The Caran d'Ache Swiss Wood Pencil Review

To get right down to it this is one of my favourite wood case pencils.

Why is that? Well, it looks Ace - that'll be the certified Swiss beech wood it's made from - it's COBS certified don't you know. I have seen some reviews around the web from a few years back that show an FSC certification. COBS is much cooler - great talking point amongst your cool stationary collecting pals.

This is so refreshing and different in comparison to the more usual cedarwood the beech gives it a lovely dark colour - it's not dyed, that's the colour of the wood. Just looks like a clear coat of lacquer and that lovely dipped red top end (more on that later). Should be noted that the lacquer finish is matte and not gloss. This thing really stands out.

What's it like to use? Well for an HB it's a little light for my tastes but the plus side to that is it seems to hold a point for just a bit longer than a lot of my other pencils.

It's a good bit heavier than a normal pencil too. Tried it against Tombow Mono, Mitsubishi Hi-Uni, and others. It's also very slightly thicker in the hand. I haven't measured it or anything but it is very noticeable.

I did notice that the sharpener does have a tendency to "dig in" a little more. For reference, I am using a very capable but not very fancy KUM sharpener - nothing electric or very fancy.

Take a look at that lovely swiss flag at the top! Lovely gloss, the Swiss flag is not embossed though which is a slight disappointment. On the embossment plus side, the writing on the side of the pencil is. Doesn't rub off like a Staedtler -_-.

Honestly one of the most talked-about and coolest things about this pencil is the wood. It doesn't have that classic pencil sharpenings smell - you know like the die down on a cheap perfume? No, I'd say it's sweet - almost like maple syrup but then opinions are divided on that.

Any downsides? Well, it's only available in HB which is a shame because it feels like a harder lead to me. I would have liked to try this in a B maybe.

Oh and the price... it's um £3.47 at the time of writing over at Cult Pens (who are the best stationary nerd shop in the world) especially if you are UK-based.

Honestly, give it a go even if you are mechanical pencil obsessed like me. Get two... one to use and one to sharpen and sniff.

Comments

Staedtler Norris Eco Pencil Review

Cool little pencil this one. It's made from extruded wood fibers. It's actually only 70% wood which obviously means they can get a lot more pencils out of a tree. Hence that Eco name. They use wood flour which is a by-product of the forestry industry... read about WOPEX here. They are literally making pencils out of the "sweepings off the floor". I'm actually of the opinion that if it's sustainable forestry what's the issue? But when I held this in my hand I noticed something I love about it. The weight... that fancy WOPEX stuff is dense! The branding and text really pops out of that black colour as well and has a much better finish than the Mars Lumograph. Honestly, not sure why the text rubbing off on that pencil sticks in my craw so much. It feels great - has a similar weight to the Caran D'ache Swiss Wood but this one is more of a normal pencil thickness. The writing experience is pretty much the same as the Staedtler Tradition really. Not great...

The Tombow Mono 100 Pencil Review

This is an extremely quick review of the Tombow Mono 100 pencil. Love this thing - the lead feels better for me in comparison to the Caran d'Ache Swiss Wood I have also reviewed. It's softer and darker. The paint finish is sooo shiny. Take a look at the end of the pencil too - the barrel is hexagonal but the end is actually round. Same as a Mitsubishi Hi-Uni - is it a thing? Hexagonal barrel + round end = quality? Price-wise you're looking at £2.57 at the time of writing over at Cult Pens - that really puts it in the high end. It puts it in the snatch it away from your wife-that's-gonna-chew-it end. They are made in Vietnam, you might expect Japan but it's Vietnam as per the stamp on the barrel. Sorry, you can't actually see that detail in my images - my phone camera is a bit old and besides half of it's sharpened off. It's supposed to have a darker more contrasting lead than comparable pencils but I'd say it was just comparable really, the eye of ...

e+m Workman Long Clutch Pencil 5.6mm Review

This is the fattest pencil I own, or should that be the chunkiest? No... most robust? It's good right! I got this as a really quick outlining sort of pencil - for when I'm mind mapping or jotting down process flows or something. And to show off a little bit at the office. Sue me. Call the cops. Why don't I start with what I don't like? The finish on the wood. I went for a black finish and it was wearing off before I knew it. Now I do have a little bit of a sweaty paw so this may have been the issue... but still. Have a look at the pics. The lead does need a little tickle up with a pointer (e+m do a really nice one which I have) You can see this as a pain in the backside or as part of the experience. There's something really therapeutic about pointing lead to me. What's to like about it? Well, that wooden barrel is just really nice to hold in the hand. The finish might be coming off but it gives great grip and a nice warmth. It's a heavy pencil with that ch...

A Gentleman of the Enlightenment

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