John Steinbeck wrote all of his first drafts using pencils and only then wrote subsequent drafts on a typewriter. I am using the Steinbeck method to write a memoir about my deceased son. Pencils and manual typewriters were interests my son and I shared. Writing about our journey with Alex and his addiction using Musgrave pencils and his beloved Olympia SM7 is my way of remaining close to my son and honoring his memory.
This was a lovely and calm and feel good video. This channel is very adorable. I really like typewriters and fountain pens, but pencils I love. Nothing comes even close to the feeling of a good pencil on paper.
I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but Musgrave now makes a ROUND version of the Tennessee Red! They've called it the Tennessee Round. Exact same red cedar, same core, etc, everything identical to the Red except that they rounded it off in their lathe. So, for those who love the Tennessee Red but wish it was available in a round version, that now exists! :)
I love pencils. My father always sharpened my pencils with a knife. I have collected mechanical pencils. I particularly like a point 5 or point 3.8 lead.Loved this.
I would love to see you do writing comparisons between the different types of pencils, different types of lead on different types of paper just like you have with fountain pens and inks over the years. I am now deep into fountain pens and journaling after learning so much from your videos!!
My best pencil accessory was a hand cranked dual cutting barrels all-metal pencil sharpener just as you likely encountered in elementary school. They are surprisingly cheap, and they would make easy work of any hard knots in your cedar pencils.
I love pencils too. My current favourite mechanical pencil is the GraphGear1000. I used to exclusively write in my journals in a mechanical pencil, but found as you know, that over time, the writing fades. Ahh. Kaweco has some beautiful pencils. Honestly you should look into them. They are as precious as their fountain pens.
The GraphGear 1000 is a very good pencil. I have twelve of them, four each in 0.3, 0.5, 9.7, and 0.9. I use pencils for art as much or more than for writing, so I need four pencils of each lead size. I still prefer the P200 series for art, though. It's cheap, light, and one artist calls it the light saber of mechanical pencils. He's right. I've been using the Pentel Orenz lately because there's no broken lead, even with the smallest lead size, and you never have to click it once the lead is in place. Very, very handy, and saves a good deal of money and frustration.
My husband really appreciated this video since he feels pencils are the best thing. Thanks to you, we had our first Blackwing experience and now he’s ready to try those Tennessee Reds! 😊 Thanks for sharing, Alicia! ❤
My goodness, you have skills writing with such a small pencil. And it's so oddly satisfying, to see a pencil sharpened to a fine point, with a knife. I think I could watch a long video of just that 😂
I did have a time where I liked nice wooden pencils...grade school....Ive always been a pen/pencil nut...it evolved to being mostly pens...and I kinda love that
As a left-handed overwriter, I have a fraught relationship with graphite pencils. I love the soft, deep black leads in wooden casings but I have to use thin, rather hard ones in a mechanical pencil if I don't want my work to end up smeared on the page and all along my pinky. I loved watching you sharpen with a knife. My grandmother always used a penknife to sharpen her #2's for the daily crossword.
Watching you sharpen that Tennessee Red with your Opinel was *so satisfying*. Your knife blade looks super sharp - it cuts through the wood like butter. I could almost feel how nice it would be to whittle with that knife. :) (I have the #6 Opinel Carbone. They are great knives - basic, rustic, solid.
I do my bed/dream journal in pencil. Always a Kuru Toga 0.5mm with the spinning lead that stays nice and pointy. I found the 0.3mm Kuru Toga a bit too pointy for writing, it gets a little scratchy, but the 0.5mm is perfect if anyone enjoys super fine pencil writing.
When I was a garden designer I used Papermate 07 plastic propelling pencils as the erasurs really worked. I must get an inox Opininel as my carbon steel one is very stained and corroded. Do the stainless ones sharpen easily?
For a second there, I thought the dogs were in my neighborhood haha. My favorite pencil right now is the Mitsubishi 9850, but I absolutely love how the Tennessee Red looks. I also have found that the Tennessee Reds have portions where the lead will just break off which makes me sad haha but man are they pretty pencils.
You can also use the knife to carve out a small flat spot in the middle of the pencil exposing the bare wood. You can then write (if you have small enough print) whatever strikes you. Edit: I got this idea from an artist who would eccentrically put the “date sharpened” on each shaft.
My grandpa sharpened his pencils with a pocket knife. He used Ticonderoga #2. I use a variety of pencils nowadays, including those Ticonderoga #2’s. Dig your content.
The Ticonderoga is still one of the best pencils out there. One thing I HATE about Blackwing pencils is that the company stole the phrase :The Writer's Pencil" from Ticonderoga, and even claim famous writers used Blackwing pencils when they actually preferred Ticonderoga. Many years ago, I bought twelve gross,1,728, of Ticonderoga pencils at once, and they barely lasted a year. That's why I switched primarily to mechanical pencils for writing, though I still do use a lot of woodcase pencils.
I’ve really been enjoying Blackwings. I have the matte and natural. I have a box of Musgraves coming tomorrow! Super stoked. I’ve heard you mention how amazing they smell and decided to give them a try. Thanks for getting me into pencils. I’m loving the journey! :)
Sharpen with a knife, and shape the point with a sanding block. Though I have a couple of long point sharpeners. Pencils are a great excuse to try notebooks/journals/paper you aren't sure will work with a fountain pen, though I love the way pencils write on some fountain pen paper. Most of my failed notebook buys go to my grandkids, but I always keep some around for use with pencils. Most of the woodcase pencils I buy don't have erasers on them, but I never use the eraser on any pencil, whether it's a woodcase pencil or a mechanical pencil. I use putty erasers, and the Pentel hi-polymer erasers. Like many artists, though, I switched form the regular putty erasers to BlueStik, the kind of putty you use to hang posters or other things on the wall. Just about any brand of this works very, very well. Gorilla Glue brand putty is supposed to be excellent, but I haven't tried it yet. Scotch brand is also supposed to be good. I use BlueStik because it's a very, very old brand, maybe the first of them, and I've just never switched.
Hi, can you share with me the name of the recommended scissors you included in your favorites collection? I can't find the right video and the collection is no longer on your website. Thanks!
I've used mechanical pencils (mostly older Pentel 0.5mm) throughout college and my engineering career. Only recently have I tried the smooth soft leaded blackwings. They're nice. Do you have a favorite or preferred sharpener (other than your knife)? Write in the Rain notebooks serve their niche quite well.
It's funny (in a way) because I thought the dogs I heard barking were from MY neighbors! I am ashamed to say (no...I'm really not) that my husband HAS yelled on occasion. I know it does no good since they don't stop barking....but it releases a bit of tension, I'll tell you. The ones we hear...for HOURS at a time...are a Great Dane named Hazel and three...yes, 3...others of unknown names and varying pitch and intensity. These are from a street behind us, right over our back fence. The one thing you seem to be lucky about is that Fig and Dot don't seem inclined to bark back. Thank goodness! As for these lovely pencils...I will NOT be dragged into another rabbit hole, but I am pleased to be enjoying your experience. At this point I have two mechanical pencils I use and love and that's going to do me just fine for now. :)
Lol, those dogs are relentless. I wonder what effect a high-pitched anti-bark device deployed at the appropriate time would have?🤔 I’m not a dog owner, could be a terrible idea.
They tried that when they first moved in. But the dogs would ignore it, and so therefor the sound of their barking was joined by the even more annoying high pitched squealing of the anti bark contraption!
@@jamesaritchie1 Makes sense, I’ve seen it advertised as a self-defense mechanism against aggressive dogs. It seems to me that about half of US dog owners do not give their dogs enough exercise or social interaction, and the dogs get anxious and destructive.
Relaxing but not the best as not say a word about type of “carbon” used. Seems to be hb generic. And again, agreed the calligraphy is nice is a size that is totally, in my molesting opinion, to appreciate the writing examples. Thanks
![[vlog no.41] Rainy Days and Pencil Rambles](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mSc8Mqmr_qs/mqdefault.jpg)
![[vlog no.41] Rainy Days and Pencil Rambles](/img/tr.png)
John Steinbeck wrote all of his first drafts using pencils and only then wrote subsequent drafts on a typewriter. I am using the Steinbeck method to write a memoir about my deceased son. Pencils and manual typewriters were interests my son and I shared. Writing about our journey with Alex and his addiction using Musgrave pencils and his beloved Olympia SM7 is my way of remaining close to my son and honoring his memory.
Musgrave are wonderful pencils.
I absolutely love pencils. Love how small they get. I'm sorry your neighbours are so inconsiderate. You have the patience of a Saint.
This was a lovely and calm and feel good video. This channel is very adorable. I really like typewriters and fountain pens, but pencils I love. Nothing comes even close to the feeling of a good pencil on paper.
I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but Musgrave now makes a ROUND version of the Tennessee Red! They've called it the Tennessee Round. Exact same red cedar, same core, etc, everything identical to the Red except that they rounded it off in their lathe. So, for those who love the Tennessee Red but wish it was available in a round version, that now exists! :)
I love pencils. My father always sharpened my pencils with a knife. I have collected mechanical pencils. I particularly like a point 5 or point 3.8 lead.Loved this.
I have a box of Tennessee Reds. They are smooth. I like the News ones too.
I would love to see you do writing comparisons between the different types of pencils, different types of lead on different types of paper just like you have with fountain pens and inks over the years. I am now deep into fountain pens and journaling after learning so much from your videos!!
What a delightful video. Thank you 💕
My best pencil accessory was a hand cranked dual cutting barrels all-metal pencil sharpener just as you likely encountered in elementary school. They are surprisingly cheap, and they would make easy work of any hard knots in your cedar pencils.
I may give one a try someday! I would love a vintage one. They’re not very portable though, haha.
Thank you for sharing!
I love pencils too. My current favourite mechanical pencil is the GraphGear1000. I used to exclusively write in my journals in a mechanical pencil, but found as you know, that over time, the writing fades. Ahh. Kaweco has some beautiful pencils. Honestly you should look into them. They are as precious as their fountain pens.
The GraphGear 1000 is a very good pencil. I have twelve of them, four each in 0.3, 0.5, 9.7, and 0.9. I use pencils for art as much or more than for writing, so I need four pencils of each lead size. I still prefer the P200 series for art, though. It's cheap, light, and one artist calls it the light saber of mechanical pencils. He's right.
I've been using the Pentel Orenz lately because there's no broken lead, even with the smallest lead size, and you never have to click it once the lead is in place. Very, very handy, and saves a good deal of money and frustration.
My husband really appreciated this video since he feels pencils are the best thing. Thanks to you, we had our first Blackwing experience and now he’s ready to try those Tennessee Reds! 😊 Thanks for sharing, Alicia! ❤
Yay! I’m so glad to hear he was able to enjoy too! Have fun sampling pencils!
You should try Musgrave Harvest Pro and Tennessee Reds. They are every bit as good as Blackwing and much less expensive plus they are made in the USA
My goodness, you have skills writing with such a small pencil. And it's so oddly satisfying, to see a pencil
sharpened to a fine point, with a knife. I think I could watch a long video of just that 😂
Hahaha I feel similarly! It’s so satisfying to do!
And thank you, it’s not easy writing with such a tiny pencil! 😅
I did have a time where I liked nice wooden pencils...grade school....Ive always been a pen/pencil nut...it evolved to being mostly pens...and I kinda love that
As a left-handed overwriter, I have a fraught relationship with graphite pencils. I love the soft, deep black leads in wooden casings but I have to use thin, rather hard ones in a mechanical pencil if I don't want my work to end up smeared on the page and all along my pinky.
I loved watching you sharpen with a knife. My grandmother always used a penknife to sharpen her #2's for the daily crossword.
Wow, love the little pencil shaving box. Going to pick up a pack of the Musgrave Heritage Collection. Thanks for the rec!
Watching you sharpen that Tennessee Red with your Opinel was *so satisfying*. Your knife blade looks super sharp - it cuts through the wood like butter. I could almost feel how nice it would be to whittle with that knife. :) (I have the #6 Opinel Carbone. They are great knives - basic, rustic, solid.
P.S. I got my Opinel specifically for whittling, though I use my woodcarving knives more often.
I do my bed/dream journal in pencil. Always a Kuru Toga 0.5mm with the spinning lead that stays nice and pointy. I found the 0.3mm Kuru Toga a bit too pointy for writing, it gets a little scratchy, but the 0.5mm is perfect if anyone enjoys super fine pencil writing.
I've fount the Kura Toga doesn't work very well with my cursive. It only rotates when you lift the pencil off the paper.
I am so relieved to see someone else also has an obsession with mechanical pencils!
When I was a garden designer I used Papermate 07 plastic propelling pencils as the erasurs really worked.
I must get an inox Opininel as my
carbon steel one is very stained and corroded. Do the stainless ones sharpen easily?
For a second there, I thought the dogs were in my neighborhood haha. My favorite pencil right now is the Mitsubishi 9850, but I absolutely love how the Tennessee Red looks. I also have found that the Tennessee Reds have portions where the lead will just break off which makes me sad haha but man are they pretty pencils.
You can also use the knife to carve out a small flat spot in the middle of the pencil exposing the bare wood. You can then write (if you have small enough print) whatever strikes you.
Edit: I got this idea from an artist who would eccentrically put the “date sharpened” on each shaft.
Less eccentrically, my mom used to do this on my school colored pencils, to put my name on them in case they got lost!
My grandpa sharpened his pencils with a pocket knife. He used Ticonderoga #2. I use a variety of pencils nowadays, including those Ticonderoga #2’s. Dig your content.
The Ticonderoga is still one of the best pencils out there. One thing I HATE about Blackwing pencils is that the company stole the phrase :The Writer's Pencil" from Ticonderoga, and even claim famous writers used Blackwing pencils when they actually preferred Ticonderoga. Many years ago, I bought twelve gross,1,728, of Ticonderoga pencils at once, and they barely lasted a year. That's why I switched primarily to mechanical pencils for writing, though I still do use a lot of woodcase pencils.
Yes! I love pencils!! Thanks so much for covering this topic. (we'd love to see a cello duet).
Im so basic. I love my Ticonderoga pencils 😂. But I’m definitely getting the red cedar ones too now. 😂😂😂
I’ve really been enjoying Blackwings. I have the matte and natural. I have a box of Musgraves coming tomorrow! Super stoked. I’ve heard you mention how amazing they smell and decided to give them a try. Thanks for getting me into pencils. I’m loving the journey! :)
Have you tried the Musgrove Unigraph pencils?
Ha ha...I'm glad it's not just me!! I may get my wife to watch this!
Sharpen with a knife, and shape the point with a sanding block. Though I have a couple of long point sharpeners. Pencils are a great excuse to try notebooks/journals/paper you aren't sure will work with a fountain pen, though I love the way pencils write on some fountain pen paper. Most of my failed notebook buys go to my grandkids, but I always keep some around for use with pencils.
Most of the woodcase pencils I buy don't have erasers on them, but I never use the eraser on any pencil, whether it's a woodcase pencil or a mechanical pencil. I use putty erasers, and the Pentel hi-polymer erasers. Like many artists, though, I switched form the regular putty erasers to BlueStik, the kind of putty you use to hang posters or other things on the wall. Just about any brand of this works very, very well. Gorilla Glue brand putty is supposed to be excellent, but I haven't tried it yet. Scotch brand is also supposed to be good. I use BlueStik because it's a very, very old brand, maybe the first of them, and I've just never switched.
surprised you didn’t mention caran d’arche lol whatever it is… their cedar ones are sooo good
What kind of pencils are the two "Cello pencils" - the black and white ones? ♥︎
I use Rite In The Rain for my lambing diary and a Lamy 2000 pencil lives in my day book.
Hi, can you share with me the name of the recommended scissors you included in your favorites collection? I can't find the right video and the collection is no longer on your website. Thanks!
Nakabayashi Hikigiri Slim. You can find them on Jet Pens. :)
@@adventuredenali Thank you! I remembered the Jet Pens part, but they have a couple of different models from this brand.
I've used mechanical pencils (mostly older Pentel 0.5mm) throughout college and my engineering career. Only recently have I tried the smooth soft leaded blackwings. They're nice.
Do you have a favorite or preferred sharpener (other than your knife)?
Write in the Rain notebooks serve their niche quite well.
I love mechanical pencils.
Yoou can buy even smoother, softer lead for mechanical pencils, or with any good art pencil set. Art pencils now go from 9H all the way to 14B.
It's funny (in a way) because I thought the dogs I heard barking were from MY neighbors! I am ashamed to say (no...I'm really not) that my husband HAS yelled on occasion. I know it does no good since they don't stop barking....but it releases a bit of tension, I'll tell you. The ones we hear...for HOURS at a time...are a Great Dane named Hazel and three...yes, 3...others of unknown names and varying pitch and intensity. These are from a street behind us, right over our back fence. The one thing you seem to be lucky about is that Fig and Dot don't seem inclined to bark back. Thank goodness!
As for these lovely pencils...I will NOT be dragged into another rabbit hole, but I am pleased to be enjoying your experience. At this point I have two mechanical pencils I use and love and that's going to do me just fine for now. :)
🥰
WOW nice >>>>>> Thank you
Sharpening a pencil with a brass higonokami knife is the best.
😍
Are you writing a novel? just curious with all the writing you do... fiction or non-fiction, if you can say?
Well, all novels are fiction. I've written a lot of short stories and one novel with pencil. I found fountain pens work better for me.
I ❤️ my Kaweco Special S 2.0mm, so I'm currently unswayed by wooden pencils.
You don't know what you're missing. How do you even write with a 2.0mm?
Lol, those dogs are relentless. I wonder what effect a high-pitched anti-bark device deployed at the appropriate time would have?🤔 I’m not a dog owner, could be a terrible idea.
They tried that when they first moved in. But the dogs would ignore it, and so therefor the sound of their barking was joined by the even more annoying high pitched squealing of the anti bark contraption!
@@adventuredenali ugh, so sorry you have to deal with that!
It would have the effecdt of getting you arrested in some areas. Dogs bark when they have a reason, and stopping them like that is extremely cruel.
@@jamesaritchie1 the neglect of these dogs is even more cruel. That should be what people get arrested for.
@@jamesaritchie1 Makes sense, I’ve seen it advertised as a self-defense mechanism against aggressive dogs. It seems to me that about half of US dog owners do not give their dogs enough exercise or social interaction, and the dogs get anxious and destructive.
Relaxing but not the best as not say a word about type of “carbon” used. Seems to be hb generic. And again, agreed the calligraphy is nice is a size that is totally, in my molesting opinion, to appreciate the writing examples. Thanks
Great video and yes my cats didn’t like the barking haha. Do you dry flowers or whatever you collect on your ventures.