KUM Ghost Sharpener and blue 2M Long point sharpener with leadpointers spotlight

Found these KUM sharpeners at the Jerry's Artarama store in Raleigh. I am mostly trying out a new laptop with this particular post, so I quickly made a couple of rough videos to cover the features of the Ghost and 2-stage long point sharpener and some doodling with the KUM pencil included with the ghost sharpener. Not particularly happy with the grainy results, so will have to keep tinkering to find a happy medium between video quality and a reasonably fast upload process.
Getting back to the sharpeners: the novelty ghost one glows in the dark and would look quite nice decorating your drawing desk particularly in this time of the year with Halloween fast approaching. It has a generously sized waste compartment for the shavings and a plug for the sharpener opening to prevent debris from falling out. A plastic wedge sharpener is attached to the base that fits securely to the bottom of the ghost. The blue 2M long point sharpener is possibly the most versatile choice for the traditional wooden pencil user that also enjoys using 2 mm and 3.15 mm leadholders. It even comes with 2 spare blades to prolong its useful life. Both KUM models would make nice functional additions to any pencil accessories collection.

Faber Castell Loctite 9800 SG Review

Latest addition to my Faber Castell leadholder collection: a new old stock (NOS) Loctite 9800 SG 2 mm clutch pencil manufactured in Germany in the 1970s. It features a distinct golden ribbed grip, lead degree indicator (from HB to 4H), and 3-jaws clutch section. Initially I thought that it did not come with a drawing lead inside, for nothing came out when I pressed its yellow push button. Yet when I tried refilling it, I found that a lead was already stuck inside.
Discovered some green corrosion within the barrel when I took the Loctite 9800 apart. Some build up was preventing the lead from sliding out. After cleaning the individual components and shaking off the debris, this drafting pencil worked just fine. It is really as a comfortable and fun sketching tool with its center of gravity close to the tip. Recommended addition to any leadholder collection. Just take care not to drop it or scratch it, for the gold coating is prone to cracking and peelings off judging from the poor condition typical of used models that come up for auctions.
Test Doodle 2-minutes Video.

Savoir Faire Lama Li Bubble Book Spotlight

While I picked up this 8.5" X 6" Savoir Faire Lama Li Bubble Book a while back, it got lost in my storage drawers for a couple of years before resurfacing during my latest clean-up efforts. The first order of business was to customize it a bit with a few monsters to make it look a tad less girly. The interior cover was made of Lama Li paper that had been dyed a rich black. It features 65lb acid free laid paper sheets that readily accepted ink and graphite.

Trying out the Neko Heavy Industries Resident Evil Sketchbook Video

UPDATE: Made a 5 minute video demonstrating assorted sketching tools' initial doodles on the 28# smooth acid free pages of the Resident Evil sketchbook.

Venus Drawing 3800 3B vintage pencils spotlight

Just received this dozen of Venus Drawing 3800 3B vintage pencils from a recent E-bay auction. They are a good example of American craftmanship and proof of the fine drafting pencils once made in the USA. The shape of their white end caps even reminds me of the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencil black cap with a yellow dot. Sadly despite their quality and smooth performance, the production of this distinct-looking pencil (with the name "Venus", statue logo, and crackled coated barrel) was discontinued sometime during the later part of the XX century. The pencils arrived loose, so I found them a home in an old pencil tin. Thought it appropriate to bring out an earlier example of pencil packaging used by the American Pencil Company (Hoboken, N.J.) for their Venus Indelible Copying pencils that share the same crackled coat finish. Reportedly these 3B pencils were manufactured by Faber Castell, but they were not labeled as such anywhere on their barrels.
Sample doodle drawn on beige card stock. The soft 3B lead readily sharpened to a strong fine point. The pencil tip wore down slowly and glided smoothly on my Resident Evil sketchbook producing rich dark blacks that resisted smudging and still erased quite well with a soft vinyl eraser. They still are a great choice for a sketching pencil despite their decades-long storage. From their markings they were probably manufactured in the 60s or 70s. If you find any good deals on vintage stock of Venus drawing pencils in your preferred graphite degree, pounce on it. Highly recommended.

Royal Langnickel Sketching Pencils Set Review

John from PencilWrap.com generously sent me this Royal Langnickel Sketching Pencils Set to try and review. He reported that he recently acquired several sets for a buck each. While this was my first time trying this particular brand, I did recognize them from value sketching sets often seen in the bargain sections of bookstores and craft stores. The back of the pencil box indicated that these pencils were made in China. There was a lack of consistency in the pencil slats, since some pencils were made with slats of different color. The softer B leads were rather crumbly, and their tips broke quite easily. Thus the softest 6B pencil wore down rather quickly after the repeated sharpenings required to keep it pointed for this doodle test. While the 12 different pencils were labeled 5H through 6B, their reference chart drawn on smooth paper revealed little change in darkness among the pencil grades on either side of the HB pencil. All the H pencil swatches were pretty much indistinguishable from each other, and the same held true for the B pencils. The 6B pencil was the smoothest and clearly laid down thicker darker lines than the harder H pencils. The Royal Langnickel Sketching Pencils Set is an adequate introduction to the fact that pencils are available in different grades of hardness. Beginners might learn the differences between H and B graphite grades from trying out this set. Value priced, it makes for a suitable choice for kids' classes or field use since you would not mind much if some pencils were to get lost. Compared to premium graphite pencils though, these Royal graphite pencils feel rather rough and weak. Unless you also find them in the dollar bin, I would recommend skipping them altogether and investing on a set of true artist grade pencils instead. Bottom line: they are ok to try just so you can better appreciate the improvement in performance of premium artist grade pencils.

Baby Turtle Reference Pitures

Found these little guy on the sidewalk while taking out the trash earlier today. Figured might as well give him a ride to the brook where he could swim away from predators. Took a couple reference shots for later use.

Tru Point Standard Leaholder Review

Found another vintage new old stock (NOS) 2 mm leadholder for my collection through E-bay: the Tru Point Standard. This metallic blue pencil arrived neatly packed in its cardboard box along with a folded product catalog and display card in pristine condition. Its design and color reminded me of appliances and lab equipment from the 60s and 70s. Other than some minor cosmetic differences in their barrels, it turned out to be pretty much the same as the red No. 120 Tru-Point Automatic Lead holder reviewed back in March.
Both were made entirely of very similar metal parts (probably aluminum) in the USA, so they are quite sturdy but still pretty lightweight. The graphite lead can naturally be loaded through either end, but refilling the leadholder through the back seemed to offer less resistance. What is pretty unique about these Tru Point leadholders is that the drawing lead advances a set length without been released completely when the push button is depressed. Thus the lead can not be dropped accidentally because a second spring hidden within the internal metal chamber keeps it in place. In the case of the the automatic version, every additional push on the push button advances the lead by the same set increment. The standard version advances the drawing lead at smaller increments. Sometimes it advanced so slowly, that originally it gave the impression that it stayed the same length despite of how many times its push button was depressed. With their complete metal construction both leadholders feel quite solid, and I suspect they must have provided a lifetime of reliable service to American draftmen in the last century. Probably the only time one might have needed a replacement would have been when they were lost or misplaced.
It came loaded with a 2H lead which I quickly replaced with a softer B lead for quicker shading. Recommended sketching tool with an American historical flair and unique mechanical design of its inner chamber.