rest of the school. Little notes, Peter knows, are intimate and personal mementos perfect for sharing big confessions or small thoughts you’d otherwise be too shy to say out loud. They’re also perfect for not-so-subtly waving around the cafeteria to make your ex-girlfriend jealous. Peter is not a dumb-dumb. He knows what’s up. 

Peter probably carries a couple Milan jumbo pencils he likes for their writing ease and chubby plastic erasers that hold up through plenty of use. I know this because I've helped many customers with a similar build as Peter who appreciate a jumbo pencil for its ergonomic comfort. There's just less chance of a hand cramp coming on during long note-taking sessions when they're not trying to clutch a more narrow pencil. Peter's also got a ballpoint pen from deep in the CWPE archives that we included in one of our past season’s subscription boxes. The pen, perfect for goofballs and smart asses alike, says PENCIL on it. (Sorry, it's not for sale!) 

Now with stationery, and important sentiments, squared away, it’s only at the end of the movie when Lara Jean realizes she’s not just been sending love letters, she’s been receiving gobs of them. Peter's notes finally convince LJ of what she's been trying not to see. This guy is actually seriously in to her. 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before understands that when we write things down we can make our fantasies tiny, fleeting realities. We can clarify our jumbled insides by turning them into words that connect with other words on a page. And if we’re lucky, those words eventually connect with other people, too. 

You might notice that some of the pricing on our website is different this week. The truth is, every other year, in January, we do a pricing audit to adjust our cost prices as they've changed and to also change our retail prices as needed. Over the course of two years, wholesale prices often go up, shipping costs increase and import duties/fees change, so naturally, we need to change some of our prices. Not everything is affected and in fact, some items have actually gone down in price. In addition, mostly due to the increases in USPS rates and import duties, we're raising the price of our subscription box to $32.50 a quarter, effective starting with the March box. 

It's important to me to always be transparent about these things. The reality of it is, the retail market is difficult and it's my personal goal this year to be smarter when it comes to the finances of running a business. 

I've just wrapped up two weeks in Japan, which, to be honest, exceeded my wildest expectations. After a mini-vacation in the hot spring town of Hakone, I ate and shopped my way through Tokyo. The last time I came to Tokyo for work was four years ago, when I'd just opened the shop and was new to all of this. Now, things are different. I know more about Japanese stationery and I have more contacts in Japan, so I got to see a little bit of the magical stationery underground and meet many influential industry people.

As you might expect, shopping for stationery in Japan is unlike anything else. Culturally, there's a profound respect for stationery and it's taken very seriously. It's an old industry in Japan, but also an industry rooted in passion in a way that I've seen nowhere else in the world. From the larger concept stores to the more local, office-y shops, there is an endless amount of treasures to be found. Here's list of all of the places I visited: 

The big stores: 

Ito-ya 

2 Chome-7-15 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061

This is the one that most people know in Tokyo, and for good reason. It's a whopping 12-story shop, with departments for everything. A lot of what is sold there is imported, but it's also a great place to find Ito-ya exclusives and little pop-up shops and exhibitions. When I was there, there was an MT Tape pop-up on the ground floor and an exhibition of paperclips by Present & Correct. A lot of the fun stuff is on the ground floor, but the fine paper department and the craft floor are my other favorites for special and uniquely Japanese finds. There's also wonderful cafe upstairs, which is handy when you're exhausted and high on stationery, especially because there's a second shop to visit across the alley. The annex is a smaller multi-level building that focuses more on writing instruments and office supplies. This is where you'll find all of the pencils and fancy pens. 

Tokyu Hands

(Locations all over Tokyo--I recommend the one in Shibuya)

It's hard to describe what Tokyu Hands is. The Shibuya location is the best one, and is a confusing maze of small departments split over 7 floors. You'll find everything from woodworking supplies to cosmetics and everything in between, including a LOT of stationery. It's a great place to go for decorative envelopes, a large selection of markers and pens and all of the Japanese classics. Look for Yamato sticking paste, a glue in a container that is a little yellow man with a hat, funny little icon ink stamps and special edition writing things (I found some great Zebra highlighters with Snoopy on them). You'll get lost and probably leave with more random things than you planned on, but it's a magnificently fun place for a shopping blackout. Look for the vending machine in the stationery department, which is a collaboration with Bunbougu (more on that later) and contains mini magnet versions of classic Japanese stationery items. 

Loft

(Locations all over Tokyo--I recommend the ones in Ginza and Shibuya)

There are several locations of Loft stores, which are slightly concept-y lifestyle store that sell mostly homeware, cosmetics and stationery. The Shibuya and Ginza locations are the best ones and feature temporary displays and collaborative products. Look for NJK pencil sharpeners, which are amazing and made in Osaka, and a lot of the younger, cooler Japanese stationery brands. There's also an impressive selection of various Japanese coffee making tools and devices, as well as lots of house slippers to choose from. 

The small stores: 

Kakimori

1-6-2, Misuji, Taito, Tokyo, 1110 055

If I were to pick one stationery store for you to visit in Tokyo, this is it. It's a little off the beaten path, but totally worth the trip. To be honest, I was struck with a little bit of shop envy because this place is so perfect. Inside you'll find an well-edited selection of stationery, a lot of proprietary paper things and so many fountain pens to try (which are set up at a station with several types of papers to try them on). The main attraction, though, is the custom notebook feature. You get to pick your cover, paper, binding, and closure and it's made on the spot! There's even a paper testing area complete with a guide ranking each paper for which writing tools it's best for, so you can really make your perfect notebook. I've never seen a shop that is so well designed for user experience--everything can be tested extensively, in an environment that is equally friendly and luxurious. Kakimori also has another store nearby called Ink Stand, which is dedicated to fountain pen inks and features a custom ink blending service. 

Bungubox

 8, 神宮前 ４ 丁目 ８−6, Shibuya City, 150-0001

In the fountain pen world, this place is BIG TIME. Bungubox specializes in unique, Japanese-made fountain pens, many of which are limited editions that they've designed. The detailing on these pens is mind-blowing and it's the perfect place for a special pen splurge if you're looking for something amazing to take home. Most of the Bungubox pens are about $200 but are true works of art. I didn't actually get to visit the shop while I was in town because it was closed for the Tokyo Pen Show and otherwise has kind of weird hours, but I did get to have dinner with Kaoru, the owner, who is a true delight and showed me many of her incredible pens. (Note: you might have a hard time finding this place--there's a tiled courtyard that looks residential, walk up the stairs and you'll find the shop in the right). 

Gekkoso

〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 8 Chome−7−2 １F・B１F

A good stop if you're in Ginza for the other shops, Gekkoso is an old and storied art supply store that sells mostly proprietary goods (including the jumbo 8B pencil we sell). There a charming little cafe downstairs and so many beautiful paints and papers to buy. I especially love their pink letter writing sets. 

K's Stationery

Japan, 〒111-0033 Tokyo, Taito City, Hanakawado, 1 Chome−4−1

This is a shop that I just happened upon. It's in a the Ekmise mall near Askasaka station (which you'll travel to or near if you're going to the Senso-ji Temple). It's just a little local shop, but I found a delightful selection of slightly niche pencils, a lot of Showa (classic Japanese school notebooks with plant and animal pictures on them) things and a cute selection of Tokyo 2020 Olympics pencils and stationery. On the same floor in the same mall is also Seria, a wonderful 100 yen shop that is also worth visiting for an impressive cheap stationery selection and novelties like tiny ziploc bags with Sanrio character designs on them. 

Mt Lab

3 Chome-14-5 Kotobuki, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0042, Japan

For those of you who are into washi tapes, MT has their own store/concept space here. I didn't get the chance to visit (but I've also banned myself from buying more tapes. I have a problem.) but it isn't far from Kakimori and is a minimalist decorative tape wonderland. 

Tobichi

4 Chome-25-14 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0062

Not far from Shibuya and Harajuku (and about a 10 minute walk from Bunbougu Cafe) is a shop dedicated to the legendary Hobonichi journal. Inside is every type of Hobonichi, including limited editions, every type of cover you could ever want and Hobonichi-specific accessories. A must-see for a Hobonichi obsessive. 

Attractions: 

Ozu Washi Shop

OzuHonkan Bldg., 3-6-2 Nihombashihoncho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

This place isn't in an area you'd otherwise go to, but it's worth visiting an educational experience and some hardcore paper porn. It's a shop that sells the ridiculous selection of handmade, traditional washi papers and calligraphy supplies, but they also have a museum dedicated to the art of washi and have daily hour-long demonstrations where you get to make your own washi paper! Be sure to check the schedule ahead of time--it's only 500 yen to take the class and is super fun and informative. 

Gojoun, the Ginza Pencil Museum

4 Chome-3-5 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061

In the stationery underground, this place is legendary. It's basically in an alley off an alley in Ginza (use Google Maps to find it) and isn't open often, so you'll either have to get lucky or email in advance to ask about hours or make an appointment (have a Japanese friend help you call or send an email in advance). Inside, you'll find the tiniest, most magical shop of rare, vintage and hard-to-find writing tools. There's a tiny counter where you can order (very good) coffee and homemade cookies, as well as another tiny secret room that functions as little exhibition/display space. It's impossible to describe the charm of Gojuon, you really just have to see it for yourself. I bought their shop pencil, an NJK long-point sharpener, a vintage pencil cap and a rare type of short, black kohitsu shosha pencil. 

Bunbougu Stationery Cafe

4 Chome-8-1 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001

This is a place that totally blew my mind. It's in the downstairs of a building in a trendy shopping area of Shibuya and I'd never heard about before. Thankfully, Bruce is a regular there and took me there for lunch with a couple of wonderful stationery journalists. Inside is a sprawling space full of supplies--except most of these supplies aren't for purchase, they're for use. The coffee and the food is expensive, but purchasing something grants you use of EVERYTHING in the cafe, which includes an entire wall of washi tapes, every pen and pencil and marker your heart desires (including the full range of Copic markers), ink stamps, glues, stickers....literally everything. And because it's in Tokyo, everything is well-organized and the customers are mindful. There's even a little bag at each place setting to use to walk around and collect the things you want to try. There are a few things for purchase--like surprise stationery bags and ceramic pencil and eraser chopstick rests. You'll also find more of the Tokyu Hands collaborative stationery vending machines which are SO addictive! Make sure you come with lots of 100 yen coins. 

The wonderful thing about Tokyo is that you can find stationery EVERYWHERE. 7-Eleven even sells Tombow pencils and Yamato glue. Be sure to check out a few 100 yen shops and if you're going to be near Senso-ji Temple, there's a giant, crazy shop called Don Quijote that is basically a multi-level discount store amusement park. This is where I found the best selection of novelty pencils (I bought Toy Story and Calbee Snack themed ones) and really, just novelty stuff in general. If you're in the market for rare Japanese KitKat flavors, this is also the place to find them. Another notable shop for novelty stationery/general novelty things (specifically Japanese character things) is a shop called Village Vanguard (which has several locations). I found Pokemon hand cream and lots of cool Studio Ghibli things here.  

One of the days I was in Tokyo, my friend Bruce, who is a Japanese stationery expert, took me on a full day tour of stationery spots (I have him to thank for introducing me to the stationery cafe). Our first stop was for a meeting at the Mitsu-bishi HQ, which is located on the grounds of their old factory (everything is now made at newer factories in the countryside) and has a thoughtfully designed lobby that essentially functions as a museum of their products and history. 

I've only just scratched the surface of all this wild city has to offer, but there is stationery to be found everywhere! I was completely baffled by the amount of respect given to analog tools in Japan. This time of year, the shops even have massive sections for planners--hundred of types, with every possible type of accessory you could want. When I planned this trip, I hadn't taken into consideration what time of year I'd be here but I was also lucky to be able to catch the Tokyo International Pen Show, which happens every autumn. It's open to the public, so anyone can go and a buy a ticket for 500 yen (about 5 dollars) and drool over all of the beautiful Japanese fountain pens. 

Early next year my book, The Pencil Perfect is being published in Japanese by Gakken, a Japanese education publisher. I got to see a mock up of it on this trip and can't wait to see what doors it opens for me in the Japanese stationery world. For now, I'll look forward to returning to Tokyo for its publication in January and will report back with more finds! 

You can access a map with all of these spots, in one place here

A few tips: getting around Tokyo can be difficult and lots of shops aren't easily visible from the street level. Take advantage of Google Maps--the directions are accurate and when taking the metro it gives you very specific instructions that are super helpful when navigating the GIANT stations. Be sure to check the hours of the shops you're going to ahead of time, as many of them are often closed on unexpected days. 

Other Great #2's (and Not #2's)

Here are some more of my favorite pencils for students. All of them (except the Blackwings) are #2's, so they're suitable for test-taking. They're also great for everyday note taking and homework.

The Editor: This pencil from Caran d'Ache is a CWPE exclusive. It’s double ended with normal HB graphite on one end, and a red colored pencil on the other. I like using this one for annotating or color coding in my notes. It gives you the choice of two pencils, while only needing to carry one!

Futura: This pencil is another CWPE exclusive, made for us by Moon Products. It's a modernized reproduction of the vintage Futura. I like to think of it as a #2 with a unique twist. It’s triangular, which makes it comfortable for long hours spent doing math homework. It’s also very, very pink, with a matching ferrule! The Futura is an economical option as well, at only 60 cents per pencil.

Blackwing Natural & 602: Although the Blackwings are ungraded, the Natural, the newest and firmest of the range, feels closest to a #2. I like to use this one for general note taking and writing, because it has great point retention. I also like the 602 for when I feel like channeling John Steinbeck during English class.

Craft Design Technology (aka Camel Pencils): This is my second favorite pencil. Although it’s still graded as a #2, I’ve found that it writes softer and darker than a typical one, while still holding a point well. I also like the sleek ferrule-less design. And, if mint green isn’t your color, these come in pastel and natural wood tones too.

Write Sketch & Pattern Pencils: At first, I honestly picked these pencils more for their fun patterns, but I was pleasantly surprised by their quality. Although they’re #2's, the core feels a little on the firmer side and holds a point nicely.

Accessories

Uni Palette Sharpener: I usually opt for sharpeners with a shaving reservoir, as I don’t really have time to get up and sharpen my pencil during class. This sharpener is compact, yet has enough room for 2-3 shavings. It takes up minimal room in my pencil case, and the covered hole prevents shavings from falling out.

Kutsuwa Stad Metal Caps: Before I knew about these caps, my pencils would always break or graphite would smear inside my pencil case. These caps protect your pencil points and keep your case clean. They even come with tiny stickers, if you ever need to label your caps.

Matomaru-Kun Gold Eraser: This plastic eraser is my favorite because it's softer than most of its kind. It erases cleanly, and never damages my paper. In the words of Caroline (the biggest fan of the Matomaru-Kun), “It almost feels like it’s lifting the graphite off the paper.” With it’s snazzy gold wrapper, it’s ready for all your erasing needs. I know I’ll be using this often next year, when I take AP Calculus AB (I hope my teacher isn't like my math teacher from sophomore year, who made us do math in pen).

Papier Tigre Mesh Pencil Case: Something I’ve learned throughout high school is that you really don’t need a ton of different writing utensils everyday. I remember in ninth grade, I would carry around lots of different pens and pencils, when I really only used a handful of them consistently. I’ve since downsized to a select few favorites. The Papier Tigre Mesh Pencil Case is the perfect size to hold 4-5 pencils and a few highlighters and pens. It’s also long enough to hold new or freshly sharpened pencils with room to spare at the end for a sharpener and eraser.

As the proprietor of a pencil shop, it's my job to seek out high quality, unique, affordable pencils. We sell hundreds of types but the one that most people notice we're missing is the legendary Dixon Ticonderoga. This especially comes up during back-to-school season, when it tends to be the requested pencil type of a lot of school supply lists. 

The thing is, there are better pencils that don't have to be costly. I, like most children raised in the U.S. grew up using Ticonderogas, which were most definitely the best option at big box stores, especially for those of us in rural places (in my case, in southeast Ohio where Walmart was really the only option). In the early 2000s my mom discovered that the new matte black Ticonderogas, for some reason, was better than the yellow ones and that became the staple school pencil in our household. Since then, many things have changed. Dixon was acquired by a larger company and all of the production was moved out of the U.S. (namely to Mexico and Taiwan). Standards for the quality of the cedar changed, as did the cores of the pencils. Basically, the Ticonderoga isn't the pencil most people remember as being the best option. This is similar for a lot of classic pencils, like the Mongol and the Black Warrior--they might still be made elsewhere under the same name, but they're certainly not the same pencil. 

My point is, the Ticonderoga is a fine pencils, and especially in places like the town I grew up in, might still be the best, most accessible option. The thing is, though, we live in the internet era so we have access to countless alternative. I have a lot of personal opinions about shopping on Amazon (come on, I'm a small business owner) but it really is a valuable tool for things like this. 

Some of my recommendations for better school pencils are always the Palomino ForestChoice (which can be purchased in full gross boxes from pencils.com), the Moon Products Try-Rex, which is cheap and comes in three diameters, anything from Musgrave Pencil Company or the Nataraj 621 Pencil (if you're cool with having to put an eraser cap on it). If you're shopping at an office supply store or Target, look for Staedtler Noricas, which have great erasers and sharpen nicely. 

Having a better pencil is better for everyone--the parents who will subsequently have to buy less of them, the teachers who won't have to deal with classroom distractions due to broken and malfunctioning pencils and the students, who maybe won't hate having to write with them. 

This BTS season, let's share better pencils with the students and teachers in our lives because that's what they deserve. 

Photo: me in the shop with our giant Ticonderoga, which was generously gifted to us by a customer last year.