pencils (etc.)
Oh, pencils. Now is when I start to get all poetical.
You see, there exists in my mind a kind of pencil Platonic ideal. An ur-pencil, if you will. And it cannot be found at Staples. That pains me.
It's not that I experience any sort of inconvenience or distress every time I use my pencil. It gets the job done, and I don't have to think about it. But every once in a while, when I do think about it, I wish it were perfect.
You can see to the right three pencils (and one nifty highlighter, which I'll get to in a minute). They are arranged from bottom to top, most favorite to least favorite. Let's get down to the details:
- The Pentel Quicker-Clicker (in black). I had one of these survive three years of full-time script supervising. Then it fell one too many times and the tip got jarred loose, and now I'm using its sister (they come in 2-packs). I love the translucent barrel, the thick grip, and the side click mechanism (which allows me to put a proper eraser over the lame stock eraser). I also appreciate the fact that the clip and the lead holding mechanism are both metal.
- The Pentel TranXition (oy vey; in red). Also pretty good, with a nice thick grip and metal parts. What I like less about this one is that it's lighter weight and doesn't balance as nicely as the Quicker-Clicker. I also don't like the top-click mechanism — it has a teeny built-in eraser and no way to stick on a big one, so it must be used with (separate) eraser in (other) hand. But it has an amazing metal clip that opens sort of like a clothespin to clip onto even the thickest binder covers. And when you open the clip, the tip retracts! This prevents damage to the tip in case of droppage.
- The Paper Mate Clear Point (in teal). I hardly ever use this one because it feels so light and flimsy. I bought it because it has the awesome twist eraser and the side-click mechanism.
I know many people who swear by the Pentel Twist-Erase, and it definitely is a great pencil. You pretty much can't go wrong with Pentel. I've never had a problem with lead wobble or anything like that in their pencils. To tell the truth, I think my dream pencil could be constructed entirely of Pentel parts. Do you hear that, Pentel? Just combine the side-click mechanism and translucent barrel of the Quicker-Clicker, the kickass eraser of the Twist-Erase, and the document clip and retractable tip of the TranXition, and you'll sell a million of 'em. Call it the Quicker-CliXerase.
PS — Hey, I almost forgot to tell you about my highlighter! Isn't it cool? I bought a 3-pack when I saw them on sale at the office supply store. They're way overpriced otherwise. It's a highlighter with a cartridge of little sticky note flags in the barrel! And the cartridge has a little cover you can slide over it when not in use so the flags don't get all messed up! And you can replace the cartridge! I use this all the time. It lives on my stopwatch lanyard.
