Author Topic: Pencil fetish (Read 71899 times)

Vince · « **Reply #125 on:** 21 November, 2013, 02:17:13 pm »

Thoughbut I think there must be some useful stuff in pages 20 to 206 which are missing.

Efrogwr · « **Reply #126 on:** 21 November, 2013, 03:45:00 pm »

Quote from: Ham on 21 November, 2013, 09:48:07 am

Does this belong here? Prompted by the thought "I really should start drawing again" after a hiatus of at least 10 years. As a result I re-found what is possibly my dirtiest little secret, 256 Shades of Grey

I say YES!, but it's Charlotte's thread... That is a sort of a variant pencil; it's made of the same stuff, but there's no wooden case.

Efrogwr · « **Reply #127 on:** 21 November, 2013, 03:46:47 pm »

In Swedish Woodcarving Techniques by Wille Sundqvist there is a section on sharpening pencils.

clarion · « **Reply #128 on:** 21 November, 2013, 03:48:30 pm »

The last entry reminds me of my favourite pencil - a cut-down carpenter's pencil.

Am I to be banned from this thread forever if I post a photo?

T42 · « **Reply #129 on:** 21 November, 2013, 04:46:03 pm »

Remember Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine: "a yellow Ticonderoga pencil and a new legal pad"? When I first visited SF in 1987 exactly those implements were provided for note-taking. My hosts were bemused by my pleasure at being provided with such common items of stationery, and even more so when I put the pencil away carefully and used my own pen. I brought a few back: here's the last of them (unless my wife still has one):

Quite the most handsome pencil I've come across.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #130 on:** 21 November, 2013, 04:58:03 pm »

Interesting that its marked HB Soft when HB is right in the middle of the standard scale.

Woofage · « **Reply #131 on:** 21 November, 2013, 05:04:44 pm »

Quote from: pcolbeck on 21 November, 2013, 04:58:03 pm

Interesting that its marked HB Soft when HB is right in the middle of the standard scale.

I thought that odd too.

I have in front of me a Faber Castell Grip pencil that is labelled 2=B. Grade 2 would suggest HB and that's what it feels like so I don't know why it's designated B.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #132 on:** 21 November, 2013, 05:12:29 pm »

Maybe its some weird old US scale that runs along side there current numbering one.

So

Current US scale =2
Current Euro scale = HB
Wierd old scale = soft

Would be an awkward scale though:

really really really hard
really really hard
really hard
hard
medium
soft
really soft
really really soft
really really really soft

Once you have sharpened your pencil a few times you would have lost half the scale words on the equivalent to an 5B

Ham · « **Reply #133 on:** 21 November, 2013, 05:31:29 pm »

Quote from: Wunja on 21 November, 2013, 02:17:13 pm

Thoughbut I think there must be some useful stuff in pages 20 to 206 which are missing.

You've missed the point

T42 · « **Reply #134 on:** 21 November, 2013, 06:14:08 pm »

Quote from: pcolbeck on 21 November, 2013, 04:58:03 pm

Interesting that its marked HB Soft when HB is right in the middle of the standard scale.

Yes. They are a bit on the soft side of HB at that, certainly softer than a Conté HB.

Efrogwr · « **Reply #135 on:** 21 November, 2013, 11:23:47 pm »

I have a vague recollection of reading somewhere that a Japanese company made pencils in half-grades: I must check.

Edited: The above is almost, but not quite entirely, incorrect. F/2.5 is the only half grade.

Meanwhile, please talk among yourselves, as I may be some time, and read The Pencil by Henry Petrosky (honest! It's a brilliant history, written by a Professor of engineering. He also wrote The Evolution of Useful Objects* and To Engineer Is Human).

* Which included The Paperclip... new thread, anyone?

Efrogwr · « **Reply #136 on:** 21 November, 2013, 11:27:33 pm »

Quote from: clarion on 21 November, 2013, 03:48:30 pm

The last entry reminds me of my favourite pencil - a cut-down carpenter's pencil.

Am I to be banned from this thread forever if I post a photo?

Is that a particular pencil, or a type of pencil?

clarion · « **Reply #137 on:** 22 November, 2013, 08:38:47 am »

Well, it's not a pencil belonging to a cut-down carpenter.

bumper · « **Reply #138 on:** 22 November, 2013, 01:18:25 pm »

As close as I could get with my iPhone

Andrij · « **Reply #139 on:** 22 November, 2013, 02:22:27 pm »

Oooh. Details, please.

bumper · « **Reply #140 on:** 22 November, 2013, 02:29:24 pm »

Quote from: Andrij on 22 November, 2013, 02:22:27 pm

Oooh. Details, please.

It's my Rotring Rapid Pro.

It replaced a Rotring 600 which didn't have the retractable lead sleeve, which I dropped and bent! This does however fully retract, making it pocket safe and sort of drop safe.

Andrij · « **Reply #141 on:** 22 November, 2013, 03:19:32 pm »

Quote from: bumper on 22 November, 2013, 02:29:24 pm

Quote from: Andrij on 22 November, 2013, 02:22:27 pm
Oooh. Details, please.

It's my Rotring Rapid Pro.

It replaced a Rotring 600 which didn't have the retractable lead sleeve, which I dropped and bent! This does however fully retract, making it pocket safe and sort of drop safe.

Thanks. There will be some pencil purchasing in my near future.

Efrogwr · « **Reply #142 on:** 22 November, 2013, 08:18:42 pm »

Quote from: clarion on 22 November, 2013, 08:38:47 am

Well, it's not a pencil belonging to a cut-down carpenter.

Touché.*

*(Mrs E found out how to put in accents this morning, and explained it to me).

clarion · « **Reply #143 on:** 23 November, 2013, 12:51:46 pm »

Can she teach me? Loads of people have tried, but I never quite got it

Marco Stefano · « **Reply #144 on:** 23 November, 2013, 01:02:26 pm »

Quote from: bumper on 22 November, 2013, 01:18:25 pm

As close as I could get with my iPhone

That's my daily use pencil with 0.7mm leads; I still use an organiser, of sorts, now more like a sectioned loose-leaf notebook, and these pencils are great for note taking & scribbling thoughts. So nice in the hand.

Ham · « **Reply #145 on:** 23 November, 2013, 01:44:30 pm »

Quote from: clarion on 23 November, 2013, 12:51:46 pm

Can she teach me? Loads of people have tried, but I never quite got it

I thought you were talking about that cut down carpenter and Karen for a moment, and the impossibility of being taught anything by her.

David Martin · « **Reply #146 on:** 23 November, 2013, 05:08:17 pm »

Heathen here - I have a box of recycled pencils - nice consistent cut and eco friendly. These are the dense plastic foam ones made from old CDs. HB.

Efrogwr · « **Reply #147 on:** 24 November, 2013, 12:22:40 am »

Quote from: clarion on 23 November, 2013, 12:51:46 pm

Can she teach me? Loads of people have tried, but I never quite got it

Do You use a Mac?

perpetual dan · « **Reply #148 on:** 24 November, 2013, 01:54:43 pm »

You've got me at it now! I've been eyeing up a Caran d'Ache Fixpencil 3.

little miss mac · « **Reply #149 on:** 24 November, 2013, 09:05:44 pm »

And me. I've just spent the last hour on this site, being overwhelmed by WANT: http://www.cultpens.com/