A Very Pencil Things Christmas

If you're like me, holiday shopping doesn't come until you can see the whites of Father Christmas's eyes. When December 20 rolls around, I look at my planner and realize, "Holy #%*&," Christmas is in less than a week!"

If you want a little bit of advance warning, however, have I got the blog post for you! In the spirit of a list-lovin' American capitalist, I am presenting, from cheapest to most expensive, the TOP FIVE PENCILTHINGS.COM GIFTS.

5. The California Republic Graphite Sample Pack    -    $2.25

For a mere two Washingtons and a, um, Washington coin, you can purchase the following top-quality pencils:
 
Palomino. Orange. #2 HB.
Golden Bear w/eraser. Blue. #2 HB.
Prospector w/eraser. Green. #2 HB.
Forest Choice w/eraser. Natural. #2 HB.

This is perfect for when you want to introduce a quality pencil to a plain ol' Office Depot-brand pencil user. This very sampler pack was what I ordered when I first discovered Pencil Things and my love for woodclinched pencils.

4. Pencil of the Month Subscription    -    $6.00 to $9.00 per month

An extremely innovative idea, Don has had nothing but positive responses to this. See this post and this post to get an idea of what your giftee would get each month. And trust me -- pay the extra three bucks to get the limited edition pencil, too. The sheer history behind the vintage pencil picks are worth it.

3. A Rhodia Notepad or two    -    Price varies: from $2.00 to $10.00

As I pointed out in my review of Rhodia notepads, when you use it, you know you've reached "notepad nirvana." Think that's an overstatement? Go ahead and buy the 3" x 8.25" notepad ($3.00) for yourself. It's perfect for grocery lists and on-the-go note-taking. I've personally converted two newspaper reporters to this product. And its only three bucks. Do what the Europeans do and get the graph paper for portraite or landscape writing.

2. California Republic Palomino 12-count with gift box    -    $16.95

Two of my close coworkers and my best friend all have a birthday two days apart from each other. This year, I bought all of them one of these little babies. Uninitiated as they are to quality scribomechanica, each of them told me what a fine gift these pencils made. And how cool is the wooden box it comes in?
Take your pick from a variety of colors, styles and hardness. Personally, I bought the HB orange barrels with erasers, but that's the way I roll. What sort of pencil would your giftee like?

...And finally, the number one gift for someone very special in your life...

1. A Zimmbro Handmade Wooden Clutch Pencil    -    $125.00

Now, I haven't had the pleasure of using one of these beauties yet, but believe me, I can't wait. Gaping at the price? Well, think about this: You can't find this anywhere else. Don from PencilThings commissioned these EXCLUSIVELY for this website. Only two craftsman produce these, a mechanical engineer specializing in prototype design, and a world-renowned pen turner and inventor. These just happen to be brothers. With a variety of exotic hardwoods to choose from (Bubinda, Tiger Maple, Bloodwood, Cocobolo and Red Flame Box Elder), you feel like you're in a Harry Potter novel getting a customized wand made at Ollivanders. (Sorry, geeky moment.)

Read the product page for more information, or email Don. He can explain it much better than I.

I hope I planted some ideas in your head if inspiration for the perfect gift has not yet struck, and have a happy holiday!

-Andy Welfle