All pencil users have experienced this at some point. The point of your pencil breaks, you sharpen it and it breaks again; repeat until you give up or it’s all gone.

The reason this happens is usually because the pencil lead is broken on the inside. When I feel like that is the problem I just throw it out and get anohter pencil.

Other times there might be a problem with the sharpener. For example the Pollux can be a little “fuck this pencil” and just break the point before you get to where you write with it. And a few times I have experienced that KUM blades after a lot of use are worn down to a place where they mess up the point in a way where it just breaks at the same point.

When I see the point breaking a lot. I always try with a different pencil first. Ideally of the same type. And if that also breaks I try with a different kind of pencil. If all of them break I find a different sharpener.

My go to pencil sharpener when I’m at home is the Classroom Friendly. One of the main reasons for it is that I very rarely have any problems with it sharpening anything.

This was the first Blackwing I’ve had in a long time, and the first Volume I’ve had in even longer.

My original plan was to order some Pearls. But asw this box of Volume 6 in stock and decided to get that instead.

I think they look really cool. Two colors. Blue and Red. And then the erasors are the oposite of the barrel.

The theme of this release was “Neon”, while I think the colors look awesome and quite unique, I don’t get a Neon vibe from them.

It comes with the soft core. Something I have not used in a long time. It is fun, but not the most practical for writing more than some short notes

This pen have been on my I should check out list for as long as I have been listening to The Pen Addict.

It is also the first time I am using a gel pen since like 2015.

This pen is so much better than anything gel pen I have ever used before.

I ordered three different versions all in black: 0.5mm 0.7mm and 1.0mm. After using all of them some, I think I prefer the 1.0mm in general, but I also like the 0.7mm. But the 0.5mm is too thin and scrathy for my taste.

At the end of my testing I ordered a like 10 of the 1.0mm version. And it will be my go to pen for when I just want something simple and reliable. Like when I’m hiking and similar.

A Blackwing Volume release is just a regular Blackwing pencil with a different design. There are most of the time not any other differences. There was a time when one of the core’s wasn’t available outside it. But these days all the cores are available as a regular edition.

What makes a good one? I think the design has to mix the theme of the release, it has to look great and either be unique or a really good looking version of something existing.

When I say look great, that doesn’t mean I like it. Just that it is a well designed version of what ever it is.

Some of the Blackwing Volumes have been very unique designs like the comic book one. While others have been their own take on something that someone else are already making. For example like the Staedler Noris. I don’t think it is a problem as long as Blackwing makes it look amazing. The $25 or whatever a box of Blackwing costs today of some random pencil should be the perfection on it. And I think Blackwing did that with the Noris like edition they did a while back.

Blank paper was kind of where it all started for me in a lot of ways. My first other than whatever was in the office notebook was a A5 hardcover Moleskine with blank paper. Knowing Moleskine it was probably a bastardized A5.

I have over the years slowly left the A5 lifestyle.

It looks so cool when people are able to write straight on a blank paper. But I can never do it. The only times I have managed to do it is when I have cheated with a stencil with either dotgrid or lined behind the page. But that was too much work in the long run.

It kind of works for me with pocket sized stuff. Not because I write that much straighter there. Or a little since it is smaller. But I’m fine with it on them because they are just this thing I use when I don’t have anything better available.

I got a couple of blank notebooks a few months ago. And it was a pain to get through them. And I have decided it is time to just leave it and stop using blank ever.

For some reason I had gotten myself to the section of the Blackwing website looking at all the Volumes designs they have done. And I was halfway to making a curated list of all the ones I love. So I kept going until I could not get rid of any more. These are the seven I think are the best. Also a great movie.

• Volumes 651
• Volumes 223
• Volumes XIX
• Volumes 42
• Volumes 54
• Volumes 56
• Volumes 24

This is kind of an upgraded version of the KUM long point sharpener. Kind of, but not really; the points they give are slightly different.

I have only had one of this sharpener. Unlike the long point sharpener that I have broken 3 of.

There isn’t really anything fancy about this sharpener. A block of metal with two holes in it and similar blades to the long point sharpener.

I think the regular long point is a good starting point when you get your first order of nice pencils. But the moment you realise you like this is when I think you should get a masterpiece.

It will last you a really long time, unless you screw up and mess up the holes for the screw when changing blades.

I still have mine, I don’t use it a lot. But it is what I bring out the moment my other sharpener struggles with a pencil.

This is without a doubt one of those pencil sharpener I’ll always have in my collection. If I lost the one I have I’d order a new one immediately.

I have had this pen on my wishlist for almost 7 years. It was one of the pens I noticed on a blog post right after I started the Ink Smudge in late 2015. And it never worked out to get it because I either didn’t have the money or it wasn’t in stock.

This is the first Franklin Cristoph pen I have bought. I got it with a 1.9 sub / music nib. It is wet, broad and awesome. Not the most practical to write with. But I still love it.

Also love how this pen looks and how awesome the ink inside it looks. This pen begs to be eyedroppered. Something I did within miniutes of getting it in the mail.

It isn’t unlikely me getting another of these pens sooner or later.

The Blackwing branded or not; the difference between isn’t worth going into.

When I started to get into pencils I ordered this sharpener.

It is a good sharpener, not the longest lasting design ever, but it is a good sharpener.

This is a two step sharpener. Meaning that you have two holes. The first one with shave off wood, while the second shape the point. They use the same blade, but the hole you stick it into changes the angle.

I think this sharpener is a good place to start when you get into pencils. It comes with two replacement blades, but the plastic construction can make it hard to change them without destroying the sharpener. Turns out screwing metal screws into plastic is a bad idea.

It has a cover, meaning you can shave your pencil without having a cup or something to put the shavings into. But in my experience the cover isn’t sturdy enough to put in a bag or anything like that. And all of the covers I have had with the multiple versions of this I have owned have broken after prolonged use.

The KUM longpoint is a good point. Not my favourite. But it is a solid one. If I’m going into the details of what I don’t like about it: I prefer a longer point than it gives, and I think it is too sharp.