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12/28/2022 |
In the front of the shop, at the checkout counter we have a little display of Blackwing pencils, a sharpener, and some scrap paper. As far as I know, Blackwing pencils are some of the best in the world. Fun to write with, a great feel, dark line, less pressure needed, etc. The best way to sell a box of pencils is put them out for people to play with. It's frankly an easy sell once people start using them. There are four different grades of pencils from "Soft" to "Natural," the latter being the firmest. I try to have one of each on the counter.
We started tying them down with a retractable string. Not ideal for the demonstration, but someone (initials SB) had a way of making them disappear otherwise. I have a couple of Blackwings on my desk at home, and I do use them, but I am primarily a fountain pen guy. I have a pen at work and several at home and I go ballistic if they get misplaced. Nobody of course borrows them (that would be fatal) so if they do go missing it's because I left them somewhere and I know I retrace my steps. The pencils could be anywhere.
I have another sharpener buried on my desk when I need it. At home I have one too (the sharpeners are inexpensive and it would be crazy to carry on back and forth every day) and a Boston Champion that has been in the family at least 50 years so I'm set here.
Oh, and it's not like people are taking random pencils, it's always the 602 - the next to firmest, and the black, softest that goes missing. I blame society :(
Note about the picture below. To the right of the pencil sharpener is an old bottle of Sheaffer ink. Cast into the glass bottle is a little glass well which makes filling your pen easier. Twenty years ago I recognized that any anachronistic product, no matter how useful, might soon go out of production. So I saved a few bottles. I refill them as I need to. You can actually get the old bottles on Ebay, so I know I might be crazy, but not insane. Behind the sharpeners is a ceramic envelope and stamp licker. I got this also about twenty years ago from the local stationary store for about twelve bucks. When you have to seal a lot of envelopes you appreciate that it saves time. Not for me the decadence of the peel-and-stick envelope. (Okay, I am not normally against this.) My old long gone stationary store (Kramer's on E. 23rd Street, now a condo building) not only knew what I was talking about - they joyously ordered it for me. I still use it when I have a lot of bills to mail.
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I just love your blog, it always catches my heartstrings. My Gramps retired from a Hardware store in Missouri (back when they still had that kind of company) and Grams was a bookkeeper for the propane company as well as an arts and crafts instructor and saleswoman. So my destiny was preordained. I LOVE office supplies, pencils, pens, and mechanical hand drafting gear and I tend to get hung up in the hardware store when I only needed one piece. How did I lose 2 hours? We used to do woodcraft, ceramics, and farming in my summers. Gramps would send me a bag(gallon size!!) of pens, pencils, erasers, and other gems from the hardware store as a gift! Loved it! I had to relieve him of a few of his tools. Granddaughter, not Grand-son which they didn't have at the time was still a thing, confusing to them that I did tools, not hair. But they put up with me! Taught me to shoot and fish, Gramps always taught me the safe way to operate the table saw, and drill press, and the difference between pipe thread and coarse thread. A street L and a Y. Grams taught me the love of index cards, good printing, and fast typing. And keeping accurate if not anal records...of everything :)).
Sorry for carrying on, I really just wanted to check on you alls well-being and hope the cold has not had a negative effect on you and yours. Thank you for the entertaining blog and the reminiscing it causes. SB better get those da** pencils put back, WWIII could start for less. ;) Happy New Year! Marcie Jones
i use a fountain pen also and
i love my pencils and i have a manual sharpener in my shop and
electric sharpener in the office
Kevin
Thanks all and happy new year!
Joe S