As I mentioned on Tuesday, when I noted that we had restocked on M+R pencil sharpeners and replacement blades, one goal of mine has been to establish a small curated retail outlet that continues to stock specialty pencils and high-end pencil accessories. While you can always read more in the “Resources” section of the blog, and specifically the “Best Pencils” section, I thought I’d take some time this morning to talk about five of my favorite pencils that I enjoy so much I want to continue to offer them to you directly.
Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood Pencil. Sure, some people call it the “Stinkwood,” but I actually enjoy the smell of the classic beech pencil, which to me isn’t overpowering or unpleasant. (For an unscented Swiss Wood experience, you can always opt for the lighter pine version instead of the beech.) This is a pencil that I think every stationery enthusiast should experience at least once. It’s pricey, but the point retention on this pencil is beyond exceptional - I have a few Swiss Wood pencils in rotation that have lasted for years. You can read my full review here.
Tombow 2558 Pencil. If you forced me to declare loyalty to one yellow office pencil for the rest of my life, it would be this one. Whether in the HB or B grades, this Japanese pencil works quite well with nearly all long-point sharpeners and holds a reasonable point while leaving a dark (but non-smeary) line. (I actually need to do a stand-alone review of this one. I can’t believe i haven’t already.)
Caran d’Ache Fixpencil. Do you enjoy the larger core of a woodcase pencil, but still appreciate the feel and convenience (no wood shavings!) of a mechanical? Consider trying a leadholder. Originally conceived as a replacement for woodcase pencils due to wartime materials shortages, the Fixpencil features a hexagonal barrel and a clip for convenience. We highly recommend pairing with a dedicated M+R lead pointer, which will give you a much finer point than the integrated in-cap version.
Caran d’Ache Edelweiss 3B Pencil. Typically 2B is as low on the “dark” scale as I can go, but given Caran d’Ache’s generally harder graphite, this 3B pencil hits the sweet spot. Exceptional value for the quality here.
Full Pencil Sets. Unsure of your preferred hardness and looking to explore the different grades of graphite? We currently offer two separate options: One pencil set from Midori MD featuring 6B, 4B, 2B, B, and HB pencils (plus a sharpener and pencil caps), and another from Mitsubishi, featuring 22 high-quality Hi-Uni Pencils in all grades on both the H and B scales. We also sell certain grades of Midori and Mitsubish Hi-Uni pencils individually.
We currently have both the standard matte black Fixpencil and the colorful Fixpencil 884 in stock, along with leadholder refills.
If there are specific pencil and pencil accessory brands that you feel are not adequately reflected at retail, and you would like us to stock, please reach out and let us know. That said, we can only continue to stock them if you spread the word among other enthusiasts and let us gain visibility (pencils are a very niche market, as you all know), so we greatly appreciate anyone spreading the word in forums, Facebook groups, on social media, etc.
The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.