Möbius+Ruppert, der in Erlangen ansässige Hersteller von Spitzern und Zeichengeräten mit über 100-jähriger Geschichte, hat seine Website überarbeitet und führt mit dem ARTEX sowie dem DUPLEX zwei neue Handspitzer auf. – Das dem ARTEX zugrunde liegende Patent „Spitzer für Stifte“ wurde im April 2019 veröffentlicht.
Mit einem neuen Bleistift richtet sich Mitsubishi/uni (Japan) an Schüler. Der Abstrich der neu entwickelten Mine des nur im Härtegrad 2B, aber drei verschiedenen Lackierungen erhältlichen (so die automatische Übersetzung) „uni tablet class pencil“ soll bei gleichem Schreibdruck stärker schwärzen, weniger glänzen und weniger reflektieren als die eines üblichen Bleistifts, sich aber genauso gut radieren lassen.
Das kürzlich veröffentlichte Gebrauchsmuster „Stift mit PLA/PBS-Schaftgrundmaterial“ von STAEDTLER beschreibt einen Stift mit einem Schaft aus Polyactid (PLA) und Polybutylensuccinat (PBS). Diese beiden Biokunststoffe sind im Gegensatz zu dem bisher für extrudierte Stifte verwendeten Polystyrol biologisch abbaubar, bieten aber die gleichen Gebrauchseigenschaften, vor allen Spitzbarkeit und Biegefestigkeit. Weitere Bestandteile des neuen Schaftmaterials sind Cellulose als Füllstoff, Wachs, einige Additive und Farbmittel.
Nach dem halben Bleistift zum doppelten Preis gibt es von Blackwing jetzt den Blackwing Lab 11.24.23. Die zwölf Bleistifte dieses Sets stammen aus dem Ausschuss, der über drei Jahre gesammelt wurde, und lassen befürchten, dass das nächste „Lab“-Set aus dem besteht, was beim Ausfegen der Werkstatt anfällt.
Even after 15+ years of reading the stationery blogosphere, I’m consistently amazed by the effort the Japanese put into developing new and improved pencils. The rest of the world seems to mostly consider the problem solved, but the Japanese companies keep working to improve them. Amazing!
I wonder if these new Mitsubishis use a polymer/graphite core? The qualities they describe strongly remind me of the Black Polymer and Craft Design Technology pencils. They were always remarkably smooth writers and had a blacker, more matte writing.
And in a fitting piece of symmetry, in a post including improved pencils, we have information about rejects being sold at full-price as a “limited edition”. I’m only dimly aware of the Blackwing’s endless editions these days, but from what I can tell, the brand seems to have successfully hacked the hipster psyche with its editions and pricing. Like many things, it successfully charges a premium to people who think they value quality but more value signalling it!
I’ve still got more than a box of early re-run 602s and a few boxes of CDTs and Black Polymers. All three sit unused but for different reasons: the 602s because they’re absolutely mediocre and I don’t like what Cal Cedar did back when they “relaunched” the brand; and the others because they’re too precious!
The effort and creativity of the designers of Japanese stationery (not only pencils, but in general) is really amazing! They are often a step ahead of others.
I don’t know which leads Mitsubishi/uni uses for these new pencils but maybe you’re right. And these pencils with polymer leads you have mentioned were really great! Luckily there’s still the Kutsuwa Hokusign which has a polymer lead too. – I will try to get a box of these new pencils.
“[H]acked the hipster psyche with its editions and pricing” is very apt. Their marketing works perfectly, and the edition of rejects will certainly also sell well.
It’s great to hear that you still got CDTs and Black Polymers. I was repelled by CalCedar’s marketing and gave away the few Blackwing pencils I had. – By the way, you can still get the Pentel Black Polymer 999 at Yahoo Japan and Mercari for around 3 to 4 Euros per pencil (of yourse that’s about three times the price back then but much cheaper than on eBay).
Even after 15+ years of reading the stationery blogosphere, I’m consistently amazed by the effort the Japanese put into developing new and improved pencils. The rest of the world seems to mostly consider the problem solved, but the Japanese companies keep working to improve them. Amazing!
I wonder if these new Mitsubishis use a polymer/graphite core? The qualities they describe strongly remind me of the Black Polymer and Craft Design Technology pencils. They were always remarkably smooth writers and had a blacker, more matte writing.
And in a fitting piece of symmetry, in a post including improved pencils, we have information about rejects being sold at full-price as a “limited edition”. I’m only dimly aware of the Blackwing’s endless editions these days, but from what I can tell, the brand seems to have successfully hacked the hipster psyche with its editions and pricing. Like many things, it successfully charges a premium to people who think they value quality but more value signalling it!
I’ve still got more than a box of early re-run 602s and a few boxes of CDTs and Black Polymers. All three sit unused but for different reasons: the 602s because they’re absolutely mediocre and I don’t like what Cal Cedar did back when they “relaunched” the brand; and the others because they’re too precious!
The effort and creativity of the designers of Japanese stationery (not only pencils, but in general) is really amazing! They are often a step ahead of others.
I don’t know which leads Mitsubishi/uni uses for these new pencils but maybe you’re right. And these pencils with polymer leads you have mentioned were really great! Luckily there’s still the Kutsuwa Hokusign which has a polymer lead too. – I will try to get a box of these new pencils.
“[H]acked the hipster psyche with its editions and pricing” is very apt. Their marketing works perfectly, and the edition of rejects will certainly also sell well.
It’s great to hear that you still got CDTs and Black Polymers. I was repelled by CalCedar’s marketing and gave away the few Blackwing pencils I had. – By the way, you can still get the Pentel Black Polymer 999 at Yahoo Japan and Mercari for around 3 to 4 Euros per pencil (of yourse that’s about three times the price back then but much cheaper than on eBay).