Seen on the screen, Christmas mood

This is not the traditional Christmas movie, it is Bad Santa 2.

In the opening scenes, Billy Bob Thornton is writing his goodby notes on a, what seems to be, a pizza box with a Parker Jotter pen.

It is a red plastic barrel Jotter pen. It is not very clear but I think it is the translucent version.

In a very messy kitchen between empty bottles and a lot of trash

Billy Bob Thornton is using the Parker Jotter to note down his last wish

Of course, he doesn't go through with his plans, as it would be a bit depressing for a Christmas movie and also very short.

I wish you all a wonderful time beside the loved ones Take care, stay safe and enjoy the holidays.

 

Faber Castell lead grade and a bit of history

I stumbled upon a catalog from Faber Castell which I consider to be very interesting, "Product Knowledge Manual".

The catalog starts with a short history of the company and its line. I like that the history was detailed and well documented.

I encourage you to read it but I will give below a short version presenting the important moments, so be aware, spoilers will come. 

-In 1761 Kasper Faber produces a pencil in Stein and sells it in a market in Nuremberg. 

-Then his son Anton Wilhelm Faber takes over and the workshop becomes A.W. Faber. After the business is taken over by Georg Leonhard Faber, but he doesn't do too well, as the business goes through rough times (political and economic difficult period). 

-The son of Georg, Lothar von Faber takes over and develops the business.

He develops the modern quality pencil, sets the length and different grades of hardness that remain valid today, also it is the first time to produce a hexagonal section

The pencil is labeled A.W. Faber, becoming the world's first brand pencil. Also, he expands and founds a branch in New York, and subsidiaries in London, Paris, Vienna, St Petersburg.

-Wilhelm von Faber, the son of Lothar runs the company for a while. 

-After Wilhelm's death, his daughter Baroness Ottilie von Faber marries Count Alexander zu Castell Rudenhausen. Lothar before his death through his testament assured that future generations will have to keep the Faber name. So after the marriage of Ottilie and Alexander, the family name became Faber - Castell. At this time the company became Faber-Castell.

In 1905 the green Castell pencil range is launched, with a new product logo "Tournament of the jousting Pencil Knights"

-Roland Graf von Faber-Castell, son of Ottilie and Alexander succeeds 

-Followed by his son Anton Wolfgang Graf von Faber-Castell ran the company until 2016

-After his death, the company was taken over by a board of directors of which Countess Mary von Faber-Castell is part of

Indeed an interesting history. So between 1839–1896, Lothar the 4th generation of Faber's running the pencil business standardized what today is a Faber Castell pencil, the basic shape, and the lead hardness grade. In 1905 Alexander, the 6th generation made the traditional Faber Castell green.

They tell us that "the ideal writing pencil (for example in office) is the medium degree of harness so-called HB, while the school student's pencil has a B hardness degree.

I always thought that a #2 pencil is the equivalent HB, but apparently, it is B.

1     2     2 1/2     3     4

2B  B      HB      H   2H

Faber Castell offers the model 9000 pencil in 16 degrees of hardness, which is awesome. Also, in the manual the diagram of the mixture between clay and graphite for all the hardnes's.

It is interesting as we can approximate the mixing of the two components to get the different hardness. Just at a glance, you can see around the HB is an inflection point where the increase of graphite in the composition is less and less. I mean that between a 2b and 4b the formula seems to be very similar. 

Based on this graphic the composition rounded up to an integer. The b - 8b is increasing the graphite by an increment of 2 percent. 

Also, the HB is not a 50% mix of the two but 66% of graphite and only 34% of clay.

This is true of course for Faber Castell as the hardness of the lead is not standardize, so different manufacturers can produce the HB pencils a bit different.

World record for sharpening pencils

A very interesting section can be found on speedrun.com on sharpening pencils.

For those of you who don't know, speedrun is a site where you can compete with other people via the internet in different challenges. For example, you can compete to finish a certain level of a game in the shortest time possible. It is not important the score, the execution, or anything else. You only have to obtain the fastest time possible.

You will find classic games like Mario or Wolfenstein, but also there is a section for sharpening pencils.

There are multiple disciplines in pencil sharpening, from sprint to marathon.

Sharpening 10, 69, 100, 420, 1000, 1500 and 6942 pencils.

The most competitive scene is the sprint with 10 pencils. The world record for sharpening 10 pencils is 3 minutes and 51 seconds, at this moment at least.

If you fancy being a world champion here is your opportunity.  In case the 3'51" proves too hard to beat you can opt for the marathon, in category 1500 there is only one time at the moment registered and for 6942 pencils there is no competitor. So this will guarantee a spot on the podium, indifferent of the time.

glhf = Good luck and have fun

For those of you who are more a board game type of player, there is a section In Real Life, which means exactly that. Sharper as fast as you can with a real sharpener, some real pencils.
The real life professional pencil sharpeners manage to beat the virtual time by a landslide. The competition is dominated by the USA in first and third place, and every other place, while Canada bringing home the silver.

fountain pens in Dark series on Netflix s1e8

 Continuing the Dark binging this weekend I have spotted in season 1 episode 8 two nice fountain pens. This time the action is further back in time in 1953, and the camera doesn't show too much to be able to recognize easily what pens are in the picture.

The first fountain pen that appears in the shot is a classic looking cigar shape pen that resembles a Pelikan, but it is impossible for me to tell if indeed it's a Pelican or what model. We can only see the shape, the trim on the cap, and on the body, but the clip and nib are not visible.
The shot doesn't last too long and it presents the fountain pen on top of a case file.

The second fountain pen is used by a young boy to do math.
Again I can't really say what the young boy is using, but it seems to have a hooded or a semi hooded nib, gold color. It could be a Pelikan MK model but I think all of those were snap cap while this cap was screwed on to the body by the boy. Also, Montblanc nr 32 has a very close appearance but the logo on the cap is not present.

The cap has gold trim and the clip is also golden and looks flat, it could be different but in the pictures, the clip is not seen very well. The clip is connected with a golden metal part to the cap.

The body does not feature any trims, and the top part of it looks to be in a slightly different color

Another wild guess about the fountain pen is Lamy 27, it has the gold trim, it has the screw cap. In the end, it is guesswork as it is hard to see details, as no closeups are available.

Being so far back the director might intentionally omit such closeups just to be safe, and not mess up the story with products that were not available to the consumers back then.

Rotring Isograph in Netflix Dark series

Best possible things to do on a rainy weekend? I started watching the german series Dark on Netflix. It is quite an interesting TV Show. It is a bit difficult to keep up with the plot, being a time travel movie. But in the end, it is worth it. By the second season, everything starts to be clearer.

In 1986, Charlotte is analyzing and keeping track of the birds that are dying.

In the middle of the forest, Charlotte is drawing and writing in the journal all the details with a Rotring 2000 Isograph in 0.25 mm size.

Rotring Isograph is a technical pen that uses pigmented ink. Being a technical pen it comes in all the possible sizes from 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm and everything in between. It uses refillable cartridges.

It is nice that the producers of the show have gone to the length of finding correct writing instruments for the period of time presented, and not only that, but they used such an iconic product.

Rotring polimer leads

When it comes to polymer leads Rotrings are the ones I love. They are average-priced but exceptional writers. The leads write very smoothly, and it's hard to emphasize this enough. I do not have problems with the leads breaking under pressure, but this is usually not a problem anymore with modern half-decent products. If you haven't written using the Rotring leads I recommend giving them a chance.  So I give them 10 out of 10.

When rOtring introduced its first mechanical pencil, of course, it had to come up with the leads for it. So in 1979 when the Tikky was introduced to the public the first polymers from rOtring came to market as well. The leads came in a package that resembled the 2 mm.

In the catalog, rOtring specifies that the leads are resistant to breaking, and they come in size 0.3 / 0.5 / 0.7 and have different hardness levels.

As you can see back then rOtring was marketing their sizes differently 0.3 instead of 0.35 nowadays and 1.0 instead of 0.9 nowadays.

As I used rOtrings a little bit later down the line I did not use this first model but I don't remember the early leads to be that resistant as it was not unusual for the pencils to get clogged up. 

rOtring catalog 1980 Romania 

A new design of the lead box was released in the later years. I do not know exactly when the new design was launched to the market but it was before 1990. Most likely the formula changed as well as the package. The leads were not any kind of Polymer but a hi-Polymer.
The new lead boxes contained 16 leads divided evenly into two compartments that. The compartments were independent and each had its own cap, even though the caps were connected to each other.

rOtring catalog 1990

Sometime before 1996 rOtring changed the packaging of the leads again. The big change is the fact that rOtring in this period transitioned from the old labeling of sizes to the modern labeling. I mean that the previous size 0.3 was marketed as 0.3 / 0.35 mm, and the 1.0 changed to 0.9 / 1.0.
In addition to the size, color coding was added to the label. And of course, the number of leads in the package was reduced to 12 pieces instead of the previous 16.
The box kept the same design and color.

rOtring catalog 1996

In the early 2000s, a new package was introduced. A more modern design, where you slide the access door to access the 12 leads that are inside. The dual compartment was forgotten. Also, the dual-labeling of the size was dropped in favor of 0.35 mm and 0.9 mm. This is the way rOtring codes the sizes even today.

rOtring catalog 2005

Another change happened in 2008 when rOtring added the Tikky name on the label. Also, the article number was changed. This makes me believe that the product itself suffered a change, or maybe it was just integration in the Stanford article system.

rOtring catalog 2008

Koh-I-Noor 2mm pencil and lead, 6 color set

I wanted to try out some colored pencils for daily business. Mostly to make marks or annotations on documents in a more visible way compared to a regular black pencil. In the past I did not have a very good experience with mechanical pencil colored leads so I tried something else, 2 mm leads. I found the only 2 mm leads in color available locally are the Koh I Noor ones.

They came in a 6 pack that contains a black one, red, blue, brown, yellow and green. The cool thing about them is that Koh-I-Noor also sells a similar pack with 2 mm clutch pencils. The pencils come in the same colors as the leads. Pretty nice.

The leads are made in the Czech Republic and come in a red plastic box with a clear top that has a Koh I Noor logo. The top slides to reveal the leads inside. They are very secure inside but if you only have one clutch pencil and you want to switch leads often grabbing them from the pack is not too easy.
The price is good as with all the Koh I Noor products. I got them for 1.51 EURO or 1.84 USD.

The colors are ok, not very vibrant but not dull. The black is the one I do not like. It feels like a colored pencil instead of a regular lead, plus it could be a bit darker. For example, a Faber Castell 2 mm lead 3B is smoother and produces a darker line.

The brown, blue, green look good and can be used for marking stuff with no problems. The red is a bit dull and not very vibrant but it is ok. The yellow is no surprise here, it can only be used for highlighting, as it is too washed out to write with it.
My favorite colors are the green and blue, followed by the brown and then red.
An erase test showed that they are not too stubborn and can be erased without too many problems. I have put to the test the Rotring Tikky and the Faber Castell Dust Free 187121 erasers. The Faber Castell did a much better job.

A Parker Jotter in the movie Oldboy

 In the intense thriller Oldboy (2003) the main character is imprisoned along with a stack of envelopes, papers, and a Parker Jotter pen.

A great instrument for writing, very classy and slick

But apparently, you can also use it as a makeshift tattoo gun. Take the refill out, heat it and ink away. I not going to comment about this... 

Staedtler erasers

Many times we read books by their covers, and when we see made in ... we immediately catalog things.

I got two erasers, both from Staedtler, both very similar looking, similar in size, shape, not so much in color or country of origin

On the left, in pink it is the Staedtler 526F C53 and on the right in yellow the Staedtler 526 35. One born in Germany while the other in Thailand.

Both erasers came in a plastic wrap, while the protective cover of the pink one can be used as a protective cover. Both erasers have the Staedtler logo on them, even though it's more visible on the pink one as it is a deeper embossing.

The simple test consists of erasing a softer 4B lead and a more standard HB polymer lead.

And here are the results of the test. Both did a good job, especially on the polymer lead. The 4B was a little bit trickier. The German is more prone to smudging and feels a bit sticky. And this is seen on the eraser as it gets dirty, especially after using it on the 4B lead.
On the other hand, the Thai is crumbling a bit more while erasing, keeping it cleaner.

I can not say that one is a clear winner, as they both did well in certain areas. The German was a hair better at writing and lines, but because the Thai crumbles more it was more effective in the areas where there were a lot of pencil marks.

 Taking a look at the eraser dust it's clear that the German sheds less, and usually in finner dust that the Thai.

Congrats to both fighters for doing a good job. On the left the Pink German Staedtler 526F C53 and on the right the Yellow Thai Staedtler 526 35

Faber Castell Loom fountain pen review

My second fountain pen purchase after the hit Platinum Preppy was the Faber Castell Loom metallic gray. It is the first serious fountain pen that I own, and I like it a lot. There are some negative things about it, but nobody is perfect.

It has been some time now that I planned to write about the fountain pen and postponed it every time until now. It is weird to see how perception changes over time. When I purchased the Preppy I was not sure about writing with a fountain pen and thought the Faber Castell Loom is a very expensive writing instrument. Now I find it to be just the right price, if not a bargain.

This review is after using the fountain pen for more than a year, so the initial thoughts that I put down on paper when I purchased the fountain pen do not 100% coincide with my current opinions.

The fountain pen has an all-metal body construction, with a plastic cap. It is on the thick and heavy side of writing instruments, but I have found out I really like the feel if it in hand. Initially, I thought it to be too thick and heavy, but now writing with it is more comfortable than with the Platinum Preppy. I think I rely on the weight of the fountain pen to apply pressure on the paper, and I have a looser grip on it, compared to the Preppy which I grip tighter and apply a lot more pressure. After a longer writing session, I feel less fatigue and cramping in the hand using the heavier Faber Castell Loom.

The fountain pen uses international cartridges (long or short). It does not come with a converter, so if you want to use a converter instead of cartridges, you have to pay extra.

Design & feel in hand:

The barrel is a cylindrical metal tube fitted with a pushed in end, the cap made from plastic and painted in different colors. I have mine a simple gray as the barrel, but you can choose other colors like pink, blue, brown, green, black, red, white, purple. The grip and barrel joint is flush, which makes the pen look great and feel comfortable in the hand, as there is no step up or down. The grip section tappers a bit, and has a series of raised circles that offer a good grip on the fountain pen. I never noticed a tendency for the hand to slip on the barrel, even though it is all metal.

The fountain pen comes in 3 barrel versions, the one that I own which is a mate gray, a second one which is polished metal and the third gunmetal which looks amazing. The polished version looks a bit cheesy and is a finger magnet at the same time.

The nib has a nice cut which makes it look beautiful and elegant at the same time. Even though it is not a big nib proportional to the pen, I think it looks good and feels great. The nib does not have a breather hole just the central cut, ornate with dots and the symbol of Faber Castell, the two knights jousting.

Also on the nib, the size is marked. F in my case.

From what I saw online, all the lower end fountain pens from Faber Castell share the same nib. The only difference being the materials and the finishes on the barrel.

The cap is plastic and snaps very securely on the body. You have to put some elbow grease to open it, but after some time it gets more normal. Or I just got used to the effort and developed hulk arms.
It can be used, posted or unposted. I prefer to use it unposted as it is nib heavy this way.

It has an unusual look compared to other caps. It looks big and fat over the pen. I would not say ugly but definitely, it is a more unique style and I think it is not everyone's cup of tea.

On the side of the cap is embossed: Faber Castell since 1762 and the two knights jousting. On the top of the cap, there is only the two knights logo. It is a very nice touch, which I like a lot.

The clip is plastic covered with chrome-like finish. On the very top, the knights are present as well.

Now the bad part regarding the cap, as you can see from the above image. The clip cracked and I had to glue it. I do not know if I was only the fountain pen's fault, as I may have forced it a bit too much. What I want to say is that it could have been better designed or out of better materials. I read on the internet opinions that the cap is plastic to reduce the weight of the pen. I think at least the clip should have been made out of metal, or maybe it should have a hinge.

I secured it in place with some superglue plus baking soda. Not very pretty, but if you don't know it's there (which I do) it is not very visible. (ok, it is visible, but I do not care anymore :) )

Dimensions:

Diameter: 11.8 mm
Length capped: 129 mm
Length uncapped: 115 mm
Length posted: 153 mm

Weight: 33 grames

Performance:

I chose the fine (F) nib because I use it on cheap paper all the time. It is a daily writing instrument and I usually take notes and make comments on copy paper, agendas and so on.

The nib feels smooth out of the box, and this seems to be the case with almost all Faber Castell nibs.

But I had a bit of trouble with it, partly Faber Castell fault, partly my fault. I wrote about what I went through with it, and you can read it if you are interested. click here.

Making a long story short, I had some troubles with the fit of the nib and feed in the pen plus I was trying to modify it a little to make it write thinner because I thought the problem is with the flow and did not suspect the problem came from how the nib and feed were not sitting properly. In short, I could not use large international cartridges because the pen would burp ink frequently, plus the nib felt wobbly sometimes.

At some point in time, I thought of just scraping the fountain pen and buying a new one. At this point I made some drastic nib corrections because I didn't like the feel of it anymore and distorting the nib was not a concern anymore. The main problem was that the nib was drying when I was making faster movements on the paper, and skips occurred more often than I would have liked.

Be careful as you can make it worse, and believe me I did it at first. 

Now I can say the fountain pen writes very nice again, but it is a hint of luck that I didn't damage it beyond repair in the first attempts.

In conclusion:

Even though I had some problems with the fountain pen, I would say it is well worth buying the fountain pen. For 25 euros or $30 (this is what I paid for it), you get an all-metal barrel, and a great writing experience. Before buying the Loom I have tested in the shop a Pilot Metropolitan (I own one now, coming soon), Lamy Safari and Al-Star, Kaweco Sport. And I think it is the best between all of the above mentioned. Most comparable, I would say it is the Al-Star, but I didn't like the grip and the design as much I like the Loom's.

Not seen on screen with Jason Statham in the trailer of Blitz 2011

This time is all about what you will not see on screen. (from the movie Blitz with Jason Statham)

Faber Castell TK-FINE 9719 1.0 mm

After a long wait, it came the time to write about my Faber Castell TK - Fine 9719 in size 1.0 mm. I own this mechanical pencil for more than 7 or 8 years. It was my first Faber Castell I have purchased. I chose at the time the TK Fine as it seemed a nice alternative to other more plain mechanical pencils.

It is not the cheapest but not that expensive after all, it has a few nice features that you see on more expensive pencils.
It is a technical mechanical pencil, and it comes with a fixed retractable tip, which makes it pocket safe. The tip has a little bit of a wobble to it, but it is present in most mechanical pencils that have this feature. It features a lead hardness indicator, a basic and simple way to keep track of the lead that is inside, you rotate the clip. The indicator has the following writings available -, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H. Although because it is such a simple and basic lead indicator, people who use it a lot might get the letters erased by constantly rotating the clip, which is held in place by friction.

The clip has on the side written Germany.
The cap is a very thin barrel which is closed with at one end with a plastic part with ISO coloring to indicate the lead thickness at a glance.
The body is made out of plastic in the classic Faber green. The grip is octagonal while the rest of the barrel is round.

This pencil never clicked with me, even though I tried to make it happen.. The grip is slippery and a bit uncomfortable for longer writing sessions for me. This might not be the case for everybody so I will not focus on this too much. My other complaint is about the tolerances on the cap. It is way too lose on it, and there is a high chance of losing it. I have seen multiple TK-FINES around the office with missing cap ends. I bent my end cap at both ends to make it stay in place after I found it a couple of times on the bottom of the backpack.
Another thing that shows low quality in the materials used are the shiny surfaces. The tip, clip, and cap. Over time, even though the pencil sat in storage most of the time they have lost the shine and they look aged, weathered.