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Caran d’Ache Tricolor pencil

Caran d'Ache Tricolor pencil

The Caran d’Ache Tricolor is another vintage multipencil, no less complicated than the pencil in the previous post.

Caran d'Ache Tricolor pencil

Gold-plated, the cap is inscribed “Plaqué D’or”.

Caran d'Ache Tricolor pencil

Caran d'Ache Tricolor pencil

It is a leadholder with three (graphite, red, blue) inserts.

Caran d'Ache Tricolor pencil

Instructions are always good, but warnings in special red ink can be a bit scary.

Caran d'Ache Tricolor pencil

Caran d'Ache Tricolor pencil

(Non-literal translation: If you break a lead, you’re on your own.)

Basically, there are three lead collets (“collet” is the term used in the manufacturer literature) within the pencil. Pushing the cap and holding the pencil upside down retracts the extended collet, and makes the pencil pocket safe.

To select the lead colour, and I’m not kidding here, you try and aim the appropriate colour dot on the pencil upwards, and eject the collet as if it was a lead in a regular leadholder. It works some of the time.

Caran d'Ache Tricolor pencil

Lead advancement is like other clutch pencils.

To replace a lead (1.18mm), you eject the appropriate collet as far as it will go, and attempt to detach and replace the lead (and colour leads will be brittle) without breaking the lead or warping the collet. The collets have a very tight grip on the existing leads, so I can’t see how one would replace a lead without using external force – like a knife blade – to open up to collet. And – that force might very well distort the collet. But maybe I’m just thinking negatively.

Caran d'Ache Tricolor pencil

Like the Faber-Castell multipencil, the Tricolor has many charms and is an attractive pencil. As well, it reminds one to appreciate modern conveniences.

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Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

Sorry for recent website outages – some rough weather was playing havoc with local power on the weekend.

Today, let’s reach way back in the pencil cupboard and pull out a vintage multipencil. This particular one has four colours. Thanks to leadholder.com’s archives, I can see that this pencil appeared on page 47 of Faber-Castell’s 1957 catalogue. Silver-plated, it originally sold for 11.50 DM. A sterling version was 18 DM.

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

Thank goodness this pencil came with a manual!

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

The first thing I learned is that the cap can be depressed/released to reveal bands indicating the colour of choice. Twist the cap to align the color band with the clip, and the colour is changed.

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

I was pleasantly surprised that these perhaps fifty year old leads write so richly.

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

The manual revealed another surprise: There is a spare lead set under the cap.

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

So how do you advance the lead? Here’s where modern pencils show an advantage – you have to extend the mechanism with one hand, and grasp the lead clutch with the other – and twist the clutch clockwise to extend the lead. I kept looking at the manual and the pencil and saying to myself, “this can’t be right”, but, it worked and that’s how the lead is ejected:

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

How would you replace a lead? Essentially, by performing the reverse of the lead advance, screwing in the replacement lead with counter-clockwise twisting. I haven’t done this, and good grief, don’t look forward to trying it. Colour leads are typically brittle, and I suspect that this would be very challenging.

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

One other interesting aspect – this pencil uses indelible (copying) lead that contains aniline dye, so the required manual manipulation of the lead is definitely undesirable from a safety perspective.

Faber-Castell 33/78 four colour pencil

While it has many charms, for me, the operation is too problematic for this to become a daily use pencil.

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Pentel woodcase pencils

Pentel woodcase pencils

Though Pentel may be known for mechanical pencils and lead refills, their woodcase pencil products are equally outstanding.

In our lineup today, we have:

  • Pentel Mark Sheet Pencil
  • Pentel Tuff Pencil
  • Pentel Black Polymer 999 Copyist
  • Pentel Black Polymer 999
  • Pentel Black Polymer 999? (999 alpha)

    • The Pentel Mark Sheet pencil is Pentel’s entry in the test scoring category. In HB, the pencil is dark blue with silver lettering. The cap is dark yellow/light orange. As a pencil, it is astounding. It sharpens easily, and writes incredibly smoothly, leaving an extremely deep, rich, saturated line – that is also erasable.

    Pentel woodcase pencils

    The pencil was not an entrant in last year’s test of the top Japanese pencils, but it might have been a contender. It is just amazing!

    The TUFF pencil is a mystery to me. In grade H, it writes very nicely. I think it would be extremely satisfactory for someone seeking a pencil that keeps a sharp point, and writes smoothly, with a line as dark as most mainstream HB pencils.

    Pentel woodcase pencils

    Next, we have a turquoise version of the Pentel Black Polymer 999. The pencil has a turquoise finish and Japanese language text. Automatic translations of Pentel literature call this a “pencil for copyist” or “copyist pencil”. Perhaps someone can advise?

    The space for a name on the side of the pencil suggests it is for students.

    What I do know is – it is a fantastic pencil! The smooth writing qualities just amazed me. It’s nice on cream paper, but on a white paper like Clairefontaine or Rhodia, the dark rich graphite just pops! My only reservation is the turquoise colouring, which I am not sure I like.

    Pentel woodcase pencils

    The “regular” Pentel Black Polymer 999 in HB is another well known top pencil. My growing impression is that it trades just a bit of smoothness for deep blackness, without the production of crumbles. The 4B in the series is quite amazing, creating super saturated black lines. What’s in the pencil? Is it a “polymer lead”? Stay tuned … I think we’ll learn more in the future.

    Pentel woodcase pencils

    The Pentel Black Polymer 999? is the top of the line. In H, it would be fine on bright white apper. I think it is quite a bit smoother than the TUFF, the other H grade pencil. It also boasts an extremely nice black lacquered finish. Though there is too much text for my taste, it is a very classy looking pencil.

    Pentel woodcase pencils

    We’ve heard that Pentel isn’t a woodcase pencil manufacturer per se – they subcontract their production. What can we say? Well done! The only possible criticism I can think of is that they don’t have as full a range of grades as their competitors. But everything they have done is first-rate.

    Pentel woodcase pencils

    The online Pentel 2009 catalogue shows the Pentel Black Polymer 999, Pentel Black Polymer 999 Copyist, and Pentel Mark Sheet Pencils. The others may be discontinued.

    Name Slogan Model Bar Code JIS symbol
    Mark Sheet the best quality for OCR sheet marking CBM10 yes no
    TUFF HI-QUALITY CB6 yes yes
    Black Polymer 999 * CB1 no no
    Black Polymer 999 the highest quality for general use CB100 yes no
    Black Polymer 999? supreme quality for drawing lines of high density CB200 no yes

    Pentel woodcase pencils

    Nice pencils, Pentel!

    The pencils were shown on a Mateo Ilasco No. 309 “Blueprint” notepad, and sharpened with a Carl Decade DE-100 sharpener.

    My thanks to isu from the uncomfortable chair for kindly sending me the majority of these pencils.

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    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    The leadholders

    From Koh-I-Noor we have the Toison D’Or 5900 and 5608 2.0mm leadholders. In an accompanying role are Koh-I-Noor colour leads.

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    The 5900 is a leadholder which seems to be modelled on the Toison d’Or woodcase pencil. The weight and hardness of the body suggest metal composition, but I could be wrong.

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    It has a clip stamped “Koh-I-Noor”. The clip edges are rough to the touch, and appear very cheap.

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    The cap unscrews and revels four extended blades which form a sharpener. Clever, it works, though not as well as a standard format sharpener.

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    The 5608 (top photo) is something new. Sleek and svelte, it is really a 2.0mm mechanical pencil in a very portable format. The Toison d’Or’s awkward stamping is replaced with a retro rendering of the Koh-I-Noor name. Nice!

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    It also has a cap with a four-blade sharpener. Unfortunately, there is a problem. The 5608’s sharpener can’t sharpen the pencil’s lead since the pencil lacks the ability to grip the lead during sharpening – the lead just spins and spins around. Other blog posts have noted that this problem is shared with other large diameter lead mechanical pencils. This also prohibits the lead from being sharpener with other sharpeners while the lead remains in the pencil.

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    The leads

    Colour lead in wide lead sizes (2.0, 3.15, and 5.6 mm diameters) can be a great joy – easy to use, and allowing great control. Unfortunately, it can also be hard to find and expensive.

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    Koh-I-Noor’s leads were a delight to discover, due to the range of colours and the richness of the lines.

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    For a few days, I thought I had discovered an exceptional stationery item.

    Sample marks on both a toothy artist paper from Canson, and a Marumann notebook:

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    Koh-I-Noor 2.0mm leadholders and colour leads

    Then something happened. A lead snapped, jamming the containing leadholder. While I’m not an expert, I know this is very odd – leadholders have very simple mechanisms – they are essentially a “clutch” surrounding a tube for the lead – and they don’t jam. Then another leadholder jammed. Something was very odd about this lead.

    I thought the 5608 might be a great document review pencil with a blue lead – but to my frustration, the lead wouldn’t go in the pencil. That was the clue and the answer – this wasn’t really 2.0mm lead!

    I took out the micrometer, and a few samples of Koh-I-Noor lead averaged 2.13mm in diameter. For a reference, I tried measuring a Mitsubishi Uni lead sample – that was 2.01mm.

    The Koh-I-Noor lead is significantly off specification! It won’t fit even in the manufacturer’s own pencil – nor can the lead fit in standard KUM/Staedtler/Faber-Castell lead sharpeners (I have tried). It further creates complications in standard 2.0mm leadholders.

    Though the colours are nice, I am very disappointed with this offering. Koh-I-Noor is a mainstay of drafting, drawing, and writing supplies that I admire, but it looks like the design department got the whole budget for these products, while engineering was neglected.

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