Staedtler Mars Technico 780 2 mm Leadholder and Mars 502 Lead Pointer Tub Spotlight - the workhorses of the Staedtler Blue Family

Funny how we might sometimes overlook trusted tools that we use daily. That would be the case with the Staedtler Mars Technico 780 2 mm leadholders that despite having been featured on my leadholder 101 demo video and several blog posts, it lacked a single post dedicated to it. Better late than never: this blue plastic leadholder with knurled metal grip and built-in lead pointer in its push-button is one reliable and economic choice for beginners and professionals alike. Usually priced for under 10 bucks and having widespread distribution, you can easily find a replacement should you lose it in the field. Since they are so affordable, you could easily get one for each grade of graphite that you use most often. Everyday I carry at least three of them with me in my sketching kit (H, HB, F, and lately also started carrying a 4B leadholder with a pink push button). While tubes of Staedtler Mars Carbon 2 mm refill leads often include a color-coded push-button for quicker identification of the graphite lead grade inside a leadholder, I also like to use colored plastic pencil grips over the knurled metal grips to speed up the work flow and provide a more comfortable grip without filing off the skin of my fingers. Of course the pencil grips would prevent the use of the Mars 502 lead pointer tub. Yet if you could stand the feel of the 780's metal grip as is, the rotary tub would make for a pretty effective sharpening option.
The workhorse leadholders with matching rotary lead pointers in their carded version often seen in the drafting aisles at Office Supply and Arts & Crafts stores. These come loaded with a 2H lead. The Staedtler Mars Technico 780 and Mars 502 lead pointer tub are probably the easiest to find at brick and mortar stores in the USA. They have probably been the most common leadholder in college drafting classes for decades. Simply run an image search for "leadholder", and you are bound to get quite a few pictures of this ubiquitous blue leadholder.
Regarding the 502 rotary lead pointer, I would certainly recommend searching for the German version over the more readily available Chinese model. Mine has survived the test of time and continues to perform like new with a super smooth action: one quick push of the lid, and it will spin freely for a few seconds. Try that with the Chinese model, and it hardly completes a single rotation. There are additional visual cues that would help you in telling them apart in the full Flickr photostream coverage: photo 1 through photo 9. Mainly:

• The older German leadpointer features a fluted column decorative pattern than runs from top to bottom of its barrel sides while the Chinese leadpointer features a smaller rectangular pattern.
• The cleaning sponge is of a smaller diameter on the German version, and "Staedtler 502 - Germany" is molded on the black plastic lid. The Chinese version has a Staedtler brand and logo sticker label on the lid instead, and "CHINA" is lightly etched on the bottom of the tub.
• Also you might notice how much smoother the interior plastic surfaces of the German leadpointer look compared to the uneven interior of the Chinese version. That might partially explain why the German rotary tub has also a much smoother performance.

I often carry a couple of spare Mars Technico 780 in my kit to share with students or use as prizes at the end of a cartooning course. It is often the first leaholder model that I introduce to toddlers during drawing sessions at family gatherings. Highly recommended to anyone dabbling in sketching and drawing.

Nomadic Multi-Pocket Pen Case PN-02 and vintage Faber Castell Slide Rule Spotlight just because.

Since I am going to use this new Nomadic Multi-Pocket PN-02 Pen Case as a birthday gift holder, I figured I might as well do a quick photo review for it first. For a properly thorough review, you might want to check the Pen'N'Paper blog. It is made of the same rip-resistant nylon material as my treasured Nomadic PE-10 Tri-Fold Khaki Pencil Case that holds a good portion of my mechanical pencils and leadholders collection.
To test its capacity, I randomly stuffed it with the sketching tools shown above: 2 Copic cases with sets of Multiliner SP pens, a set of 4 Faber Castell Pitt Artist pens in their plastic pouch, and a couple of erasers. Additional photos in my Flickr photostream: photo 1 to photo 7.
For such a compact pen case, the Nomadic PN-02 can certainly hold quite a bit of sketching tools. Without the rigid Copic plastic pen cases, it could easily hold more than a dozen pens. It would make for an adequate compact sketching kit if you could find it. Good luck hunting one down though, for Jet Pens clearanced them a while ago.
Here you go George: this Faber Castell Slide Rule has actually been part of my collection forever. Had it since my first college drafting course, but I did not have to learn how to use it since scientific calculators had pretty much replaced them by then. Flickr photostream coverage: photo 1 to photo 7.
Consider grasshoppers that before personal computers and portable calculators were widely available, students and engineers actually had to figure out how to use these gizmos in order to make simple Trigonometric calculations. Can't explain why I have hold on to this family memento for so long. It used to belong to an uncle that used it during his time as a student at Architecture school decades ago. Guess subconsciously I just like cool-looking gadgets that used to share the drafting tables with my beloved vintage drawing leads.

Mars J.S. Staedtler 1225 Vintage Pencil Tin circa 1920's

Just got this vintage Mars J.S. Staedtler pencil case from the 1920's that was originally made in Bavaria. Really love the naturalistic depiction of Mars god of War on its slightly convex lid. It really would have been awesome if Staedtler had released a facsimile of this tin to commemorate its 175th anniversary. Yet since not even the historic pencil set (visit Bleistift for a close up look) is getting widespread distribution, I am super happy that I was at least able to find this neat pencil tin on Ebay to celebrate one of my favorite pencil and graphite drawing lead brands on my own.

While it originally held a dozen Mars J.S. Staedtler 1225 (the drawing pencil version that preceded the modern Mars Lumograph) pencils, it can comfortably hold several leadholders and/or accessories.
Close up of the lid latching mechanism design. Still works nicely when keeping the lid closed tight and opens smoothly when the tin is pressed lightly in the middle. Almost a century old, this vintage pencil tin is still in great condition with much of its original paint and graphics still intact. A little paint has worn off from corners and the latching area, but they hardly detract from its overall beauty. Going to keep it on my drawing desk to hold the assortment of Mars Technico 780 leadholders that I like to keep on hand loaded with different graphite grades. Full Flickr photostream coverage: photo 1 through photo 9.

A.W. Faber Castell Pencil tin (1980's?) and 100th Anniversary Faber Castell Drawing Set tin

Just got a vintage A.W. Faber Castell Pencil tin (probably from the 1980's judging by the dates posted on some E-bay auctions for similar items and in the Leadholder Museum). Since Faber Castell is currently one of the dominant pencil brands worldwide, there is no shortage of pencil tins and nylon cases sporting its logo from the past few decades. Incidentally this pencil manufacturer celebrates its 250th Anniversary this year. Wonder if they will also release a similar commemorative pencil tin for this occasion like they did back in 2005 with the Castell 9000 Artist Graphite Anniversary Drawing Set that celebrated the 100th anniversary of their flagship drawing pencil.
Full Flickr photostream coverage: photo 1 through photo 9.
Big enough to hold a dozen Castell 9000 pencils and a matching A.W. Faber Castell Loctite 9400 vintage leadholder.
Decided to use this vintage tin to store the in-use leadholders on my drawing table.
Took the opportunity to use the Classroom Friendly Sharpener to restore the long points on a full set of Faber Castell 9000 and Tombow Mono pencils. This pencil sharpener is quickly turning into one of the most reliable and preferred choices in my collection, for it does reduce waste with its auto-stop feature and consistently yields smooth tapered points without shattering the wood on older pencils.

Dixon's ElDorado Master Drawing Pencil Earliest box packaging

Just completed the sequence of historical boxes of Dixon's ElDorado Master Drawing pencils with this dark blue matchbox-style box with gold lettering with half a dozen 8H pencils from the 1920's found on a recent E-bay auction. Trade with Germany and the rest of Europe was probably rather limited after World World I, allowing this American pencil company to thrive through the mid XX century. Sadly this pencil line vanished in the 1950's according to the product timeline depicted in the Leadholder Museum. I am particular fond of this pencil brand and related packaging, for my first encounter with pencils other than the everyday No. 2 or HB pencils were a bunch of boxes of 6B Dixon's ElDorado Typhonite pencils in the dusty attic of a Peruvian farm a long time ago. Additional related pictures can be seen in my Flickr photostream: photo 1 through photo 5.
One of the yellow pencils in this vintage box was actually a 6H L & C. Hardtmuth Koh-I-Noor British Graphite drawing pencil made in Austria, quite a pleasant surprise. Probably will not use any of these hard pencils anytime soon, but they were nice additions to my wooden pencil collection nonetheless. Most of my pencils come from Germany, Japan, Switzerland, and Taiwan. In order to get a couple more of American-made pencils for the collection, I had to search vintage pencil auctions since so very few wooden pencils are currently been made stateside. It saddens me that premium wooden pencils packaged in substantially sturdy boxes or tins are no longer manufactured in the U.S.A.

Dixon's Typhonite El Dorado175 vintage pencil spotlight

Managed to nab an example of the 1950's version of the Dixon's Typhonite ElDorado 175 pencils on Ebay: a golden pencil box in good condition still holding nine unsharpened H pencils. Though I must admit that I far prefer the matchbox-style cardboard boxes depicting Inca natives and Spaniard conquerors on the cover slip used on the preceding decades. Still it is nice to have the final packaging tin version of this extinct pencil line in the collection.
Full picture coverage in my Flickr photostream: photo 1 to photo 9. The sturdy packaging tin with attractive advertising graphics hint to the higher value placed upon these fine drawing tools that were proudly made in the USA in the past century.
Despite being over half a century old, one of the H pencils worked just fine after a quick sharpening. Fine addition to a vintage pencil collection.

Cretacolor Classic 430 16 leadholder added to my 5.6 mm leadholder collection

Browsing through the local art supply store, Koenig Art Emporium, came across a 5.6 mm leadholder that I had not seen before: the Cretacolor Classic 430 16. Manufactured in Austria, it features a broad triangular plastic body with metal fittings. Its metal clutch consists of 6 jaws that firmly grip the drawing lead for precise control. They also prevent the lead from turning during sharpening. The Classic leadholder feels heavier than the wooden Ecologic leadholder, but it is still quite comfortable and can be easily rotated while drawing to preserve the sharp point. Its center of balance is closer towards the pencil tip.
Found that the Alvin brass bullet pencil sharpener was quite effective in restoring a razor sharp point to the thick 2B lead.
Sample doodle on Piccadilly sketchbook. An oversize 5.6 mm leadholder would not be my first choice for working in small journal size sketchbooks, but it is certainly built for sketching and laying down tones and shading quickly. They are great for class demonstrations and drawing at public events on 11" X 14" paper sheets or larger.
3-minute video: comparing the latest addition to the other 5.6 mm Cretacolor leadholders in my collection. If you are a fan of leadholders, you might want to keep an eye out for the Cretacolor Classic 430 16 on your next trip to an actual art supplies store (meaning a physical brick and mortar location, for my quick searches thus far have not revealed any online source stateside for them yet).

Mitsubishi Uni 3H Refill Leads 1/2 Gross Box Find

Just got this 1/2 gross box with 12 storage tubes (with 6 leads each) of Mitsubishi Uni 3H Refill Leads through a recent E-bay auction. The Uni leads have been a long time favorite, but they have limited distribution in the USA. They tend to be smoother and darker than the same grades on other brands. From their markings on the box and the leads themselves and their larger silver metal retention rings on the end, I suspect that they are an earlier version of the leads currently offered at Jet Pens which are limited to B, HB, F, and H graphite grades and feature smaller color-coded plastic retention rings.
While I usually prefer darker leads softer than H or F lead grades, I just could not pass up the opportunity of trying one of the harder 2 mm graphite leads in the Mitsubishi Uni range. These 3H leads were surprisingly smooth for such a hard grade, featured slow-wearing sharp points, and still laid down fairly dark marks resistant to smudging.Sample doodles drawn on smooth Canson bristol. They would make a fine choice for both writing and drawing. Recommended as a great combination of value and top performance. Flickr photostream related images: photo 1 to photo 6.

Dixon's El Dorado The Master Drawing Pencil Typhonite half gross box spotlight

Latest vintage find on Ebay: Dixon's El Dorado The Master Drawing Pencil Typhonite half gross box with 3 complete dozen boxes of HB pencils and a selection 29 loose pencils of different graphite grades ranging from 5B to 7H.
Manufacturer: Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., Jersey City, NJ, U.S.A.
Flickr photostream related pictures: photo 1 to photo 8
Sample sketch marks drawn on a Strathmore Visual Journal with vellum bristol pages. While ranging from several decades to almost a century old, all the vintage pencils still laid down consistent marks and provided reliable performance after sharpening them with the Classroom Friendly Sharpener (my usual assortment of handheld pencil sharpeners had a hard time cutting through the dried hard wood, but the sharpening burr of the crank operated sharpener yielded smooth tapered long points). Worth adding to your collection if you can find them through estate sales or online auctions .

Staedtler Mars Lumograph No. 1904 Vintage Drawing Leads Spotlight

Latest vintage leads won on an Ebay auction: 3B Staedtler Mars Lumograph No. 1904 Drawing Leads made in Germany in the 1940s.
The two 1/2 dozen boxes of 3B leads came packaged in a lightly worn shop display box that originally held 1/2 gross of 8B leads and had a particularly strong cigarette smell. Thus the boxes have now been hermetically sealed in a box filled with baking soda, and hopefully a few days will be enough to remove the obnoxious odors. Guess if that fails will try throwing a fabric softener sheet in there. At least those were the first two tips that pop up in Google when searching for a way to get rid of cigarrette smell from cardboard.
Finding 3 mm lead refills for these leadholders (Worther Shorty, Caran D'Ache Fixpencil 3, e+m Holzprodukte Crayon Graffiti 1983, and Lammy Scribble) can be a tad difficult, so it was quite lucky that the 2.6 mm drawing leads effectively work as 3 mm leads in all four.Of course the lightly corroded metal retention rings had to be removed before the leads could be loaded into any of them.
The 2.6 mm lead could be easily sharpened in the larger opening of the KUM 23A lead pointer.
Pretty smooth sketching experience. Quick lay down of deep dark strokes. Nice historical piece addition to my drafting lead supply stock, and still quite a functional sketching tool over half a century since its manufacture date in the 1940s. Not too shabby.
Full photo journal in Flickr photostream: photo 1 through photo 13.

A.W. Faber Castell Loctite 9400 vintage leadholder

Vintage A.W. Faber Castell Loctite 9400 leadholder probably from the 1950s to 1970s judging from the pictures displayed in the Leadholder Museum. Second American made leadholder added to my collection that was found through Ebay. In a testament of the great manufacturing standards of the time, it still works great and sports much of its original gold lettering on the barrel. A couple of small areas by the tip of the metal knurled grip have lost some of their gold coating probably from rubbing against the collar of a rotary lead pointer. It was bundled with a vintage tube of A.W. Faber 9030 2H graphite leads that contained a mixture of lead pieces including some Staedtler Lumograph green and red drawing leads. Despite their age both made up a functional sketching kit that was ready for active duty after some light cleaning with a disinfectant wipe.

Vintage NOS Find: Tubes of VEMCO TEC Strong Wax Pencil Leads

Picked these vintage lead tubes on an E-bay auction: VEMCO TEC Strong Wax Pencil Leads that the seller guessed were probably used in "in the charting and command bridge for plotting movement of ships, aircraft, battles, etc., on maps"
Plastic tube with screw-on aluminum cap.
Each tube contained twelve 2.5" strong wax colored leads: Green (VEMCO TEC No. CS-3 Navy No. R53-P-27168-40), Purple (VEMCO TEC No. CS00 Navy No. R53-P-27168-50), and Yellow (VEMCO TEC No. CS0 Navy No. R53-P-27168-70). Guess they might have really liked Mardi Gras colors back then.
All 3 colors were visible enough on the white card stock, but I think I prefer the contrast of the purple lead best. Their marks were waterproof, and I suspect they will prove fairly light resistant given that they laid down fairly saturated marks after been in storage probably for decades. Though I will limit their use to journal sketchbooks rather than finished art pieces as a precaution.
I was fortunate to stumble upon this NOS (new old stock) lot of VEMCO TEC colored wax drawing leads, for they were a perfect fit for the Pilot Croquis 3.8 mm twist-action leadholder. They would also fit in the Caran D'Ache Fixpencil 44 Museum leadholder.

PanPastel Set and Sofft Tools First Impressions

Since I have been so pleased with the performance of PanPastels for coloring caricatures using just two colors and a couple of art sponges, I decided to get a set of 20 pure colors, a couple of additional skin colors (yellow ochre tint, and burnt sienna shade) and some Sofft tools to better experience the range and potential of this line. My Blick's order arrived yesterday in great shape with no damage thanks to their careful handling and adequate cushioning air bags used in their sturdy cardboard boxes. When ordering soft pastel sets in the past, it was not rare to find a few cracked pieces here and there. Yet all the PanPastel jars arrived intact. Additional pictures of the unpacking and initial testing in my Flickr photostream: photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4, photo 5, photo 6, photo 7, photo 8, photo 9, photo 10, photo 11, & photo 12. The 20 color covered palette tray is a convenient way of organizing the pastel jars in the studio, but might be too large to take along for field work. They are actually easier to transport by threading a few PanPastel pans together with a jar of applicator tools and a sponge. The Sofft tools and applicators were indeed easy to clean on a paper towel when switching from one color to another without contamination.
Initial mark making tests with the Sofft Tools. It will take further testing and practice on a variety of support papers to get a better feel for this new painting set, but I can tell already that the PanPastels are pigment rich, clean to handle, and probably more suited for broad applications with painterly strokes and situations where quick coverage of large areas is desired. Will probably have to break out my Derwent or Stabilo CarbOthello pastel pencil sets to render the finer details. Considering that PanPastels can be easily corrected with an eraser, they certainly offer new exciting creative possibilities and smoother work flow with a media that I have avoided in the past for being "too messy".

Vintage Drawing Lead Finds: Koh-I-Noor Ejectomatic case, KIN 2200, and Eagle Turquoise Vermilion leads

Latest vintage drafting lead finds in Ebay: couple of NOS (New old stock) boxes of Koh-I-Noor 2200-I Ejectomatic with B and 2B leads. Quite a unique packaging with a fairly elaborate design. The box was made in Italy, and the leads were made in Austria. The B case was in perfect working condition, but the 2B tube had come partially unglued (so the leads were bunching up on the ejection side of the box) and the box sides needed to be secured with a rubber band to flatten it and work properly. Couple of additional Flickr images: photo 1, photo 2, and photo 3.Koh-I-Noor Graphite Leads 2200 6 new B leads nestled in a wooden tray inside a cardboard box with brown and blue graphics. Glad I got this box in such a fine shape. Bit of a delicate packaging, my two other samples that had been previously used were partially crushed and tend to be in less pristine condition than other vintage package designs from this period in history.
Eagle Turquoise Vermilion 2376 box of 12. Actually this particular case arrived with a whole A.W. Faber Castell 9030 5B lead mixed in with the other new 11 red leads, not that I am complaining. Keep an eye out for NOS offerings that pop up for auction from time to time. I am quite pleased to have been able to add and try drafting items to my sketching collection that I had previously only seen at the Leadholder Museum.