As part of my “10 Years” of TGS retrospective, I wanted to overhaul and fill out what I’ve called the “Best Pens” list, though by adding mechanical pencils and woodcase pencils to our comprehensive list of recommendations I probably should try to name it something else. (Another project for another day!) As of this morning, the list now features a series of woodcase pencil recommendations. These aren’t necessarily lists of “my favorite” pencils, but rather the pencils I’m comfortable recommending to those looking for an everyday user, or for those looking to try out quality pencils for the first time. You can check out the full list here, but the pencils that ended up in the pencil section include:
The Tombow 2558, which I consider the best all-around “yellow/orange No. 2 office pencil,” with an outstanding eraser.
The Caran d’Ache “Edelweiss” series, which comes in either HB or 3B hardnesses and costs less than $1.
The Musgrave Tennessee Red or Tennessee Round, which is the only pencil I’m aware of currently made from Eastern Red Cedar, and certainly the most “aromatic” of the group.
The Blackwing 602 or Blackwing Natural, which feature the “firm” and “extra firm” graphite formulations that probably work best for most people.
The Uni Hi-Uni 2B, which I consider the premiere Japanese graphite pencil in terms of wood, graphite core, and lacquer finish. If you’re a fan of lacquer-capped (no eraser) pencils, it doesn’t get much better than this.
For an interesting comparison, see this “Top 5 Pencils for Everyday Writing” list I did back in 2016. There’s still some overlap, but a few of the pencils on this original list are either no longer widely available or have experienced a manufacturing change.
A note on Recommendation lists and how they relate to the T.G.S. Shop
For each entry on the list, I typically link to a review that I’ve done of the product, and then provide a link where the product can be purchased. For many of the pens and pencils that appear on the list, that link is now to our own store. I do want to clarify: This list predates the shop by many years (you can see link to prior versions at the bottom of each rendition), and has provided the blueprint for how we’ve built out our shop, not the other way around. Back in 2020, I set out to create a curated retail experience as an alternative to the referral link and ad-supported revenue model that was prevalent at the time. My goal has always been to sell directly only those things that I’d recommend myself, so some overlap is inevitable. For those items that we don’t sell, our primary retail partner is Vanness Pens, or I’ve linked directly to the specific maker.
The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.
