Hurrah For The Pencil

I have always loved pencils, probably because I like to write. It was difficult for me to graduate to the ink pen because I like being able to edit my words at any given time. I grew up in the era of no computers so the eraser was the first delete button.

My very favorite pencil was made by a company called, The Empire. They had wonderful square erasers and I haven’t been able to find them in years. I have half of one that I have saved mostly so I can show people trying to find more of them. The reason they are so wonderful is because the eraser is a bit bigger than the regular cylinder shaped ones you mostly see so they last much longer.

Perhaps they went out of fashion because the fit on erasers don’t work with them. In most cases you didn’t have to have them anyway because they last longer. Maybe the price of rubber went up. Who knows? And seriously, they have made the fit on erasers so inferior they crack down the side and don’t stay on anyway.

Here are some pictures of cool pencils with larger eraser:

http://www.brandnamepencils.com/types/oversized_ferrule.shtml


I prefer to write with pencils when the tip is slightly rounded, about half way down. Too sharp and it pokes holes in your paper. Too flat and it doesn’t work so well either.

I carry a short pencil in my purse at all times to write in my date book. I know some of y’all have moved on to the electronic gadgets and I do use my cell phone for reminders but one time my PDA bit the dust and ate all my data so I no longer trust electronic gadgets to store all of my information.

I tried carrying a mechanical pencil and do have some I keep at home but find the points a bit too sharp for my taste.

You are probably asking yourself, “Is she really writing an entire blog about pencils?” Actually… yes.

And just when you thought I had said all there was to say about the wooden writing tool, here is more. Did you know you can do an eraser transplant? Yes you can. You will need a pair of needle nose pliers, a pencil that is too short but has a good eraser and a long pencil with the eraser down to the nub. I should really do a video for this to show you properly but oh well.

With the tip of the pliers pull the metal away from the bad eraser all around until it falls out. Do the same with the good one. Match up the good eraser with the good pencil, squeeze the metal closed with your pliers and voila you have a good pencil.

If you find a pencil under the couch and the eraser has dried out and not working anymore, take an emery board or piece of fine grade sand paper and gently rough up all sides. It will now work good as new.

Here’s an entire forum just for pencils:

http://www.penciltalk.org/comments-and-questions

If you think I’m obsessed, this guy writes every blog about pencils. He is truly a pencilphile. If that isn’t a real word it should be. Write that down.

http://www.pencilrevolution.com/2006/01/