Get the Lead Out

We’re all laden down with wires and gadgets and i-this and i-that — but even as the electronic gewgaws pile up everywhere, I cling to my pencil.

pencilGlance around at your next meeting and you’ll find that most people are gripping pens. Sure, pens, like pencils, are an analog tool, but pencils are not merely low-tech, but organic. And renewable. How’s that for a couple of buzzwords? Scratching out your notes with a pencil, like using the tip of a burnt stick to draw on the cave wall, is much more primal than a pen.

My current weapon of choice is the esteemed Mirado Black Warrior, an impressive looking pencil. That name, Black Warrior would not be a great thing to call your school’s sports teams, but it’s an awesome name for a pencil.

Curious about the Black Warrior, I found a tremendous review on Pencil Revolution, a blog that’s all about… well, pencils. And let me tell you, this guy can write. A few excerpts:

Of course, the Black Warrior smells heavenly because of its cedar construction, and sharpening a rounded wooden pencil is a breeze with any quality sharpener.

The Black Warrior, with its black finish, banded brass ferrule and rounded shape, stands out among American pencils when on a desk or sticking out of a shirt pocket.

The round shape allows for holding the pencil in different positions, and I imagine that Comrades who have had the corners of a pencil embedded into fingers will appreciate the gentler shape of the Black Warrior. They fall right off the desk, so angle them carefully.

Now, if I could only make a habit of actually using all those notes I scribble with the Black Warrior, then maybe I’d be making some progress.

2 thoughts on “Get the Lead Out

  1. Thanks for the kind words!
    I keep thinking we should re-review them, since they’ve changed so much (in good and bad ways I think) since we published that.
    We’re always looking for new reviewers, if you’re interested. 🙂
    Cheers!

  2. After reading some of the posts on Pencil Revolution, I realize that I’m a mere novice when it comes to pencils. Thanks for writing!

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