Pencil holders reviewed

There is just something about a wooden pencil. Sure, they don't have a retractable tip or a cap. If you try to put it in your shirt pocket, it falls out easily because there is no clip to hold it there. Even if it stays in, you sometimes end up stabbing yourself with the tip or dirtying your shirt because of the exposed graphite.

Let's face it -- wood case pencils aren't portable. But that doesn't stop us from using them. It brings us closer to nature, closer to the fundamentals of the mechanics of writing. Graphite and wood combined in one tube.

But this post isn't about the pencil. It's about a solution to your portability problems.

When I go to work, I like to take a selection of pencils with me. Sometimes I feel like using my Helix Oxford. Sometimes the Palomino is the best one. I am fickle, and want to have a selection there with me.

While I was at Office Depot one day, I looked around for the pencil boxes of my youth. It was a wooden or plastic affair, with a sliding door (much like what is on a garage). Unfortunately, I didn't find one, but I picked up something similar to what's on your left. It worked great! I put all my "good" pencils in there, along with an eraser and my KUM left-handed sharpener.

After some time, I found that because everything was all jumbled together, the lead got everything dirty. I had to wipe off my pencils before using them, lest I get graphite on my hands.

I spoke with Don, and he agreed to send me a selection of pencil boxes. Below is a review of these boxes.

Ian Nicholas Handmade Pencil Box
(Product Page)

This is one of the prettiest pencil boxes I have ever seen. Part of a series by artist Ian Nicholas, each box is handmade and has been intentionally "worn" to give it a look like it's been used and loved for many years. Sort of like a pair of new "vintage" jeans.

Size-wise, I find the box to be a little too small. I can't put brand-new pencils in the box; they won't fit. I have to wait until they've been sharpened five or six times before the length has been diminished to lay it in. There is a handy little compartment on the end for an eraser or something, but I'd just as well have it taken out so I can put a few unsharpened instruments in there.

But if you're someone who has just a few pencils in their repertoire, so to speak, this box would be perfect. It is attractive, it is quirkly, and it is bursting with personality. Unfortunately for me, it is bursting with pencils, because I have too many to put in it. But it's fun to just look at.

At $24 it's pretty steep for a mere pencil case, but then again you are getting something that was hand-made, not mass-produced. Pencil Things sells eight different styles, all with a different theme. The artist also has a different gift items. Check out his site here for more information.

Mummy Tin Pencil Box from the British Museum

(See Product Page)

What the Ian Nicholas box has in quirkiness, this box has in coolness. I guess I've always been fascinated by ancient Egypt, and this tin sarcophagus-shaped box bears all sorts of hieroglyphics, bright pictures, and a bears a little bit of history of the mummies on display at the British Museum.

As a pencil box, it works pretty well, too. The tin casing is durable, and capable of quite a beating. It is tall enough to accept unsharpened pencils, too, which is a plus for me.

I do have to complain about the fact that since it isn't rectangular in shape, there is all sorts of wasted room, especially in the "shoulders." I realize, of course, that it's not supposed to be rectangular, that you would lose the effect of the mummy shape. But first and foremost, it is a pencil box.

I think that I prefer this over the handmade box. It feels a little more substantial, made out of metal, and it is taller to accept the longer pencils. And at $10.99, the price isn't bad. Remember, you're getting a dose of HISTORY with your pencil box, son.

Pencil Things sells an assortment of four designs with different mummy themes. For other cool British Museum gift-shoppy things, check out their site.

I'm still looking for my ideal mode of transportation for my pencils. At home, I keep my collection in a Frank Sinatra cigar box, which is awesome, but isn't good for stuffing in my messenger bag and taking to work with me. I still think back to the days with the thin plastic boxes with the sliding door, and I still look in the school supply sections for new incarnations of it that aren't TOO blatantly child-like. After all, I have a reputation to uphold. I can't be dumping all my fine quality pencils in a cheesy case.

-Andy Welfle

Comments

[Brady A.]

Ethan,

Though I have not used one, Dick Blick sells nice pencil cases that may suit your needs (http://www.dickblick.com/categories/pencilcases/ ). The 'Global Classic Leather' or 'Tran Deluxe' Pencil Cases have always caught my eye. They range from holding 24 - 120 pencils.

[Ethan]

I am a consultant, and occasionally will do on-site work for a client. I have searched for a pencil case that is professional and effective so that I could bring wood case pencils on the job, but I have yet to find such a beast. The Egyptian case is certainly cool, but would be out of place in a professional environment. There are "pencil pouches" available that look good, but they have all the problems you detailed. For now I am stuck with using mechanical pencils, but I hope to find a solution one day!