Happy Hallowe’en!
This year, neighborhood kids will be getting a few Hallowe’en pencils. (Don’t worry, I’m not cruel – this is in addition to the usual chocolates and such.)
The themed pencils came from a promotional offer at pencils.com.
Spielen & Lernen 2008
I’m not sure how a German language pencil catalogue landed at a “Sears” store in Canada, but so be it. This is Faber-Castell’s catalogue for their children’s line.
Here are a few interesting things I noticed:
* Several varieties/extensions of the “Grip” line – including a compass, and several colour pencil sets.
* A Jumbo Grip variant with colour chalk cores that can be used on a chalkboard!
* A nice kit including a fountain pen, pencil, tub of plasticine, and other fun items.
* New sharpeners and erasers.
* A new “Perfect Pencil” version priced at 2.95 Euros. That’s much better than the existing green plastic version, though the clip appears to have become plastic. (Have any of our readers in Europe seen one yet?)
* A red fabric foldable pencil case/box.
Pencil Boxes (IV) – the KUM Nic Nac Box
A late addition to our series on pencil boxes, the Nic Nac Box is a less known offering from sharpener manufacturer KUM.
A plastic box in light tinted blue, the removable lid becomes a standalone ruler. While on the box, a sliding overlay with a window supports looking up a multiplication table.
There is also a built-in sharpener, appropriate for a KUM product.
The box contains twelve pencils, six in black, six in red. The red ones are factory sharpened. All have nice matte finishes. Unfortunately, the lead seems to be a bit scratchy.
Overall, the box has quite a lot of charm, and would be a nice gift for a young person.
My thanks to Gunther for assistance in acquiring this pencil set.
Related posts:
Pencil Boxes (I) – Neiman Marcus
Fila Electrographic 203 pencil
The Fila Electrographic 203 is an exceptional pencil.
Made by Fila in Firenze (Florence), Italy, the pencil has an unrounded hexagonal shape and an outstanding fire engine red finish. The lead is like that of the cousin IBM Electrographic – leaving an extremely dense, rich, saturated black line.
The lead is of such high quality that it makes most competitors seem lacking.
I’ve been comparing it with top modern pencils such as the Pentel Black Polymer 999, and subjective observation suggests it is at least as good at most tasks.
Combined with the outstanding finish, the pencil is a true standout!
Rakuten?
Just curious – has anyone (who doesn’t speak Japanese) succeeded in ordering something via Rakuten?
The website looks promising – there is a virtual Valhalla of pencils and stationery awaiting – yet after several attempts, I can’t navigate my way to the international shipping option.
Kikkerland Break Off Pencil Block
Here is something new – five jumbo pencils still joined at the seam, as if the pencil factory stopped production before the final steps.
The package says the pencils are made in China, from “sustainable forest linden wood”.
The idea has great potential, but there is a practical problem. A pencil breaks off easily – but leaves a sharp edge with splinters on both sides. Users risk cuts and splinters. I would say these are definitely not child-safe. Probably sandpaper could correct the problem – but that’s not a realistic solution for many. Too bad, they look great.
In the International Arrivals sharpener, the pencil is carved to a substantial blunt point. The lead is not rough, yet very faint for an oversize lead. This makes the pencil an even more unusual offering.
Though the concept is interesting, breaking apart one’s own pencils from carved slats clearly has some issues.