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Pencil Review: Cretacolor Graphite Aquarell
Review by Tina Koyama In July, I attended the 10th annual International Urban Sketchers Symposium in Amsterdam. Aside from barely surviving a record-breaking heatwave of temps up to 107 F, I had a...
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Pencil Review: Staedtler Mars Lumograph 12B
Review by Tina Koyama When I started using the Mitsubishi Kohitsu 10B “brush pencil,” I thought I had the softest graphite core I would ever meet. I figured graphite couldn’t go much softer without...
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Book for the Desk Set: Pencils You Should Know by Caroline Weaver
Oh, what a delight it was to find a new book from the inimitable Caroline Weaver of CW Pencil Enterprise fame. After the Pencil Perfect, I couldn’t imagine what other book she might publish but...
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Pencil Cap Review: Sonic Cupot
Review by Tina Koyama Usually made of lightweight plastic or aluminum, pencil caps save you from being stabbed by sharp pencil points and keep your bag or pocket from being marked. You’d think that...
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Pencil Review: Musgrave Tennesse Red
Okay, I talk about Chicago all the time but what you might not know about me is that I went to high school and college in Tennessee. I appreciate my varied upbringing and that I can relate to urban...
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Sharpener Showdown: Hand Cranks
Review by Tina Koyama The venerable Carl Angel-5 hand-crank sharpener (also known as a “classroom-friendly” sharpener) is a popular, reliable favorite for many pencil users. With a metal body and...
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Ten Favorite Pencils
Like all the previous 10th Anniversary posts, these pencils are not in any particular order but when anyone asks what my favorite pencils are, these are what I usually recommend. My pencil tastes lean...
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Mechanical Pencil Lead Review: Caran d’Ache 2mm Colored Leads
Review by Tina Koyama Mechanical pencils and lead holders are not a large part of my (otherwise vast) stationery stash. I have a few clutches for art materials, and I keep a couple of mechanicals on...
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Pencil Review: A Taste of Blackwing Sampler Set
Review by Tina Koyama Maybe you’ve been wanting to dip one toe into the Blackwing pencil pool without diving into the deep end of the mixed metaphorical rabbit hole. Or perhaps you are already a...
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Sharpener Showdown: Handheld
Review by Tina Koyama A few months ago, I conducted a satisfying sharpener showdown between two hand cranks to beat my old Carl Angel-5. It was satisfying because both contenders came out equally good....
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Tool Review: Kutsuwa Round and Triangular Pencil Caps
Review by Tina Koyama My daily-carry bag contains many pencils, both colored and graphite. To prevent broken points and inadvertent stabs, I keep them and myself protected with pencil caps. Although...
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Notebook Review: Geistnotes Pencilog
Review by Tina Koyama Every stationery-related collection goes through these stages: At first you have a few, or several, or even a dozen, and they look beautiful displayed on your desktop. Very soon,...
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Pencil Review: Caran d’Ache Fixpencil 884 and M+R Lead Pointer
Review by Tina Koyama First, I must begin by admitting that I am not a huge user of mechanical pencils. Though I use clutches with certain art materials, I’ve always preferred woodcased pencils to...
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Pencil Review: Caran d’Ache Klein Blue Maxi
Review by Tina Koyama When Caran d’Ache recently brought out a limited-edition line of products honoring the French artist Yves Klein, the Fixpencil and standard-size graphite pencils were expected,...
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Pencil Review: Caran d’Ache Klein Blue 2mm Fixpencil
Review by Tina Koyama Once I grabbed onto the Caran d’Ache Klein Blue Maxi pencil, the slope became slippery. I had already had my eye on the Klein Blue Fixpencil ($52), which I had resisted for a...
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Pencil Review: Non-Photo Blue Pencils
Review by Tina Koyama Back in the day, graphic designers and printers used “non-photo blue” pencils. Certain shades of blue that could not be detected by camera film (or copy machines), so rough...
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Pencil Review: Musgrave Heritage Collection Pencil Set
Do you know the joy of finding a paper tube printed to look like a pencil in your mail box? Sheer and complete bliss. The tube is the new Musgrave Heritage Collection “one dozen of our favorite...
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Multi Pen Review: Multi Madness, Part 1
Review by Tina Koyama Ana is not the only one who has a thing for multi pens! I’ve acquired more than my share over the years. For this review, I picked out a few with unique or noteworthy features:...
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Pencil Cap Review: Blackwing Point Guard
Review by Tina Koyama In addition to high-end, limited-edition, collectible pencils, Blackwing makes a few unique pencil accessories, including the Blackwing Point Guard ($10 each). Available in matte...
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Colored Pencil Review: Uni EMOTT Color Mechanical Pencils
Review by Tina Koyama Whenever I see colored leads for mechanical pencils, I have a two-fold reaction: The first is to feel tingly with anticipation as I always do about any colored pencil I haven’t...
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