What really makes this pencil so great: The red end cap.

Pencil Revisited: The Caran d'Ache Swiss Wood

September 30, 2015

Update to Review as of August 10, 2020. See bolded text throughout for details.

I've intended to write a more in-depth review of the Caran d'Ache Swiss Wood pencil for a while now. It's recently exploded in popularity, so much that they're difficult to get a hold of, and many retailers have raised the price. [UPDATE: Not anymore! As of 2020, Caran d’Ache sells multiple versions of the Swiss Wood, which I now stock in the T.G.S. Curated Shop.] What makes this pencil so great? So great, in fact, that it really has been the only pencil that I've used regularly for the past few months?

What I like:

The weight. This is a hefty piece of wood. The marketing copy describes it as dark brown Swiss Beech wood from the Jura forest, but I wonder whether the wood has been dyed that dark brown color. Other products made from beech wood don't have that extremely dark-chocolatey hue, and the soy-sauce/chocolate/earthy smell doesn't exactly smell like wood. But anyway, this pencil is solid, and has near-perfect balance, even without an eraser.

The end cap. Speaking of no eraser, the end cap on this pencil is painted red with the white Swiss Cross. Enough said.

Point Retention. Point retention on this pencil is exceptional. If I had to point to one particular selling point, this would be it. People may ask, "why on early would you spend upwards of $5 on a single pencil," but the Swiss Wood seemingly writes forever. Caran d'Ache has marked the core as an HB, but to me it's a shade lighter and harder (probably more like an "H"). For textured paper (like that found in the Baron Fig notebooks), it's perfect, because it leaves a legible line without forcing you to sharpen your pencil every two pages. Yesterday I wrote three single-spaced pages in a dot-grid Baron Fig Confidant and still had a nearly intact long point on the pencil. The lighter graphite also doesn't ghost or smear.

The point on a Swiss Wood Pencil lasts forever. You can also see the size difference between the Swiss Wood (on the right), and the Black Wood (on the left). For it's size and hardness, the Black Wood doesn't do a bad job with point retention, eithe… — The point on a Swiss Wood Pencil lasts forever. You can also see the size difference between the Swiss Wood (on the right), and the Black Wood (on the left). For it's size and hardness, the Black Wood doesn't do a bad job with point retention, either.

What I don't like.

"Don't like" is a bit strong for what has become one of my favorite pencils. The lack of general availability can make this pencil hard to use at times, though I'm trying to master my fear of not using my favorite products just because the manufacturer might discontinue them. I have four or five of these pencils, which should last me a good long while. A few more "cons" (though they're pretty nitpicky):

Darkness. Compared to a pencil like the Caran d'Ache Black Wood, the graphite in the Swiss Wood can be too light for some everyday uses. When marking up or annotating documents at work, the Swiss Wood can be borderline illegible for some people. I typically use a pen (with red ink) to mark stuff up, so this isn't a huge deal for me. At the end of the day, every pencil has tradeoffs in this regard: you sacrifice darkness for point retention, and sacrifice point retention for darkness. The point retention on this pencil is so good, and it works so well in my Baron Fig (my preferred pencil paper), that I'm willing to give up some darkness, even though I generally favor 2B pencils.

[Update: As of 2020, Caran d’Ache apparently has changed the graphite in the Swiss Wood to make it write darker, akin to the Black Wood, which has now been discontinued.]

Compare the darkness of the Swiss Wood vs. the Black Wood pencil, which is a "mini-jumbo" pencil with a softer, darker core. The paper is laid cream-colored paper from Papier Plus in Paris.

Price. I feel like I have to mention price again. This is an expensive pencil. One of the most expensive that I own. If the "burn rate" on this pencil was higher, and it didn't last as long as it does, it wouldn't be worth the price to me.

From left to right:  Koh-I-Noor Triograph (this super-jumbo triangular pencil is the only one I've found that won't fit); Caran d'Ache Blackwood; Musgrave Cub; and Ticonderoga Laddie. — From left to right: Koh-I-Noor Triograph (this super-jumbo triangular pencil is the only one I've found that won't fit); Caran d'Ache Blackwood; Musgrave Cub; and Ticonderoga Laddie.

Classroom Friendly Supplies: Jumbo Sharpener Review

February 21, 2015

Not much needs to be said about this beauty. I'm an unabashed fan of jumbo and mini-jumbo pencils, especially round ones, because I find that they can be much more comfortable to hold for long stretches of time than the standard No. 2. The drawback is that it's extremely difficult to find a sharpener that fits a larger pencil, and the ones that do put a short, stubby point on the pencil that lasts for about 10 minutes. I'm here to tell you that Classroom-Friendly Supplies has solved that problem.

Classroom Friendly Supplies is a company operated by teachers, formed with the purpose of selling high quality, relatively quiet pencil sharpeners at a reasonable price. Sick of those wall-mounted and/or electric sharpeners that don't sharpen properly and eat your pencils? I hated those things when I was in school. (And, apparently, teachers hate them because they are extremely loud.) Classroom Friendly Supplies offers two models: a sharpener for standard-girth pencils (reviewed here at Pencil Revolution), and the version that I'm reviewing here, which is the jumbo sharpener (technically called the "Large Hole Sharpener"). The standard version is made out of metal, the jumbo out of plastic, and both operate via the same slide-out-the-faceplate, insert-pencil-into-grip, and crank method that does a great job of not only forming very sharp points but preserves your pencils by doing only as much sharpening as is necessary.

While you can use the Classroom Friendly Jumbo Sharpener to sharpen regular pencils, it does not produce the satisfyingly long point that the regular Classroom Friendly Sharpener does.  Here you can see the Jumbo Sharpener loaded with a pencil,… — While you can use the Classroom Friendly Jumbo Sharpener to sharpen regular pencils, it does not produce the satisfyingly long point that the regular Classroom Friendly Sharpener does. Here you can see the Jumbo Sharpener loaded with a pencil, ready to go. Just crank!

Takeaways

Classroom Friendly sharpeners are great products. I have two of them, and love them. The standard model that I have was purchased with my own funds, and I've been using it for a couple years. In the interest of full disclosure, this jumbo model was provided to me free of charge for review purposes by Classroom Friendly Supplies. All of their sharpeners can be purchased directly through their website for the very reasonable price of $24.99 each, and I believe there are also educator and volume discounts available. If you wear out your sharpener (which I imagine would take quite a while), you can also purchase replacement parts. Classroom Friendly Supplies has generously allowed me to use an affiliate link here, so if you want to purchase a high-quality sharpener, and do so through this blog, I will receive a small commission.

From left to right: Caran d'Ache Technograph, Grafik, Swiss Wood, and Black Wood pencils.

Pencils of Caran d'Ache

February 10, 2015

The purpose of this review is to convince you to spend $40 on four pencils made from exotic wood.

Just kidding (well, mostly), because I’m not quite at that point myself, but I’m beginning to get why Caran d’Ache seems to be so successful with their luxury line. For the past couple of weeks I’ve had the pleasure of using a selection of Caran d’Ache pencils, each of which is relatively expensive as far as pencils go (in the $1.00-3.50 per pencil range), and I’ve enjoyed spending some time with them. [2020 Update: Five years later, I’m well past that point. Not only do I own multiple sets of their limited edition pencils, but I’ve now chosen to sell them. Apparently I’m not the only one willing to shell out for these!]

Caran d’Ache is a Swiss company that manufactures fine writing and art supplies. Founded in 1915, the company takes its name from the pen name of the 19th Century French satirist and cartoonist, Emmanuel Poiré, who it turn took his pseudonym from the Russian word for pencil, karandash. In the U.S. (where I'm located), Caran d’Ache is best known for its drawing pencils (both graphite and color), and in fountain pen circles the company is highly regarded for its fountain pens and writing inks.

I have had very little experience with Caran d’Ache products until recently. I’ve used fountain pens since I was in college, but I’ve never been tempted by the Caran d’Ache line of inks, finding them too pricey for what I’d consider the wrong reason. They run $32 for a 50ml bottle of ink, with most of the premium price apparently going towards the design and construction of the bottle itself. The prices of their pens also run high, with most exceeding the $220 market for a pen with a steel nib. On the pencil side, Caran d’Ache has received a lot of attention for their special edition “Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache” series, which is a pack of four pencils made from exotic woods that retails for $30.

Given my limited blog budget as of late, I decided to try some of their standard pencils instead. I picked four: (1) the Black Wood, which is a matte-black “mini-jumbo” sized pencil in which the wood itself is also dyed black with ink; (2) the Swiss Wood, which is made from Swiss beech taken from the Jura forest (per information released by the company); (3) the Grafik, a textured pencil which appears to be Caran d’Ache’s answer to the Faber Castell Grip 9000; and (4) the Technograph, best described as a high quality standard yellow pencil (with no eraser).

Here are my thoughts after spending a week or so with these pencils:

Pros:

Caran d’Ache makes very high quality pencils. The pencils all sharpen well to a good point. The finish is also nice, and the end cap on the Swiss Wood pencil is dipped in red and marked with the white cross of the Swiss flag. I would characterize the Black Wood, Swiss Wood, and Technograph as “luxury” pencils on par with the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni and Palomino lines, in terms of finish and smoothness of the graphite.
The Black Wood and the Swiss Wood pencils have excellent weight and balance. I typically have an issue with using pencils that do not have erasers, since I find them too light and uncomfortable to write with. The Black Wood and the Swiss Wood are so heavy that I don’t notice they are eraserless. The Grafik and Technograph are both standard weight, and therefore a touch too light for me.
Point retention on all of these pencils is excellent, and you can go a long time between sharpenings. I’ve been journalling with a Black Wood in a Baron Fig Confidant (which has textured paper), and I can go a full 2-3 pages without having to sharpen that pencil. Using the Swiss Wood at work, I’ve made it almost half a day on a single sharpening. The other side of point retention, however, is lighter graphite, which many will find to be a drawback (see below).

Cons:

Price. These pencils aren’t cheap. The Swiss Wood costs $5.45 for a single pencil. That’s not outrageous: the pencil costs approximately the same as two special edition Palomino Blackwings, and due to the relative hardness of the lead, it will probably take me twice as long to use up as a Blackwing. In the end, I think I’ll come out even. The Black Wood also runs at $3.50; the Technograph at $3.00, and the Grafik at $1.40.
Darkness. When evaluating a pencil, many people value darkness of the graphite above all else. Caran D’Ache pencils contain a lighter grade of graphite than most Americans are probably used to. The difference in graphite is particularly noticeable in the Swiss Wood pencil, which is marked HB, but I would peg at the equivalent of a No. 2.5 or No. 3 pencil. I’m tempted to describe the grade as “German HB,” but I think it’s even lighter than a Staedtler Noris or Wopex. Part of me wonders whether Caran d’Ache did this intentionally, knowing that purchasers of their “luxury wood” pencils would want them to last longer.

A comparison of the Caran d'Ache pencils against some others in my collection. I would compare the Swiss Wood to the classic Faber Castell American #2 pencil (a personal favorite), though perhaps a shade lighter and much smoother. The others are pro… — A comparison of the Caran d'Ache pencils against some others in my collection. I would compare the Swiss Wood to the classic Faber Castell American #2 pencil (a personal favorite), though perhaps a shade lighter and much smoother. The others are probably most comparable to the Field Notes pencil, though again, the graphite on the CdA pencils is much smoother and less scratchy, as one would expect from a pencil in this price range.

Takeaways.

Of the four pencils I have reviewed, the Swiss Wood and the Black Wood pencils are my favorites, and I will probably add a few more of each to my stash. Of the other two, the Technograph wins out over the Grafik, but I’m not sure either differentiates itself enough from the less expensive pencils I have in my collection to warrant stocking up.

Disclaimer: As of August 2020, I am an authorized retailer of Caran d’Ache, with the Swiss Wood pencils available for purchase as single pencils or as part of a three-pencil Gift Set.

Twist Bullet Pencil: The Review

January 7, 2015

After enjoying some time off, I'm opening 2015 re-energized and with a pile of new projects sitting on my desk waiting to make their way onto this blog, or somewhere. First up: my new bullet pencils. Last month I provided a quick overview of a vintage bullet pencil I purchased courtesy of Huckleberry Woodchuck, because I just couldn’t wait for the Twist to arrive. Later that week, the Twist showed up. So, now I have two attractive bullet pencils that have revolutionized my pocket carry. One of these two pencils has been my go-to daily writing instrument for the past two weeks, and they're pretty much all I've used in my Field Notes.

Bullet pencils, vintage and modern.  The Twist Bullet Pencil (pictured at bottom) is the red anodized aluminum model with a pointed brass bullet. — Bullet pencils, vintage and modern. The Twist Bullet Pencil (pictured at bottom) is the red anodized aluminum model with a pointed brass bullet.

Thoughts on Bullet Pencils in General

I appreciate the form factor of the bullet pencil. As noted in my earlier post, it’s difficult to emphasize how small and light these are when closed: perfect for jeans pockets (or the pocket of farm/work coveralls, as they were originally intended). The Twist is slightly larger than the vintage bullet (especially if you opted for the pointed tip—more on that below), but still small enough to be compact and true to the original. When in extended "writing mode," I’ve also found bullet pencils to be comfortable writing instruments for everything from short jottings in my Field Notes to longer notes on telephone calls at work.

Even with a well loved pencil nub, the Twist bullet pencil extends to a fairly comfortable size for all kinds of writing.

Background of "The Twist"

The Twist Bullet Pencil is a Kickstarter collaboration between Jay Smith (a/k/a Huckleberry Woodchuck) and Jon Fontane of Metal Shop CT. Huckleberry Woodchuck first became known for the restored vintage bullet pencils he sells, first in his Etsy Shop, and now via his own website where he offers not only bullet pencils and refills but hand sewn handkerchiefs and other products. Jon Fontane is the proprietor of Metal Shop CT, which designs and manufactures machined metal goods such as bottle openers, keychains, and belt buckles (and lately I’ve also noticed some Huckleberry Woodchuck products).

A full discussion of the history of the project can be found on the project’s Kickstarter page (link here), but in short Jon and Jay set out to offer a modernized version of the classic bullet pencil, and in the process make it easier to carry a pencil as your daily writer. I’m an unabashed pen guy—I nearly always have one or more fountain pens in my briefcase, and if I’m wearing a jacket, one in my pocket. But if you’re just going to run out in jeans with a pocket notebook and don’t want to carry a bag, it’s hard to beat the bullet pencil. You can carry a “shorty” pencil nub with a plastic cap, but I’ve never found really short pencils comfortable to write with, and the bullet pencil allows you to take the "shorty" and use it as a full-size writing implement. No longer do you have to throw out those pencil nubs after they’ve become too short to hold. I’m starting a bag of them, myself.

The Build Quality

The brass "bullet" is well-machined, and the threads seem to be cut with precision.  Word of caution:  the bullet tip is sharp. — The brass "bullet" is well-machined, and the threads seem to be cut with precision. Word of caution: the bullet tip is *sharp*.

The body of the Twist is made from machined aluminum, and the work is high quality. I would rank it up there with my machined pens from Karas Kustoms. The “bullet” is either aluminum or brass, and is especially nice to look at, with a band of knurling around the middle, nice sharply cut threads, and a sharp point on the tip. No, really, if you’re into the whole “my pen/pencil needs to double as a tactical weapon” thing, I can see ways in which you could use the Twist to do some serious damage. I won’t be carrying this one on an airplane anytime soon, and may purchase a pencil with a rounded tip for travel purposes. Note that the brass adds some weight to the pencil. If you like a very light writing instrument, go with aluminum.

The Twist ships with three Palomino Blackwing 602 Pencil Stubs and a spare eraser. The Blackwing 602 is a great all-around pencil, striking the perfect balance between point retention and darkness. I have a Palomino Forest Choice stub that I’ve been hanging on to for about a year, and I imagine that will be the next to make it’s way into the bullet pencil. The eraser is white, works well, and even with fairly heavy use is only slightly worn so far.

The Verdict

If you've been looking for a practical way to introduce pencils into your daily carry or workflow, look no further. The Twist bullet pencil is a sturdy writing implement that revives a classic piece of Americana, is convenient to use and carry, and also makes a great conversation piece. Available now from MetalShopCT, starting at $37.50.

Pencil Cornucopia!

December 28, 2014

Happy Holidays everyone! I fully intended to get this post up a couple days earlier, but I've been laid up with the worst cold I've had in several years, and haven't been able to do much of anything. In the meantime, however, I've been spending some time with the Twist Bullet Pencil (verdict: It's awesome!) as well as the Erasable Podcast Pencil Assortment Promo pack that was temporarily available from Notegeist. There were some great pencils in there.

Coming later this week will be a review of the Twist, and also some links to the On Fountain Pens "Twelve Days of Christmas" series, in which I will be participating. Stay tuned!