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Musgrave 90th Anniversary pencil

Musgrave 90th Anniversary pencil

We are late by two years – the Musgrave Pencil Company’s 90th anniversary was in 2006. Yet, it was still a true delight to recently receive a box of Musgrave’s 90th anniversary pencils.

Round pencils, they have gold coloured ferrules, with white erasers. All have dyed wood – red, green, or yellow, with corresponding varnish.

The pencils are marked:


Musgrave Pencil Company Inc.
90th Anniversary
1916-2006

Among the American pencil companies, I think Musgrave must be acknowledged to have an advantage in lead quality. The Musgrave HB is possibly the sole American pencil in the same league with the top pencils from the rest of the world. The situation is all very strange – by some measures, Musgrave is a “small business”, yet (and tell me if you think I am wrong!), the quality of their best pencils surpasses those of Sanford and Dixon.

Musgrave 90th Anniversary pencil

The quality of the 90th Anniversary pencil seems to be even better than that of the HB – the lead is even smoother in a side-by-side comparison. The round vs. hexagonal shape is obviously a personal preference. Musgrave has pulled out all the stops for their Anniversary pencil!

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Goukaku pencil

Goukaku enpitsu

Here is a fascinating and mysterious pencil. Take a close look – it is a gold pentagonal pencil!

Goukaku enpitsu

If this explanation has errors, please forgive me. Any errors are on my part.

Some Japanese-English vocabulary:

?? – Goukaku – to pass an examination

?? – Gokaku – pentagon

This pencil is thus a visual pun!

Goukaku enpitsu

My sincere thanks to isu of the uncomfortable chair for this unique pencil and assistance in unravelling the hidden meaning!

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Mucu Type RN-B Notebook

Mucu Type RN-B Notebook

This is a super-lightweight yet fun and practical notebook.

Made of cardboard with paper that is called “comic” (from comic books?), it has a bright removable elastic band.

It has that look of a found or reclaimed object, though there is clearly quite a bit of design in this functional notebook. It may be part of a larger movement that seems focused on used basic materials, yet incorporating design principles.

Mucu Type RN-B Notebook

The paper takes pencil without problem. A Pilot Petit1 fountain pen saturated the page to the other side, though didn’t noticeably feather.

The pages are ring-bound.

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Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05 pencil sharpener

Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05 pencil sharpener

Finally – a modern design aesthetic applied to the desktop pencil sharpener!

The Bungu Ryodo BR-05 from Carl is a marvel – it costs less than some handheld sharpeners from Faber-Castell and KUM – and it performs amazingly well and has a compelling modern design.

Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05 pencil sharpener

The mechanism is easily understood, and offers two point choices – blunt or sharp. Both are in the “wow” category compared to most available sharpeners. The pencil shavings are held in a removable tray.

Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05 pencil sharpener

The little touches are just amazing – the point adjustor switch itself looks like a pencil crown – there are tactile dots on the grip points – every small detail has a consistent look.

Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05 pencil sharpener

Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05 pencil sharpener

Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05 pencil sharpener

Did I mention that the retail price is $21?

I find it to be just amazing. The pencil is inserted and clamped, and the handle is rotated. Sharpen, and you’re done when there is no feedback pressure. That’s it.

Here are the results with both ‘sharp’ and ‘blunt’ sharpenings:

Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05 pencil sharpener

It has a single rotary blade cylinder which is applied against the pencil. I don’t know how long the blade will stay sharp. The sharpener is lightweight, and the whole unit has to be gripped while sharpening, unless it is attached to a desk surface. It does have clamping-capable infrastructure, though no clamping hardware is supplied with the unit.

Carl Bungu Ryodo BR-05 pencil sharpener

It is definitely a functional office accessory that also looks great.

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