In a niche industry admittedly dominated by hype and FOMO, products come and go. Something launches on Kickstarter, people buy the product in an initial rush, maybe it sells briefly at retail, and then it disappears. I can think of a few candidates, but the Steel & Flint pen and the Twist Bullet Pencil are the two that come to mind because I miss them the most. While I still have two Twists, the pencil has been out of production for a couple of years now, and no third-party retailers appear to have any left in stock. I hesitate to carry my Twists as much as I’d like because it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to source a replacement if lost.

The brass “bullets” on my Twist pencils have aged nicely, developing quite the patina.

You can read my original review of the machined aluminum Twist Bullet Pencil here. The product itself impresses with the quality of construction and the way in which the designers took the bullet pencil, a classic piece of Americana, and modernized it for today’s stationery enthusiast. While I purchased several Twist pencils over a two or three year period, I only kept two in my collection. I suspect the primary reason behind the discontinuation of the Twist was that it was a niche product targeted to pencil/pocket notebook enthusiasts and the Erasable Podcast crowd - enough to support an initial Kickstarter project and product launch, but maybe not sustained production because even woodcase pencil enthusiasts don’t necessarily have a need for multiple bullet pencils.

My favorite iteration of the Twist was the wooden “Timber Twist” model. It’s incredibly light.

Regardless, the Twist remains a great tool to have, and I’m sad to see a general lack of modern bullet pencils currently available for purchase. Neither of the Twist co-creators are still in the pencil business, from what I can tell. Jay Smith (“Huckleberry Woodchuck”) still maintains an active site, selling handkerchiefs, facemasks, and Begleri beads, and his site confirms that the Twist is officially out of production. Metal Shop CT, co-creator Jon Fontane’s machine shop, which actually manufactured the Twist pencils, no longer maintains an active website, though there was some chatter on Instagram last year about possibly resuming production at some point.

Are There Any Viable Bullet Pencil Alternatives on the Market?

As I mentioned earlier, I couldn’t find many modern iterations of the classic bullet pencil currently on sale. You can always acquire vintage bullet pencils on Etsy or eBay (Seller “Barnstar Treasures” seems to have a lot of interesting options), but I’ve been hesitant to dive back into the vintage market due to the pain in sourcing replacement erasers, and the inherent fragility of using a pencil 70-90 years old as an everyday writer. Elegant Utility makes the brass “Pencil Pal,” a more modern machined brass take on the classic bullet, and there’s always the Traveler’s Company version, though it’s currently hard to find in the U.S. If you are aware of any other alternatives currently on the market, please let me know! [Update: I managed to source the Traveler’s Company bullet pencil and now have it available for sale in my shop! It has an excellent authentic vintage vibe, and even uses the same bullet style as some of the vintage pencils in my collection.]

Maybe the solution is for Pokka to design a “pencil” insert for their recently released “Pokka Jakket” aluminum cap?

In my opinion, the true “spiritual successor” to the bullet pencil is probably the ultra-portable Pokka Pen - even though it’s a ballpoint pen and not a pencil - because it not only follows the “bullet” form factor but is inexpensive and designed to be used in a workaday scenario where you’re not necessarily afraid of losing a prized possession. As I posted yesterday, you can now “upgrade” your Pokka barrels to provide additional durability, if you so desire, and there’s even a keyring dock (pictured below) to make it a more integral part of your EDC. Maybe the solution is for Pokka to make a pencil insert for the Pokka Pen? We can dream, right?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I purchased the bullet pencils featured in this post with my own funds, for my own collection. I am also a retailer of Pokka Pens, and additional details can be found in The T.G.S. Curated Shop.

Bullet-Pencils-Pokka-Pen-Dokk-Jakket-Keyring

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.