Thursday, June 30, 2011

Diva, Being a Pencil

Librarians should be fanatical about their choice of pencils. Whether you prefer the classic feel of a wooden #2 pencil, the silent lead advancement of a .7mm Paper Mate Sharpwriter, or the clicking comfort of Bic’s Bicmatic Grip, insist that your library director cater to your personal writing preferences regardless of the cost.

[Editor’s note: This blog post was first drafted using a gold Montegrappa Alfa Romeo mechanical pencil.]

Ask the readers: Librarians, what is your favorite pencil?

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

What are pencils?

Anonymous said...

I'm not big on pencil preferences, but if you haven't written with a Zebra Orbitz Medium tipped roller-ball, I highly recommend it. I used to go cheap on pens, but the little bit extra spent is easily worth circumventing pen-frustrations

Anonymous said...

I have to have my purple dr. grip gel pen with only blue ink!

Anonymous said...

I found some old Eberhard Feaber "Black Velvet" #2s in my desk when I started working here, and I love them. I try not to use them too much, though, as they don't make them anymore and I want these to last!

Anonymous said...

Bic Velocity #2 -- love them!

Anonymous said...

Pentel, preferably the .7mm, but the .5mm is good, too.

Lydia Schultz said...

so, how many of the alfa romeo pencils do you own?

Heh, heh.

Christineb said...

At my library, we love the Ticonderoga Noir #2, bacause of it's beautiful iridescent sheen, classy black eraser, and sharp lead. It looks like a disco party in my desk!
Of course, we don't allow ANYONE to use them without an oath signed in blood.

librariane said...

Oooo, a Remedy by Staedtler.

It's lilac.

And mechanical.

Anonymous said...

Sharpie Pen retractable, green. And I bring my own so that I can horde it and be protective of it and keep it away from grabbing hands that will smash the tip. Which has happened and I'm still kicking myself for not being more vigilant.

Anonymous said...

I prefer a Dixon Ticonderoga #3 pencil.

Anonymous said...

Since I do the ordering, I prefer ones that cost under 5 cents each. They're just going to walk away with the customers anyway.

Barb the Amazing said...

The classic golf pencil. Short and sharp, just like me!

Kathy L said...

Pentel Twist-Erase 0.7 - Touch and you DIE! (I've gotten more protective of them after someone walked away with one.)

Anonymous said...

The Zebra M-402® is my weapon of choice when paired with a STAEDTLER® Mars® plastic
Eraser holder
. JNM

Laura Negus said...

I am always a fan of the good old Oriole #2.

Anonymous said...

I prefer the pens that colleagues have "borrowed" from the bank because they're so much better than the ones we can afford. Or the pencils with chewed tops and stickers saying that they have been stolen from another library.

Anonymous said...

Its amazing how fussy the patrons can be about pencils. We keep golf pencils in one jar and any writing implement found lying around in another jar. Plenty of requests for "anything better?"
In another job I kept a few aquarelle water color pencils on my desk for doodling. Often picked up by someone who didn't even ask first,then found s/he was writing in green or orange.

DeskSlave said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeskSlave said...

Pen: Uniball Signo Premier 207. Thick squooshy grip, nicely flowing gel ink.

Pencil: Mirado Black Warrior. Good hand-feel and the name makes me think I'm tough guy.

Anonymous said...

I hate using pencil in any form. I'll take even the worst pen over a pencil anytime. UGH the pencil SCRATCHINESS on the paper, on my hands....

Anonymous said...

We have a huge box of giveaway pencils from our local PBS station that I'm surprisingly fond of; usually I'm a pen-only kind of person. But the lead in the PBS pencils seems a bit harder than the usual #2--at least, I feel like they stay sharp longer than normal pencils.

Cindy said...

Love the Bic Velocity and when students come to the ref desk and look at it while asking to jot something down I snatch it up hand them one of those good ole golf pencils!

Sarah K said...

Ticonderoga makes a 'Tri Conderoga' pencil that I love (http://tinyurl.com/5tof4tv
) It doesn't leave the pencil notch in my finger,especially when I'm using it for a long time.

Pen: Papermate Flair felt tip or Uniball roller ball pen. I love them for vastly different reasons.

Anonymous said...

I prefer the classic Ticonderoga #2 when it is necessary for me to use pencil. They smell very pencil-y, and are sufficiently dark and soft and just all over wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Actually, I love the PaperMate Sharpwriter #2. :)

Anonymous said...

to hell with your pencils i use a Parker Vacumatic

katmeredith said...

Sharpie Pencil. FTW.

katmeredith said...

Sharpie Pencil, FTW.