In a world growing increasingly frenetic as new technical advances and distractions are heaped upon the masses it's good to know that the common wood cased pencil is alive and well. Far from being replaced by computers, printers, PDAs, CellPhones, blogs, instant messaging and the like annual production and consumption of pencils grows at approximately the annual global population growth rate.
In fact the wood cased pencil is responsible for contributing to a huge proportion of the world's education and artistic creativity and innovation. As recoginzed by Forbes.com recently the Pencil is the worlds #4 all time most important tool out of the top 20 tools invented and utilized by mankind. An increasing number of people seem to be rediscovering the pencil as a wonderful means of self expression in writing and artistic work and as a means of breaking out of the the everday hussle of our techno world.
This lens features insights into the world of pencils featuring posts on pencil industry trends and developments, product reviews, varied views on the use and functionality of pencils by pencil lovers, collecting and shares some avenues for using pencils as a creative resource.
Any future income generated through this lens is dedicated to supporting the You Can Create! Program in the form of purchase of supplemental materials or financial support to Art Education Programs such as the Annual Pencil Doodle Contest.
Finally, I hope you will also take a moment to rate this lens or drop me a note with any thoughts you have on items you'd like to see covered.
Timberlines Blog: Best Posts
- Why Incense-cedar?
- A description of the reasons Incense-cedar became the premier wood for high quality pencils.
- Mongolized
- How and where the Mongol brand has survived a series of mergers, acquisitions and product line rationalizations.
- Who's Got the Biggest Pencil?
- A review of industry claims regarding which manufacturer has produced the "World's ???est Pencil".
- US Pencil Imports
- Trends in US pencil supply.
- Pencil Anti-Dumping Duties: Primer
- This Primer is a first in a series of Timberlines posts on implementation of anti-dumping duties within the Pencil Industry.
- Incense-cedar: A Growing Resource
- Summary of forest management issues related to Incense-cedar
- The Chinese Pencil Industry
- The first in a two part post on the Chinese Pencil Industry and world reaction to the growing importance of Chinese supply.
- Wood Cased vs. Mechanical
- A discussion of some of the performance tradeoffs experienced in using these two different categories of pencils.
- Wood Manufacturing Byproducts
- Introduces the important role of developing byproduct markets for wood manufacturing operations.
- Pencils: An Environmental Profile
- Covers some of the environmental benefits of wood cased pencils vs. alternatives cased in plastic or recycled paperboard from detailed research analysis.
- Making a Revolutionary out of an Environmentalist
- The final post in this series on environmental aspects of wood cased pencils.
- Sawadee: Made in Thailand
- Addresses some of the benefits of manufacturing in Thailand.
- Diamond in the Rough
- Interesting history of L&C Hardmuth - covering Koh-I-Noor pencils and information about copying pencils
Best of Pencil Revolutions
- Revolutionary Review: ForestChoice
- The first Revolutionary Review of this FSC Certified pencil.
- Handwriting
- This early post by PRevo quaintly illustrates one of the many personal nostalgic feelings we all seem to have regarding pencil use.
- Revolutionary Review: Dixon Ticonderoga Classic
- This first guest review of this American classic pencil generated significant feedback from early revolutionaries.
- Pencil Degrees
- An explanation of the sometimes confusing world pencil graphite hardness grades.
- Revolutionary Review: California Republic Palomino
- This review kicked off the growing awareness of this super smooth premium quality graphite writing and drawing pencil.
- Humdog on Native Pencils
- One Revolutionary comments on his favorite pencils formerly produced by the Blackfeet Indian Pencil Company and generates interesting feedback on what one is to do when that favorite pencil is discontinued from production.
- 50,000 Words in Pencil
- One Revolutionary writes a 50,000 page novel in 30 days as a participant in National Novel Writing Month. Now that's commitment.
- Revolutionary Review: KUM Metal Wedge
- This first sharpener review of a growing favorite for Revoutionaries.
- Pencil Illin
- This Revolutionary's comments on the advantages of mechanical pencils generate significant efforts at wood-cased conversion by other comrades who extol the advantages of the Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil.
Other Interesting Pencil Related Links
- Doug Martin's Pencil Pages
- A tremendous resource designed by a major pencil collector. Detailed lists and links for all sorts of brands and manufacturers of pencils.
- Pencil World Creativity Store
- California Republic Stationers eBay store, pencil collectable auctions, etc. Climb up and start riding that Palomino today.
- American Pencil Collectors Society
- Official site of this collectors group.
- Color Pencil Society of America
- Website of this group dedicated to development and promotion of artork featuring color pencils. Includes gallaries and resources developed by some of the foremost color pencil artist.
- Incense Cedar Institute Pencil Pages
- This site is primarily a teacher education resource regarding pencils.
- Ninth Wave Designs
- Creative Notebooks and Journals. One Page at a time. Explore the growing link between pencil creativity in journal writing, notebooks and sketching.
- Moleskinerie Squidoo Lens
- Squidoo lens for the ultimate Moleskine enthusiast site. Moleskines are a great depository for your pencil self expressions.
- Everyday Matters
- One of the premier resources for learning about drawing, exploring your own drawing creativity and communicating with others.
- Creativity Portal Imagination Prompt
- Fight writers block with this interesting tool from the Creativty Portal. A wonderful site to help with creativity in many areas.
- Sketching Squidoo Lens
- David Gray's Squidoo lens is a good resources for more how to details on learning to sketch and draw on line.
Palomino Rider Updates
- How the Palomino Escaped the Corral
- Tracks the genesis of the Palomino introduction thanks to a bit of prodding from the original Pencil Revolutionary.
- Can't Corral That Palomino
- Further mention of the prior post at the Pencil Revolution leads to some interesting commentary and debate on pencil sharpening and the genesis of the wood cased vs. mechanical debate referenced on other posts.
- Who's got that Palomino?
- Who are some of the early riders of the Palomino pencil and how they use them.
- Paint that Palomino
- New Variety packs allow customizable packs of Palomino graphite, wax color and aquarelle pencils uniquely designed to fit each Palomino riders individual tastes.
- Moleskine & Palomino
- Explores some of the developing links between Moleskine enthusiasts and Palomino riders.
- New Tack for those Palominos
- The long awaited Palominos with erasers arrive.
- The Search for the Wild Blackwing
- Ninth Wave Designs selects the Palomino HB and 2B as successors to the famous and now discontinued Blackwing pencil for it's exceptional smooth writing and drawing capabilities.
Photos from Flickr
October Pencils
Ironbound Island in graphite & my notekeeping Moleskine
Palomino Notes
New Tack for the Palomino
Mongol Co-Branding Evolution
Diamonds in the Rough
Spread Eagle
Moleskine Pocket Sketchbook: liquid acrylics, watercolor pencils, metalic paint....
Colourful
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Fetching RSS feed... please stand byPencil Books on Amazon
The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance
The definitive history of the pencil industry
Amazon Price: $13.60 (as of 07/09/2008)
First Steps Drawing and Painting Animals (First Step Series)
Great book for the beginner, part of a series of helpful drawing assistance
Amazon Price: $18.99 (as of 07/09/2008)
Sketching With A Pencil: For Those Who Are Just Beginning
Another good beginners book
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 07/09/2008)
Sketching School (Learn as You Go)
Lots of great drawings and techniques, but not for the earliest beginner
Amazon Price: (as of 07/09/2008)
Figure sketching school (Learn as You Go)
Continuation of this series for when you're ready to tackle drawing people
Amazon Price: (as of 07/09/2008)
Encyclopedia of Colored Pencil Techniques: A Comprehensive Step-by-step Directory of Key Techniques, with an Inspirational Galley Showing How
Great view on use of different techniques to apply color pencils with many fine examples
Amazon Price: $12.21 (as of 07/09/2008)
Pencil World Creativity Store @ eBay
Ride the Palomino! Discover what growing numbers of Palomino Riders already know, that California Republic's Palomino graphite pencil range offers a uniquely smooth and dark writing, drawing or sketching experience. Try this featured luxury range of California Republic pencils or any number of our other fine pencil items and accessories at Pencil World Creativity Store.
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