Not only did I start using field notes, I am also about to get my first 12-pack of Blackwings thanks to you!! Thanks for showing everyone a whole new dimension to appreciating the little things in life!
@@BlankFirstPage tried them, love them!! Are your videos under the Creative Commons license by any chance? Is it okay with you if I link to your channel from a blog post?
Nice to know what term to apply to this, LOL. I feel it as well. To get over it, I tell myself, "You bought this to enjoy it so, start enjoying it!" I would rather have the fond memories of having used them, than the regret of some day realizing it's too late. Live life - use the pencils! 😁 -Cheers!
It's called 24 because Steinbeck used 24 pencils for his routine (not 20) Thanks to your review, I am grabbing the natural ones; I have a feeling that it will suit my intended usage, long form creative writing.
Excellent video sir. I write 99% of the time with pencils. That 1% is with a fountain pen. My favorite is the pearl balanced graphite. I enjoy the line variations I get when from a fine tip to when it gets dull. And then the smell of graphite on paper is just great
Thank you for watching! As a heavy pencil user, do you have a good sharpener suggestion? I have the Blackwing/KUM 2-stage sharpener but am disappointed with it. Snaps off too many points, and I'm super gentle with it too.
@@BlankFirstPage I have not tried many sharpeners out there. I do have some small ones from apsara and nataraj (Indian pencil sharpeners). They’re not bad but I have experience what you have with a few of them also. So for now if I want a long point my go to is the Mitsubishi KH-20 2000 (says made in China but works fantastic and I have not have any bad experience with it yet.) however I don’t use it much. I’m not a too fan of long point. My main sharpener I use a lot (from Amazon) is a IGAAL. Has 5 settings. Small tip (1) to longer tip (5). My prefer is in between, (3) setting. But when I’m out and about I always carry with me a tiny spiderco folding knife. Perfect size. I just love sharpening with a knife as well. I feel like I didn’t write this well haha. Again love your videos. Please make some more. 👍🏻 I meant to include that the igaal sharpener is not perfect but for me it works great. I have never (yet) experience bad sharpening as in breaking the lead but once in a blue moon sometimes the lead comes out not perfect. But again does not bother me
@@qiqerod A professional drawing artist on youtube (I forget her name) uses the low priced x-Acto desk-mounted on a suction up. I use it too, from Amazon, the X-Acto 2012687-PNK Bulldog concave long point and the KUM AS2M (1053121), Long Point Sharpener, sharpens in 2 steps; 2 spare blades included with lead pointers for 2 mm and 3.2 mm clutch and pencil holders.
You can also use Faber Castell pencil-end erasers as point protectors. I have lots of them on my unreasonably large stock of "Mitsu-Bishi" pencils. (The logo includes the hyphen and the quote marks - pleasantly retro.)
I still have half of my box of Steinbecks and when any decent pencil is too small to write with comfortably I remove the ferrule and put it in a bullet pencil so I can use it to the bitter end. I had no idea The Natural existed though, thanks!
@@BlankFirstPage I have fairly small hands and it isn't too heavy, but it does depend on the model of bullet pencil. I'm using the Midori version which is mostly brass, and it's pretty light. I tried a twist bullet pencil with a ceramic body and that didn't work because it was back-weighted, but it was still usable.
Thanks for this wonderful review. I use the Blackwing 602 pencil. I have not used the one with the firmer cores. I am primarily a fountain pen user, but the 602 is the pencil I reach for when I need something other a fountain pen to write with.
@@BlankFirstPage My go-to fountain pens are either the Mont Blanc 149 fp, or the Parker Duofold Centennial fountain pens. They are both large pens, but after I have survived a few strokes, I find the larger diameter of these pens a lot easier to use. Skinnier pens dont seem to work for me. I use a rubber grip on my Blackwings, that the Physical Therapist gave me. Thank you.
Excellent presentation. Save the old Blackwing eraser/clip and metal end-cap assembly. Don't through that away when the pencil is too short to use. Instead, remove it from the old used Blackwing wood. Then place the eraser assemble on any other brand of pencil to get the "better IMO" Blackwing eraser system. This can be done with almost any other brand of standard-diameter hex wood pencil. In some cases the Backwind eraser assembly will simply slip on the original (unused) cylindrical eraser. Some will need a bit of wood carving off the hexagonal shape to make the end rounder. Also the replacement Blackwing erasers are sold in several different colors. I like white so I can see to clean-off the black graphite that accumulates from use. I use the Matte and Pearl Blackwings for drawing (plus mechanical pencils for details and colors).
@@ravinwind6860 Thank you very much for that hack. I definitely agree that the Blackwing eraser system is far superior to anything else out there. I can never get myself to part with even the most useless Blackwing stub, so I've still got every one I've ever used! Good to know about the twist off capability too, thank you for the tip!
@@BlankFirstPage Another tip I can give is the pocket clip I use for carrying the Blackwings in packets. When they get down to about six inches (15-16 cm), since I do not need pocket clips in my studio, I remove them, thus creating a collection of various size clip diameters. I found the Pentel mechanical pencil clips to fit onto Blackwings eraser ferrel e.g. the 1.3 mm's clip. , but also the Graph Gear 500s clips too, if a little tight.
I absolutely suffer from “Stationery Acquisition Anxiety”!! So happy to know there are other people in the world that have the same condition! At least our anxiety is easily alleviated and doesn’t really cost too much either.
The 602 was my first introduction into Blackwing pencils. Loved them for a long time. But once I tried the Natural, I have been hooked on them ever since! Since I don’t draw, I use mine for writing exclusively, so the extra firm is a necessity for me. I haven’t dipped into the Volumes or Eras versions, but it’s cool to see all the ideas they come up with.
The Natural is the staple pencil in my rotation. Pure functionality and practicality for a note taker! The volumes are more the collectable items, although nice to have in rotation for some visual interest.
I guess a great advantage of the flat tip design is that it can’t roll to the floor when putting the pencil on the table… well, that thing about better fitting the mouth too! 😉 Thanks for the recommandation, I am also a pencil-notetaker!
I just got one of the eras a couple weeks ago and absolutely love it. I stayed away from the extra firm because I was afraid it would be scratchy, but it’s just lovely. You should totally get one of their extenders if you don’t have it already. It’s worth it. Loving the videos!
Excellent video. As a musician I would use the 602 but after watching your video I decided to purchase the Blackwing Natural Extra Firm for my notebook as I prefer to write with a pencil. I use the Blackwing two step sharpener which I find great. Once again thanks for sharing. Look forward to future videos.
Thanks for watching! The 602 is also great, just a bit too soft for me. The sharpener is good too, if yours ever breaks, get a Kum - it's literally the same thing and 1/3 of the price!
Hope you get continued treatment for your SAA! I am in therapy for cork collecting. Love the vide,o might have to try the pencil. Want to sell one?? Cheers!
The GvF-C Perfect Pencil is unfortunately not all that perfect. The sharpener breaks the tip all the time and the lead is very much on the scratchy side.
I love you made your own pencil cap. All of my pencil caps are from the Japanese Dollar store Daiso. It’s all cartoon characters for me. I also get pencil holders from there because I cannot stand using a small nub.
Thank you for watching! I have thought about getting a pencil holder for when they get so short. But I think I'd have to saw off the ferrule on the Blackwing because I imagine the wider end wouldn't fit in most pencil holders.
@@BlankFirstPageNo need for a saw, the Blackwing erasers just twist off like a screw. Then insert into a Koh I Noor extender. Blackwing also makes a (Useless IMO!) extender, but you loose the eraser . . . so what's the point? Also too expensive since you loose the nice eraser.
PS: I forgot to mention that my Koh I Noor pencil extenders are made out of wood. So, it was a simple matter for me to carve the end down to friction-fit the old re-purposed Blackwing eraser assembly.
"Volumes" is a trigger for stationery acquisition anxiety. Once acquired, the anxiety to write more or outlive one's stationery supplies creeps-in. Perhaps I'll take up sketching.
You mention in this video and others about using pencils (in particular, Blackwing). I was wondering how you deal with a brand new pencil that is too long to keep in your pocket? Thanks in advance for responding!
That’s a great question. If it’s too long for a pocket I’ll just use it for work to start with, that allows me to carry it in my bag. Once it’s sharpened down a bit and fits in my pocket, it can start traveling with me. If I’m just going out to the grocery store, I’ll take the long pencil and just hold it in my hand, but I won’t take it out with me on walks or anything like that until it can disappear into a pocket!
Hi. Am I correct in thinking that the “volumes” will have a standard core rather than the extra firm? It’s not clear to me from the product descriptions I’m reading. Thanks for your video.
Each volume edition uses different cores, depends on the edition. The website descriptions aren’t always clear so I just search reviews of the pencil and hope the reviewer has detailed it.
I haven’t looked into erasers much at all! Thinking about it, I don’t tend to use the eraser much, even with pencil I’ll usually just cross things out. That eraser dust is one of the more annoying things to get rid of - never a bin in sight when you need it! I like the idea of using the eraser to change up the look of the pencil though. Good tip!
I noticed one of the comments after this video was about pencil sharpeners. Have you seen the range of Caran d'Ache metal pencil sharpeners? I assume, judging by the price, they must be good. They remind me of the type fitted to teachers desk at the front of the classroom. It has a lovely turning handle and comes in a range of colours.
I had not heard about the Caran D'Ache pencil sharpeners until you mentioned them. They definitely look like solid units. I'll do some research - I don't typically carry around my pencil sharpener anyway, so having one that needs to be fixed to a desk would suit me just fine. I've got a couple of Caran d'Ache pens whose quality I really like, so could be on to something here. Thank you for the suggestion!
I have been getting into mechanical pencils more and more recently. So far I've been using borrowed ones from my mother and sister who have a few lying around. I'm liking them for their ease of transport, so I'm looking at which one to buy for myself. My wife just bought an entry-level rotring one which seems to be quite well made.
@@BlankFirstPage My favorite mechanical pencils are Pentel, esp. GraphGear 1000 in 0.5, and 0.7. But I also have Graph1000 in 0.3 very comfortable. And I also use a Graph Gear 1000 in 0.9 mm in 2B for bold lines. All are in 2B or HD hardnesses. If you only get one, try the Graph Gear 500 in 0.5 "B" slightly darker than HB (which is what it comes with), but not too dark/soft as 2B. The Graph Gear 500 is smaller and lighter (13.5 grams), much more like a regular wood pencil diameter. You might like that 500 better, as the Graph Gear 1000s are about 20.5 grams.
Thank you for your video...just what I was looking for. Do you prefer the "Eras" pencil set or the "Natural" pencils ...if you had to choose just one:)
I will try and make a video about that, I’ve still got some leather scraps. The technique I used was to wet a bigger piece of leather first, then wrap it around the pencil and clamp it while the leather dries and forks around the shape of the pencil. Then once dry, I stitched it and cut the excess off.
Doesn't the eraser get hard over time? Then what's the point of not using them up within.. let's say a few years? I know there are replacement erasers but still.
Just bought a couple individual Blackwings at a somewhat local book store to see what all the fuss is after watching ur video. What sharpener do u use for ur Blackwings?
Nice! I hope you enjoy them. I have the blackwing 2-stage sharpener which makes a long point. Mine’s a bit hit and miss. If you want to try it I’d suggest buying the one made by KUM as it’s literally the same sharpener but usually a little bit cheaper than the blackwing branded one. That’s the only one I have but I’m going to look into some of the recommended sharpeners from the comments here.
@@BlankFirstPage Thank u sir! I will have to look at the manual 2 stage sharpener. I saw the newer Blackwing long point sharpener at this book store and it seemed to be good quality, but didn't pull the trigger. Ive seen the 2-stage one u mentioned and this one is more cylindrical and all metal. Perhaps i will get that at some point
@@BlankFirstPage sharpened them.up and while my experience with other pencils are standard school #2 pencils and the cheapo, graphic ones, I am pretty impressed with the Blackwings. Darker and a softer feel for sure, even without being an expert, lol.
I cannot hear that John Steinbeck story anymore. What does it matter? Why didn't he use a fountain pen to begin with? Let's talk less about the past and irrelevant stories in nowadays use cases and more about the actual utility of stuff.
You missed the whole point of the Steinbeck story. An artist uses the tools they like and work best for them. Why does it matter to you that he didn’t use a fountain pen or a typewriter for that matter? Ernie Pyle used a portable Corona typewriter on the front lines during WWII. Do you think he should have used a fountain pen?
Please share stories about a writer as skilled and prolific as John S. and we’ll enjoy…. Sadly, don’t think we have seen anyone in the same zip code as most of the masters…. We simply haven’t produced any who are compelling enough to sway the needle as to how they create their brilliance… And, yes, mildly subjective, but, nonetheless, none have achieved those heights…
