The Problem with Adam Savage's Favorite Pencil
Among the tools Adam always keeps at arm's reach in his workshop is his favorite mechanical pencil: the venerable PaperMate Sharpwriter #2. But he's noticed something disappointedly different about the newest models of this pencil, and it has everything to do with color. What product did YOU love that underwent a disappointing change later on?
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Do you still have the custom white ones I made for you in a custom pelican case at NY COMIC CON a few years back? I hope they got some good use, even if they were lost on a regular basis.
Any software that is now a monthly subscription and requires internet to work. You can't just buy a CD and own it. Also: laptops without a CD/DVD player, or outlets to plug in cameras or phones. Want to right-click and save an image? TOO BAD. Now you have to do a bunch of useless extra steps. Want to video chat in Gmail? Remember when you could click a video icon and call somebody? TOO BAD. How was it easier to do in 2012 than it is now? MS Publisher used to have a graphics library of royalty free, public domain images. Not anymore. Now it's based on a Bing Creative Commons search with a "copyright is your responsibility" warning. Some of the images provided are clearly watermarked! Those are just a few off the top of my head.
oh well... when my supermarket asda took away the 50p pure natural crunchy budget peanut butter. and everything else had plam oil and other crap mixed into it... they brought it back eventually, several years later at 3x the price with inflation... what else? hmm well makita stopped manufacturing the xfd11 subcompact 18v drill now. which was the smallest most powerful tiny drill in their lineup. and it used to be dirt cheap too. had to pay double for a 2nd one here. what else? well for the longest time certain things will goes away. then finally might come back again years later. in mens fashion certain clothes has happened multiple times. and that probably sucks the worst of all of it. what else? well basically when they completely screw up all modern motor vehicles with drm and other useless crap inside of them. to the point that they are basically unusable and costs a load of money to maintain for no good reasons whatsoever! and this especially has occured for the new vw ev, compared to a bunch of much more sensible chinese evs coming out. which is killing the western competition going forwards in the auto industry and for no aparrent purpose, other than to just destroy our own industries. it's such a shame, they are all everywhere so darned awful now. whether its an audi, vw, mercedes, bmw doesnt actually matter at all. all of them. every single one you sit in it and immediately its like... yep this has lost the plot
Modern Chuck Taylor All Stars are unwearable, they changed the design to include a bunch of padding now so they move around on your feet when the padding squishes unless you lace them unreasonably tight, like crazy tight. The padding also makes them feel much warmer on the foot, totally ruining the feel of the shoe.
Warheads. They stopped being nearly as good or as sour even in their extreme versions. I've managed to get a hold of vintage ones. This isn't just nostalgia speaking. :D
This is the only person on Earth that I would listen to talking about a pencil for 16 minutes.
Such a great comment. I was sitting at work thinking “I gotta remember to watch that pencil Adam Savage video” thinking nothing was weird about that hahah.
For my money: Leonard Read, Milton Freeman.
lol same
not only that, but his conclusion was simply that he doesn’t like it cuz it’s ugly 😂
For real, same!
Imagine being the executive in charge of changing the design of this pencil and then getting roasting by Adam Savage for 16 straight minutes for it lmfao
For real though. I hope they see this
I have learned that my favorite pencil is also Adam Savage's favorite pencil, and I have learned that my grandfathers instrument of crossword completion is now hideous. Thank you Adam, and never apologize for such passion!
"God! I'm nine minutes in and I apologise for taking so long to get to the point.." Adam, not one of us wanted you to get there any quicker 😂 this is what we're here for. Enthralled, and feeling lucky to have all this time with you and your shared thoughts,processes and inner workings.
the "it's fine" at 12:35 has immeasurable amounts of emotion in it the pure disdain, the despair
it was indeed not fine. not in the slightest
I was just about to make the same comment. You can hear in Adam's voice that everything is far from fine but he is trying not to make a big deal about it.
Adam's existential crisis was palpable
More cope has never been captured on video than this moment ...
@@DMMinthehouse I read this comment in the voice of the narrator from Arrested Development (Ron Howard). 😄
My father was one of the engineers that worked at PaperMate and actually worked on developing the production line for that pencil (among other products). He would have been pleased to know how much you enjoyed that pencil. My childhood was filled with pens and pencils taken from the test runs of production and my father’s shirts having small ink stains in the breast pocket from test pens that had leaked. One of my fondest memories of him was when he took me into work at the lab in South Boston and showed off two machines that were both making ballpoint pen nibs. One was using a single piece of wire, while the second used two wires to make the nibs. It was then that I knew how much he loved his work. Your comment about why they didn’t make them in white for you is probably spot on.
I live in Southie. Where is (was?) this pencil lab?
It was in the Gillette World Shaving Headquarters at the time. Before 1985, PaperMate was owned by Gillette at the time.
These pencils were also my favorites as I was growing up. So many pleasures in life are the little things that someone, somewhere made his life's work. Thanks to your dad.
@@marksmith7549 I imagine to be a typo but I so want there to be a Gillette Word Shaving Headquarters.
@@EyeballOrigami It is company the aussies use when they want to shorten words.
This is a story of loss, not of change. When I was in high school, I fell in love with the Stanford PhD mechanical pencil. Sanford rebranded them under Papermate and kept producing them, and I loved them so much I even got my friends into them. They were so perfectly shaped that my hands just didn't cramp with them like they did with other pencils (in research later in life, I would discover that was exactly what they were engineered for). Everything else just turned out to be way too small for my hands to hold comfortably and write with for 4-5 hours a day. I bought a new one every year in high school, always blue. I didn't need to, they didn't wear out in a year, but it was a ritual of school shopping. Senior year I splurged with my school funding and bought the one that twisted between pencil, pen, and plastic stylus. It was janky, way less smooth in function, but it was "cool." I went directly into the workforce for a bit out of high school. in 2008 I decided to go to community college to begin working on my degree in information technology. I bought a new PhD, this time in a gorgeous hunter green. I rarely used it, most of my work was digital. But it did do some pagelong division and things like that. It was basically brand new at the end of the semester. I decided that I didn't want to continue community college because it was boring me to tears due to not being at all challenging. A decade later I decided to go back to college in earnest. I'd found a private college out of state that people told me was truly challenging and pushed its students to the limit. That sounded great, and I wanted to advance myself beyond retail and hard labor jobs. I went to Office MAX to pickup supplies... and I couldn't find a PhD. No big deal, I'll go across the road to Walmart and... once again not find anything. Clearly I would just order one from Amazon. Or not. Turns out, the PhD had been discontinued in the ten years since I had last bought one (at least in the US market; it was seemingly still produced in Japan but they weren't sold here). I was heartbroken, because I remembered the cramping and pain that awaited me with a normal sized pencil. I settled on the thickest thing I could find, which was still pretty thin, and trekked on to college. It sucked. I started looking at buying an old PhD from ebay. The prices were pretty excessive, and, as a college student living off of meager savings and selling my collectible possessions, I could hardly justify $30-40 on a used mechanical pencil. Fall break of my freshman year (as I had only done a single semester of community college), I was cleaning out my closet in my bedroom at my parent's house and packing stuff up. I found an old, zip-up binder from high school. My heart fluttered. I opened it to find that inside were my senior and community college PhDs, still in perfect working order aside from needing new erasers. It's been almost six years since then. That green PhD is STILL kicking it in perfect working condition, and I still have the original replacement eraser I put in it when I found it. It's loaded with lead and has a dedicated spot at my desk. I am not losing it again. Of course, I do have the money now to pickup a used or imported one from ebay no problem, but that green PhD is special. Even talking about it, I'm debating ordering several just to put back in case of emergency.
I would check out the Faber Castell Grip Plus. Very similar, thick as heck, and my massive hands love it. Might not be for you but worth checking out, I think.
I have a very similar history with that exact mechanical pencil. I also got the version that can change between a mechanical pencil and a pen. I haven't ever seen anything top it!
Adam Savage, when you visited St. Louis for a Mythbusters live performance, I had the privilege of meeting you (and being front row in your on-stage selfie). I'll repeat what I said to you at the meet and greet afterwards: "The passion you have for what you do shines brightly, and I appreciate all your hard work." May your tools never break Mr. Savage!
“In cheapening the product to increasining the profit” is the best phrase I’ve heard in awhile.
Cory Doctorow call this enshittification en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification
Sounds like a form of Shrinkflation, but the reduction is in quality, not portion size
Like "biggering" in The Lorax.
It's possible this wasn't the issue at all though. Very possibly the machinery and tooling were so old and outdated that repairing became either near impossible or not worth replacement/fixing. It's a common thing just like with the original blackwing. Instead of replacing the machinery they just decided to close up shop. With the Papermate it's totally possible they had to replace with a completely new line and the old stuff was just not compatible for whatever reason. Just throwing the possibility out there.
Pentel Graphgear makes the best mechanical pencil.
Art teacher here: regular ol' Ticonderoga #2 pencils have become almost unusable!!! Hard to sharpen, wood splitting, breaking easier. They used to be the best!!
oh i loved these pencils as a kid that breaks my heart
I have a ton of Ticonderoga red around. I love them for watercolor sketching. Which seems like a weird thing to say but they really are the best.
Mitsubishi 9850 office pencils are good and are even pretty. The Tombow 2558 is also good but comes in yellow with a lovely ferrule if you don't care for the Mitsubishi 9850's beautiful red color.
I've been enjoying staedler blues
Yep, I'm a science teacher who has students writing with pencils every day. My Ticonderogas are still better than a lot of the cheap pencils out there, but I still have the problems you describe plus the occasional pencil with the he graphite off center so that they never truly sharpen.
The pencil nerdiness in this video makes me so happy. No tool will ever be perfect but it’s always great to know what tool is perfect for you.
I have the same love for this pencil as Adam. I was first introduced to it when I noticed my grandfather using it during my childhood. He worked as an engineer at Bell Telephone in Philadelphia. But when he wasn't at work, he was a carpenter, model maker, and daily completionist of the local newspaper's crossword puzzle. He gave me my first Sharpwriter #2, and I've bought many since. I'll cherish the dozen or so of the original make I have left!
I have also used this pencil quite a lot, though just for paper writing. It's extremely convenient to have a pencil with retractable lead in your pocket
"The old pencil has a point of view on being a pencil !" Love that. I can imagine the conversations the old pencil master would have with the young yellow apprentice. This is what we are! This is what it means to be a pencil!
That's how I feel about the products I love, so I get it.
This is the quote that encapsulates this video, for me.
My grandpa (we all called him papa), was an electrician of 40 years, a hobbyist woodworker, and general tinkerer of all things and growing up I remember spending time with him down in his basement workshop and without fail you could look at any workbench and find multiple sharpwriter #2 pencils because it was his go-to for any job, he always kept one in his pocket everywhere he went. He was also the person that introduced me to mythbusters at age 8 which just opened my eyes to the maker mentality and here I am coming full circle to a seemingly innocuous pencil, adored by my grandpa, being lauded by the person that connected us for so many years. RIP Papa.
...... I'm an electrician, hobbyist woodworker, and tinkerer... I had a basement workshop... this is weird.
I haven't thought about these pencils for probably as long as Adam has known about them. Strangely though, the sight of one instantly reminded me of my grandma. I probably spent more time taking them apart,fiddling with and inevitably breaking, the super simple feeding mechanism than I ever did writing or drawing with them.
That’s a sweet post. RIP.
@@user-ol2tz9si2n you wouldn't happen to be dead, would you?
The number of times I've said bad words after being told “oh, they don't make that anymore”… Shoes, pants, tools…you name it always my favourite stuff too
I’m almost in tears 😢 the passion you put into something as common as a pencil, and the company changes it. Breaks my heart.
Adam, I say this with the utmost sincerity. You make me feel better about my autism. Speaking openly about your feelings on this matter is something a lot of people would not do. Watching you come to the realization, in almost real time, that it was "fine" was special. Thank you.
I'm going through this with glasses. They don't make my frames anymore. And it absolutely is a black hole in my life. There are frames that are...close...but not right. And they're not even expensive, designer frames. They're super cheap in fact. ... but they were PERFECT for me. THE most perfect frames I've ever had. My insides are just crawling over it.
My comment was already here when I went to make it. Thank you.
@@matthewlawton9241 This is why when I find a "perfect" item, I buy them in bulk, if possible! I've done this with USB cables, docks, tools, clothing items, etc...
@@matthewlawton9241 In finding something special, the woes are most felt when it is lost. The fear, or discomfort, of returning to a darkness you once embraced is terrifying when you did not realize the light was nearly gone. Seek peace in the darkness for that is when your dreams return your special something; the promise of a new day brims on the horizon.
Also in the comments with autism, i was devastated to find last week that "my" shoes are no longer being made so I got a different pair from the same vendor at the shoe store because mine were falling apart, and went online to buy "my" shoes on the secondhand market. I'll have a few more years to figure out how to adjust to something else now... or maybe I'll just learn shoe repair (they're leather so they are actually repairable). Adam's reaction to his faithful pencil tool changing on him is so relatable.
I worked at a water heater manufacturer that went through a cost cutting phase. I was a process engineer at the time and was told that the purchasing team had identified a new supplier for sheet metal blanks (used as a protective shroud) that was significantly cheaper but thinner gauge and different metal composition. I was told to run trials on the new sheets and report back on suitability. The sheets worked fine for for the first 5-10 tries but quickly began to cause problems with the rollforming machine. Little did I know that the purchasing team had already placed orders for 1000s of this new product. Within 24 hrs a strange metal coating from the new sheets had galled up the rollers on the rollforming machine and they needed regular cleaning. The operator also began having to spray lubricant on the rollers and the maintenance team needed to constantly supervise the machine while running. Also, the fit-up of the folded metal sheets was not working well with the rest of the product during assembly. The purchasing team was congratulated at the time for making a cost saving, meanwhile the company had created a net loss in $ savings due to the additional cost of machine maintenance, lubricant, rework, time wasted in fitup. Unfortunately it was difficult to capture these costs on paper and so they got away with it. It can be very frustrating when corners are cut to save a few dollars and I'm sure examples like this happen across many manufacturers! Savings in one department can have repercussions in the larger picture! Listen to the engineers people!!!
god just thinking about this is such a nightmare, and i'm not even a factory manager or anything. The amount of downtime that would be caused by needing to rework production lines. The amount of rework to the machines themselves needed, and the potential for shit end product is the single largest money sink you can possibly make here.
Saving a dime to spend a dollar.
I make specialist tools for the wire and cable industry. It's amazing the difference in talking to engineers over someone precurement. Engineers listen to me and i listen to them, we come to an agreement and the tools are made, rarely any problems. But when it comes to precurement, it always ends up costing them so much more in the long run. They won't listen and make stupid demands, my favourite is "we will go to a different supplier that will accomondate us", yeah good luck, all our competition packed up as they couldn't compete with our quality and reliability.
the ole paper warriors at it again im pretty convinced they are the whole reason the world sucks.
Reminds me of my time at a whey plant. Basically, our factory took liquid whey from a nearby cheese plant, sprayed it onto giant rollers heated by steam, which would then roll around at a speed such that the whey was cooked in time to be scraped off by a blade at the front, where it then dropped into an auger to be taken to another area to process it further. When I first started there, it was great. $12/hr. at a time when the state's min. wage was $5.35/hr., 8-hour shifts M-F (I worked graveyard shift), and on the weekends, we could come in to clean the machines while maintenance did preventative maintenance on the equipment. ...THEN came the switch to 24/7 operation. Now we were working 12-hour shifts, with no shut-down times for cleanup. Needless to say, it became hell to work there. I still worked night shift, meaning there was no maintenance crew to fix anything that broke or clogged during our shift. Things started breaking ALL THE TIME. Scraper blades were cracked, lubrication systems on drums failed causing them to catch fire, augers were getting twisted, and to make matters worse, they basically pushed too much material through the machines, meaning the whey wasn't completely cooked when it got into the auger systems (hence the twisting). If it somehow made it past the augers without turning into gross milk-concrete first, it would then gum up the hammer mill, the shakers, conveyor pipes, everything. So I'm honestly curious as to how much extra money they're making since that change.
Pencil nerd, engineer, and maker here - While I have a Palomino Blackwing 602 within arm's reach while watching this, my preferred pencil is the USA General's Cedar Pointe. I prefer the unpainted pencil and have never liked mechanical pencils. I'm not trying to convince anyone. Find what you love and I love the passion here. I get it.
Modern Blackwing makes an unpainted pencil called the Natural, which is my favorite in the Blackwing line. It's the hardest lead of any pencil they sell, so perfect for sketching. I might have to pick up some Cedar Pointes, which are a lot softer.
Rajiv Surendra has a great viewpoint on the importance of loving the things we use, and not being afraid to damage the things we find beautiful because they are meant to be useful tools. I think your love for this pencil proves that point. Thanks for talking about pencils for 15 minutes, I really enjoyed it.
As an animator, this reminds me of the time at a small studio when we were gearing up to make what turned out to be a moderately successful feature film. We had a very lengthy meeting in which we tested pencils, paper and erasers, scribbling and drawing and erasing in every possible combination to find the paper that would allow for the best line and take the most eraser abuse. Once we came to a consensus we ordered pallets of animation paper and crates of pencils and erasers. And then all we had to do was make a 90 minute film one frame at a time by hand.
What film?!
Oh wow you did Pocahontas, The Little Mermaid, and Hercules! Thank you for the amazing work you did in those! Never thought I'd have an opportunity to say that to someone who actually worked on those.😮
What pencil and eraser combo? And congratulations on those films - jewels, every one.
What about the paint? You must know that it's important to select the right ones if you want to paint with all the colors of the wind.
thank you for your service
I love Adam…He never talks to the camera…He talks directly to me (and you), somehow like we are in the same room, hunched over the same bench. His presentation has an intimacy that has you nodding in agreement. As for worrying over pencils…well, we have to draw the line somewhere!
Couldn't agree more - it felt like "old school KZhead." I was looking for something to watch while eating some food, and clicked on this. It felt like he was having a conversation with me, griping about this new pencil - not that I was watching some video.
Adam never acts like a celebrity, and treats us like fans. He treats people like friends with cool interests. They might be the same interests as him, or interests that we get excited about the same way he gets excited about his interests, he doesn't care. He's excited that you're excited.
Never apologize for how much time you talk about something. It is part of the appeal, the transference of excitement about every little thing that makes every video so enjoyable.
This video reminds me of why i love watching Adam. His genuine patio. For what he loves is inspiring
To those wondering why they just watched a 16-minute video about a pencil, you didn't. I mean, you did, but it wasn't really about the pencil at all. It was about the relationship -- dare I say intimate relationship -- we have with our tools. If you've never had the shock of finding out a favorite product was being discontinued, well buckle up. It's coming. My wife and I used to get pieces of black forest cake from the local grocery store. They were SO GOOD. Then they switched suppliers, and stopped carrying them. We still talk about it like five years later. I would be heartbroken if Zebra changed the F-301 pens and pencils. I'm even a penmaker, and I still love the F-301, so much so that I figured out how to use the Zebra refills in a few types of pens -- not to sell, but just for me, so that I can show off a pen I'm proud of but still have the feel of the Zebra pen refill. We all have little things in our lives that help ground us and give us a disproportionate amount of comfort or joy -- our Goldilocks items. Not too big or small, long or short, heavy or light, wide or narrow, bright or dark, loose or tight -- JUST RIGHT. And listening to Adam talk about that for 16 minutes? That's 16 minutes well spent.
Always buy the best tools you can afford where youre at. If you hate a tool, you'll budget to replace it for better. This video inspired me to take a photo of my favourite drawing line up. A Palomino Blackwing is the most recent addition 5 years ago and I use that now that I draw "looser". However my Staedler Mars Micro is extremely sentimental as it was almost mandatory kit when I began my degree and afterwards was a daily driver. Solid, reliable and tactile. I avoided using the eraser on it. I have an opinion that erasers on most pencils are pretty shithouse, or good and very finite... so don't want to love them too much.
Oh god, why is the F301 such an amazing pen?
@@johnathanmoyer2375the 301 has a thin ink that doesn't smear and requires little pressure. The pen itself is very light and just big enough to be held while still small enough to fit unobstructed in most pants pockets. The only short coming is the plastic components make it fragile and I have broken many by squatting in tighter pants.
I feel your pain! As an industrial Designer / Design Manager (once even for a certain brand of toys from a galaxy far, far away), I have to agree that PaperMate did a big no-no there. Not only is the Sharpwriter what you could call a "3-dimensional representation of a (sub)brand" and therefore should not be changed as this could strengthen the position of copycat manufacturers, you simply don't mess with your core audience! *When a such a thing happens, it's normally the result of radical cost engineering, usually shifting from in-house production to a supplier - and, as now TWO companies need to make a profit, the predictable end result will ALWAYS be a much, much worse product.*
"now TWO companies need to make a profit, the predictable end result will ALWAYS be a much, much worse product" Never truer words were written in all of the History of Capitalism… Also they hurt our Adam, as if their Greed alone wouldn't be enough to call for their heads and cry out for Communism, this is!
Kenner. Woo
Industrial designer here aswell. I like what you pointed out. Companys should be more proud and commited to what they have and what they are. After all they had a following for thier product and a uniqueness in the market. Everything you wish for. And now it's arbitrary and random. The yellow is exactly the yellow you get if you ask a random manufacturer: "Can we get it in yellow?" Unfortunately this is the way a lot of companys are steering torwarts. Hence the Helvetica logo trend. Profileless and streamlined. Super boring uniformity. Marketing agencies and departments should give the design decisions back to the designers!
@BH.22. I like torwarts better than towards. I am going to start using that from now on.
we also learned this with New Coke....never change the core product, always offer the new design as an alternate or variant for those who don't know in the 80's Coke made new coke, tried to replace the old formula and after a wave of backlash they reverted back, had new coke just been an option it might not have gotten such hate...
I can't believe I listened to Adam talk for 16 minutes about his favorite pencil. But, much like the original PaperMate that you love so much, you are also an institution.
I’m going to echo a lot of other people on here when I say that the noise you made along with the “its fine” was the most validating moment of the video and I want to thank you so much for putting that moment on camera. As someone who’s made that exact same sound over Athletic Tape before, I’m glad to find someone else who gets worked up over something that other people will see as inconsequential. I’ve found a new tape brand that is a very good substitute but it’s not the same.
When Adam is talking about clearing out the injection molding machines for making a custom colour, what he's referring to is called a line purge. The Dum Dum lollypop mystery flavours are actually the result of not purging the lines between flavours, so they are a mix of what they just finished making and what they are just starting to make.
Thank i didnt know i needed that info 😅😅 but i did thanks
That's why those are my favorites. You never know quite what you'll get, and you may never have another like it!
i have worked in many a plastic manufacturing setting, rotational molding, injection molding, sheet and bag extrusion. I was primarily a material handler but did run some molds and extruders its pretty simple really heat and pressure with a side of rapid cooling . I personally think it would be cool to make these pencils in some random colors. So instead of line purging just add a few random color pellets up top at the dryer hopper and see what kinds of swirly oddball pencils you can pop out the other side, and market them to school children.
The mystery flavors are a very clever solution! The things I learn here, so great.
That's actually a genius solution to avoid waste and turn it into product! 🤯
One thing that I love about these videos is that Adam shows us how compelling it can be not to edit out the mistakes and flubs and natural pauses that happen in conversation. I love how sometimes he pauses to think about what he wants to say. So many times I've edited out that type of thing, so I get a lot of jump cuts in my videos. That seems to be a common thing among creators. But Adam doesn't do that. He lets the "awkward silences" have their space in his videos, and for some reason, they work. When I get back to making videos again, I think I'm going to give that a try and see how it works.
And audio somehow is awfully out of sync when he draws with pencils.
Pauses like that serve as emphasis points; they also allow the audience to prepare to hear what's about to be said. Too many YT videos are cram-packed with constant speech, which reduces the listener's ability to comprehend and remember what is said. Like in lectures in a school setting, it's better to say less and say it well, than to say more and have it be forgotten.
It’s always funny to me how common jump cuts have become in videos these days given when I was in school for video production and editing 15ish years ago we were told to avoid jump cuts at all cost. I spent so much time finding B-roll for interviews just to hide them.
I hate the jump cuts. The biggest thing to me is that they reduce the "sincerity" of the presentation.
TBH, I thought maybe he had a beer or two before pressing the record button. 😏🤪
The Pentel Twist-Erase with the long white eraser refill got me through school and my engineering career. They were my favorite and the best of all I tried. I understand your feelings about your pencils. I used to freak out when I had an exam and couldn't find mine.
Those have been my favorite for years, the spring that holds the lead makes it feel so special
Adam has a super power. It is the ability to do an extensive video on something as mundane as a pencil and hold your attention the entire time.
I agree, although this one felt unusually disorganized and meandering.
It's the passion. When people talk about things they're genuinely passionate about, it is naturally compelling.
pencils are NOT mundane. erasers are not mundane. the color of tools is not mundane.
@@jerrydeli8348what are they then?
i swear he can convince me to watch paint dry and it would be FUN all the way.
There was a news story a few years back about the "chalkapocalypse".... mathematicians hoarding a particular brand of chalk from Japan, Hagoromo Fulltouch, that was already difficult to get before the company announced they were going out of business. Fortunately the story has a happy ending, a Korean company bought the name, recipe, and two of the machines and is making it again. Still, I imagine many of them live in fear that somebody at the company will decide to make their mark by "improving" the recipe the same way PaperMate "improved" the Sharpwriter.
That was one of my favorite stories
Yeah - that's a prime example of what goes wrong.
I think Adam even talked about that chalk
Ive also been noticing this across many different hobbies. Starting to feel like I may have to just buy bulk of things I enjoy because who knows what will change about them later.
To be clear, I'm not saying the Korean production is changed or worse in any way. As far as I know it's identical. But, I'm not a chalk user. Just saying that it's always a worry when a product is under new management that they'll mess it up. Even if the new management is at the same company. Too many new managers love to change things to demonstrate that they're "doing something".
My grandfather can be a frugal one. Garbage picking, cull lumber, you name it, if he can save three cents he will. Rightfully so, growing up with nothing means he will continue to save on things till his last days. Funny enough, where he never was frugal was with this exact pencil. He has no real reason to why he likes it so much but knowing him, it always works and erases well it’s gold in his eyes. A simple man with simple needs but those simple needs are very important.
i feel the same way. i've been using them for years and was pleased when i noticed that adam savage has them in his videos. as if he confirmed their quality and my earlier decision to use them. the previous yellow was nicer, they made a bad decision to change it. i am glad you noticed.
I can't believe this video came out. Pencils are super important, they have the ability to carry legacy. I have a Faber Castell TK9500 that my father gifted to me. It was his father's, which was used from daily crosswords to engineering sketches for repairs on long range aircraft. The craftmanship is impeccable, but the body bears the scars of three generations. There is a groove around the barrel from the clip being spun loose and tight when deep in thought. The brass shows through the chrome plating & the text has all but rubbed off. The barrel that the spring sits on inside of the pencil has infinite scratches from being depressed and released. The replacement graphite is stored in (TK 9071) a wonderful case that has a simple but gorgeous mechanical function. One stick of graphite with consistent daily writing and sharpening, will last me over a year. It truly is an infallible form of mark making, much has it has on my life and my future child.
10/10 would like that pencil 😮😮😮
This is poetic.
This was beautiful friend. Thank you for sharing.
Sounds like a Stormtrooper designation. I wonder if TK421 was an earlier model of the pencil, or if the name was a designer's nod to their favourite tool.
I'm not really 'into' pencils, but I randomly ran across a Sharpwriter #2 one day and thought to myself "this here is a damn fine pencil". Found it years ago and it's still kicking around here somewhere, which is really rare for me. Gotta appreciate quality tools.
🔔PENCIL NERD!!!!🔔
@@BecausingLmao, I didn't know that I needed that, but I did ☺
LOL, First, I'm a huge fan and have been for many years. As such, it was incredibly validating to hear you wax nostalgic about my favorite drawing tool! I have been a footwear designer for 24 years now and I have pushed everyone where I work to adopt that specific pencil too. In my opinion you didn't mention the most important feature that makes the Sharpwriter better than the bulk of other cheap disposable mechanical pencils out there, the shape of the end where it angles down and supports the "lead". Most of the others round in then turn out with a tiny cyl that doesn't support the lead well and so I CONSTANTLY break them when I really get into sketching and it throws me off my flow. The Sharpwriter is a straight taper in like a traditional wood pencil and so it carries more material right up to the edge of the exposed lead and supports it much better and thus keeps it from breaking. I rarely break the leads while drawing with it. Funny what you say about the erasers though, as I glance around my desk I have 4 or 5 of them all with completely flat, worn off erasers. I like to draw loose sometimes w the pencil then "draw" again by removing the lines or mess that are not perfect with the eraser, so I typically use the erasers up on the quick and then switch to click erasers, those pen shaped plastic jobs that hold a white eraser that you click out as you use it up. You also didn't mention what I as an industrial designer would have guessed first as far as reasons to change the color. That somebody in marketing felt that a lighter more yellowy color would be more appreciated by younger kids and they may have even done some ridiculous focus group where they watched a bunch of children through one way mirrors to see which pencils they picked up first. For all I know my 13 year old at home might prefer brighter colors because they are more like the pallet they see in their video games, but I enjoyed your rant... And I feel your pain!
You said something so deep, that lot of people don't understand, tools are objects we spend lot of time, and we go through lot of emotions and even if cheap they should make us happy. The Japanese brands truly embody this point of view and even with the cheapest pen or pencil they aim to deliver visual and tactile pleasure. Great video
Tool tip! Take a spare 0.7mm mechanical pencil and fit a generic household sewing needle (pick one close to 0.7mm from the pack with a caliper). Now you have a handy retractable scribe with a hardened steel replaceable tip. Super handy.
This tip got back 10 of the 16 minutes I lost watching this video.
Excellent tip!!!
Hehe, tool _tip._ I need a hobby .__.
Good old-fashioned silverpoint! Still works fine, and you have to use them for _decades_ before they start wearing out. But be aware that you can't erase them.
@@jjock3239Watch at 2x you'll come out ahead 😂
Every time a cherished object of mine is encheapened, I am going to re-watch this episode and take comfort in knowing my emotions are shared by others.
I hope these videos will forever be available that way I can always sit in Adam’s shop and just listen to his newest thoughts and feelings
The Sharpwriter no. 2 is an indispensable tool in my instrument repair shop. From writing notes on measurements to lubricating nut slots to marking bridges, I haven’t found a pencil that does it better. There was an old one hanging out in my shop when I took over and I rediscovered it in all its glory. When it got lost I had our accountant order me a box from our office supply company. I had a similar reaction when I opened the box. They look and feel cheap now. I too found the eraser does wear down faster than the old ones do. It’s still the best pencil out there for my needs, though. Thanks for the rant, ramblings and all.
I am sad sewing machines became disposable. I just got a ~1960’s Kenmore for $30 from good will. You can easily get into the device and it has oiling ports all over the mechanisms. I got it home and it fired up and sewed well without even being cleaned.
my mother has a vintage singer sewing machine (so vintage it actually uses a tilting plane pedal, one of those with a design reminiscent of the early 20th century art deco aero trains), not only is it absolutely beautiful, but the build quality is incredible, it reminds me of an old an old machining mill, its high quality thick cast metal, every single part on it is well made, its older than most people I know (parents included), and despite never being maintained you can just get on the pedal, get into the rythm, and it will move incredibly smoothly. the loss of high quality equipment designed with a long service life in mind is absolutely tragic, no matter what industry or hobby it may be in.
Yeah - but can you load an SVG file and have it sew a row of daisy's....HA! Suck on that one, obsolete tech. (Er...we do actually have a 1937 Singer...so...um...OK, you have a point!)
When it comes to sewing machines, vintage is definitely superior ❤
The closest you can come to a reliable sewing machine made nowadays on the industrials. The downside is they typically only do one thing well but that would make some so reliable. They're intended to do one thing non-stop in a factory setting so the last for a very long time as well as extremely repairable. For example I work at my job on a machine from the '70s and can I use attachments or parts for my modern machine from the the early 2000s. As well as there's attachments constantly being made the motors are readily available. With that being said they still have extreme amount of variables in what you can get. Proper factories will have specialty machines because sewing machines are specialty machines in and of themselves. Downside is they take up a lot of room, unless you have a Servo motor they're noisy, the fact that you have to then add additional accessories to make them do other jobs makes a little pricey. For example a home machine can sell a button on or a buttonhole without a problem, for my industrial machine I need to buy a $60 attachment. And if I remember correctly zigzag industrial machines typically don't before well as a straight stitch. It could be that the information I'm getting is in the sense for factory work. And that the factory needs to have the same Stitch repeated at high speeds over multiple machines for hours on end, and for them it's not worth it to have slightly subpar work
I did a similar thing. I found a 1980's vintage Singer sewing machine on Craigs List for $20. The equivalent machine would've been well over $100 new, and not the same quality. I don't need an LED screen for a sewing machine.
"I'm trying to make sounds that demonstrate my disdain." I love that. I do that all the time!
D'Oh!
"Let me collect myself." lol
This is the pencil that my grandmother always had in her home. I have never seen this pencil ever again but I constantly found 4 packs of these things sitting around my entire childhood. I understand the love
These are my favorite pencils as well. I had bought a pack week or two ago and I coulda sworn that the they use to be darker. I remember the contrast between the handle, and the tip piece being greater, but now they're nearly the same!
The relationship between a maker and a pencil is so critical: a pencil knits the imaginary into the real world, solves problems on the threshold of possibility. Finding an instrument worthy of this task is no small feat.
I’d pay you to use that as a quote on product packaging and adverts…if I was in the pencil business. You made the humble pencil a magic wand. Well done.
@@RodCornholio Hahaha thanks! 😄
Very, very well said. I'm stealing that.😂
Not just makers; as a desk-jockey HR type for my day-to-day, I have specific pens and pencils that I am absolutely possessive over and my co-workers know not to touch them lmao. There's something about adding an appointment to my physical planner with my favourite planner that makes the drudgery a little more ok.
What a cool comment
Dr. Martens Boots. Used to be made in England, then manufacturing moved to China. They even released a "Made in UK" line, which were ALSO made in China. I've had multiple people tell me their Docs from the 80s are still holding up to this day, while people who bought Docs in the mid-2000s had them fall apart within A YEAR. Luckily, there's an alternative. The way Docs spread internationally was the result of a UK company purchasing patent licenses to produce the Dr Martens designs (which were the result of a German soldier who wanted to improve the comfort of his military-issued boots, who came up with pretty innovative designs), R. Griggs Group, who then collaborated with another company called NPS (because while R Griggs had the patent, they didn't have the equipment or technology to produce the Dr Martens design), using the sole from NPS's Solovair line of boots to create the first Dr Martens available in the UK. Solovair still exists today, and they still use the exact same lasts, leather cutters, and machines used to make the very first pair of Dr Martens with the Solovair sole in 1960. Basically, they're identical to Dr Martens except they're a bit more expensive(but honestly not THAT much more), and will last you a hell of a lot longer.
I find the quality on the uppers to be almost irrelevant considering the soles will wear through within a year, and, in the US at least, you can't resole them.
I miss the days you could walk into any small market town, find the family hardware store and buy a pair of red or black 8 holes for like £30 and they would last forever.
Yes, my DM’s wore out so quickly. It was very disappointing
They've become entirely a "luxury brand" these days. Their work boots stayed pretty good til the end, I've worn them for 40 years and each pair has lasted me about the same time apart from a couple of outliers with defects, but they stopped making them some time in the past 5 years since my last pair. Now they're just another faux-boutique store selling 300-quid pairs of "limited edition" (by which they mean seasonal, not actual limited edition) fashion shoes.
Dr Martin's "Made in England" range are still, and always have been, made in the original Wollaston factory (operated by Solovair) and are the only ones that are made with the original look leather, Quilon (a replica of the tough leather and eggshell finish their classic 1970s work boots had). Solovair branded boots are made in England at the same factory to the same quality but cannot use the same Quillon leather as the classic Dr Martin's due to the companies licensing and manufacturing agreements. Solovair's designs are also slightly different from the original DM's. So both Solovair and Dr Martin's Made-in-England boots are manufactured in Wollaston, in England, with the same quality soles, welts and stitching, but to slightly different designs and with different finishes. All other DMs are made overseas.
I can't believe I watched an entire video on Adam's love for PaperMate Sharpwriter #2 pencil. But, I think it comes down to his presentation skills and his genuine passion for what he shares with us. He doesn't create media just for views but rather to share an experience with us.
My favourite example has always been the stainless steel soup ladle: it’s a perfect utensil that has been messed with in the last few decades - not only do they come with perishable rubber grips now (maybe good for people with arthritis and such, but not a feature for the majority), but the material has become thinner, which makes them less comfortable to use and more likely to bend. You can still get proper ones, but they’re _premium_ items now. I inherited my mother’s ladle, easily 50 years old, which will easily outlive me - otherwise your best source for a decent ladle for a decent price is the flea market.
You're so right! All too many kitchen tools have gone this route... I've gone through three box graters in the last decade because they are built so flimsily; yet my mother has had the same one since the 1970's.
Oh man you hit a nerve there. I so feel you. There was nothing wrong with how they made them and they just had to make it thinner, thus less material thus cheaper. Stop the madness.
If you want tough cookware, you have to shop at proper restaurant/catering supply stores. Then the only hard part is trying to not to buy the monster 2-quart sized ladle when you only needed 8 oz. 😅
just a guess but isn’t the new grip because of heat transfer? where with an all metal utensil in a pot, the handle warms up (maybe to the point of being uncomfortable to touch) and the rubber or plastic grip prevents that? i get the frustration with new stuff’s lack of durability and cheapness, it becomes so obvious when u compare new and old tech!
I buy OXO mostly now. They generally tend to avoid making the cheapening mistakes. And when they use rubber, it's usually a very good quality one that lasts.
I've noticed this same trend in basically every consumer industry. Changes that compromise the brand and quality that are undoubtedly a result of the drive for better profits. Even down to the formulation of your average breakfast cereal.
You'll begin seeing a lot more. It's just another unfortunate cost of inflation. The materials they use become more expensive. So, in an attempt to keep the cost from going up for the end consumer, they have to reduce their material cost by using inferior, but cheaper, sources.
@@NG-VQ37VHR "in an attempt to keep the cost from going up for the end consumer" and the only reason this happens is because the company is unwilling to let price changes eat into their profits. The enshitification of products in pursuit of an ever growing pile of money is so fun to experience.
It seems to happen when investment companies buy a well known quality brand, Wedgewood, Pyrex etc, make a load of terrible profit driven products after closing the original factories, move production to the Far East and ruin the brand reputation, then just turn and burn.
@@NG-VQ37VHR and in prepared foods, less ingredients, changing the flavor into something washed out. Went through that and well, I saved even more money, I duplicated recipes and make my own, saving my expense in buying their watered down crap. I'm sure some executive is blaming sales for their sale slump. No, executive, you turned tolerable into c'est merde.
@@LS-zu5gt or they could do what's always been done, costs go up, prices go up. Something that's as old as money is. Not try to starve out the market until people start sharpening the National Razor!
Thanks for sharing this, it definitely touches on a feeling I'm familiar with
I never thought I’d feel sad over the changes made to a pencil but this video hit the heartstrings. It’s a reminder that we can all empathize with loss, even if it’s “just a pencil”. Adam, if they’ve shown to be willing to compromise on their pencil color maybe now is the right time to ask for custom white ones?
Everything about your non verbal reaction is KILLING ME! You convey so many emotions! And I feel all of them and can still react to how I feel reacting to your reaction. This moment will be well remembered for quite some time!
A CONVERSATION I CAN FINALLY GET IN ON. I grew up left handed, I always HATED all the stupid products made for lefties because they were always cheap, crappy, and just not worth the cost to put in stores. Also as a leftie, the type of pencil, pen, crayons....really any writing utensil was always under HEAVY scrutiny from me on how smudgy, messy, or just overall crap it was for a leftie to use. When I was in college for graphic design, I spent an entire semester (like 6 months actually....) testing new pens, pencils, and drawing brands to find what worked THE ABSOLUTE best for me. I found drawing pads, paints, pens, all kinds of things. One stood out above the rest. A pen that I found on a blog in 2015 talked about this crazy good pen for lefties. I HAD TO TRY IT. It was perfect, the weight was perfect, it wasn't weighed down in the back or front, but rather in the middle, the ink didnt BUDGE and it flowed out of the pen with ease without ever causing issues in my cluttered school bag. When I tell you I spent over $400 dollars on buying as many of these damn pens as I could, I mean it. In the span of 2 weeks I had over 80 of these pens sitting in my dorm room. Many of them got lost, broken, or overall grew legs. I actually still have my one from college that I used all 4 years, ink refills and all. However I recently tried to buy ink refills and it was drastically different. The ink smudged all over my drawing pad, and somehow I managed to stain my shirt and hands a dark blue black, it was weird but it was only like the ink had too much alcohol in it, causing it to bleed significantly more. I am still searching for the perfect leftie pen to replace my dearly beloved. To Parker Jotter pens, please re-evaluate your pen formula for us lefties. I miss the GLIDE of your pens!
You are one of my heroes Adam. You make me realize I’m not the only loony tune that nerds out of stuff like this. Thanks for being you my dude.
Drafting & Design in school taught me about being a pencil nerd. Crazy all the differences. HB#2 was standard for testing purposes, but while drafting we needed all the different types for lettering, lines, and shading.
I can't believe you made a video about a $0.25 pencil. I'm having a harder time believing I just watched a 16 minute video of Adam talking about a $0.25 pencil. Love you Adam. 😂
i know i'm late and this won't be seen, but this pencil is the one my father used during his career as a landscape architect from well before i was born into the 2010s. It was a great pencil and I never realized it was on the way out. Seeing this specific pencil in this video brought back so many memories of using all the lead and wearing down erasers when i was 8 and 9, and my dad just chuckling and replacing the used lead. Idk, it was something I hadn't thought about in years, and this video took me there immediately as soon as Adam put the pencil on camera. Thank you for your dedication as a maker, as a researcher, as someone who appreciates following a thread of interest. My dad gave me so much, and watching Adam create these videos makes me appreciate his legacy even more. Thank you Adam, and thank you Dad for having the tools i used to bolster my own creative desires that made me the man i am today. Thank you
This reminds me of the Hagoromo chalk craze when they almost went under. Also I get this. Imagine knowing a tool so well that you understand how it will work/react to any and every situation it could ever be utilized in, and then it doesn't actually work how you expect it to. That is _maddening._
@tested, Adam, Archaeologist and maker here. Those are the best drafting and field pencils. You turned me on to them 10 or so years ago and I've used them ever since in all situations (excavations, lab, in my shop, office, and even under water). They don't jam in the field like most clicky-tops do when they get caked with dirt. I hadn't seen the new changes. Perhaps they'll be easier to see if I drop one in a test pit now since the new color is a bit brighter, but everywhere else the new yellow will just be distracting I think. Not sure about the eraser, since I usually use staedtler mars plastic erasers when in drafting or in the shop, and one line/initial anything in the field or the lab (never erase field notes).
Man! I just bought my workshop, and I bought two huge packs of those pencils and I was so dissapointed. I immediately noticed the build quality difference. I use them for marking, drawing, illustration, writing and i felt so betrayed and and just this huge "WTF" feeling. It was so crushing. Im happy you made this video because I tried explaining this to some people and nobody really gets it. Hopefully the Sharpie doesn't see any cutbacks...
Remember when twist ties had metal in them? I'm hoarding products with them now because new ones are literally just the papery plastic that holds the metal that keeps things tied together. These little things triggers my OCD and I truly feel your pain, Adam.
I bought some twist ties on eBay. They are big, thick, perfect.
every time i buy a product with a power cord that has a thicker gauge twist tie, i try to keep it. aside from being useful around the house they are great for miniature modeling.
Same as the cardboard bread clips that are slowly replacing plastic ones.
@@mal2ksc Yeah. Not the same. :)
This is the pencil equivalent of that young woman who curated a home museum dedicated to her favorite discontinued Crayola crayon color.
I'm a fountain pen and ink nerd. The most recent kerfuffle is that Lamy recently rereleased their much loved 2016 limited edition Dark Lilac ink, a rich purple with a golden sheen. But people immediately noticed that it was not quite the same (different base colour, green sheen), and were disgusted and outraged. Lamy had replied to a customer saying that they had tried to recreate it exactly, but that one of the dyes that they had used was no longer manufactured, and then backtracked on that in an official statement after a screengrab of the convo went viral. The New Yorker even published an article about the whole thing. I expect there are a lot of pen nerds working there. The original ink was selling in the aftermarket for $300 a bottle, up from $12. Soon after the Lamy company, a German manufacturer since 1930, announced that they had sold to Mitsubishi Pencil Company from Japan. Imagine the turmoil that caused! The Lamy Safari is one of the first fountain pens that new fp nerds try when they are falling into this rabbit hole. I have 3 myself.
Adam, I'm still mad about Pilot changing the color of body of the Pilot Precise V5 blue pen (and the logos on all the V5/V7s) 20 years ago, so I feel you on this one.
"It's ... fine" he says, through gritted teeth, and in audible pain.
As long as they don't change the needle tip or the barrel size on the V5, I'll use them forever. ;_;❤
V7 High -Techpoint 0.7 in Black for me ...
@@AmberStoneDraws big same, buddy. Just honks me off, you know? I still have one of the old blue ones, though, for old times sake.
I stopped using the v5/v7 after the second one that took an ink dump in my pocket. Pilot G-2 all the way.
In my small hobby shop I’ve refurbished dozens of old shop tools including a number of table, scroll and band saws from the 1930s-1960s. When working with these tools I’m constantly amazed at how much more solid and well-built they are when compared with their common era counterparts. From housings made from cast iron versus thin sheet metal to motors that have spun for 70 or more years and with just a little care and maintenance will spin perfectly for another 100, they just don’t compare with the designed obsolescence of many modern tools. I feel your pain. Even one cheaper pencil at a time .
I love to pick up old tools for a couple dollars at the thrift shop. They are so easy to work with and repair. Some of them when you open them even have a layout pasted inside because they expected you to repair and keep using the tool forever.
they were expensive back in the day, but cheap now.
I feel so validated. I used SharpWriters all throughout college and was/is my favorite to use as well. I was also saddened when I got a new pack and found them to be different. I agree with Adam’s assessment of the previous design and now the new ones, regardless of how trivial the changes may actually be, feel like using cheap knockoffs.
That is the GOAT of pencils. Been using them since the 90s. Best eraser, fine tip, extremely light build and ingenious twist design.
Forget not as good, what about not made at all any longer? I'm convinced General Mills had spies following me around in the grocery store to see what cereal I bought so they could stop making it. First they took the cereal I'd been buying for years away, so I found a substitute that I liked almost as much, and a few weeks later they stopped making that, so I found another and they stopped making that too! AArgh! I finally realized all of them were made by General Mills, so out of spite I started buying Grape Nuts because they weren't made by General Mills (they are made by Post) and they'd been on the market for something like 180 years. And I don't even like Grape Nuts :-).
I thought they were only shadowing me,
Which cereals? I'm curious, as my cereal of choice is Cheerios. I also like Super Sugar Crisps (or whatever they're called now)
reminds me of "gatorade tiger" back when tiger woods got into trouble they discontinued the 'key lime' flavor and I dont understand why they didnt just take his name off of the bottle and keep the flavor. very sad. I miss that light green gatorade tiger! 😥
Sobe Cirtus Energy!!!
Brand loyalty based on spite. I like it. 😁 I probably do that and don't even realize it.
I bought some of these a long time ago after you recommended them. My two issues with this pencil is that the lead naturally has a little bit of spring to it, and the tip is wiggly. Here are my two suggestions to make a good pencil great: Pop off the eraser, drop a short M2 socket head screw into the tip of the spring, reattach the eraser. The screw takes up the empty space between the eraser and spring mechanism and the lead is less springy! Bite! Bite the orange end of the pencil where it connects to the tip, just enough to dent it with teeth marks. This tightens up the connection between the body and tip! (don't do it enough to stop rotation, just take up the slack.)
See I like the spring in the lead. Keeps me from writing too hard and breaking lead. To each their own.
This is kinda the point of mechanical pencils, the spring helps you keep constant pressure for drawings. If you like non springy pencils just buy regular ones i guess or the thick mechanical ones
@@D3nn1s this is the only mechanical pencil (or writing device) that I've ever seen that has a spongy lead, so I wouldn't consider it a design feature of all mechanical pencils. It's inherent to the design of the twist mechanism in this one product.
@@angst_ okay, every one ive had was spring loaded, interesting.
I'm glad you mentioned their wiggly tip as that was what turned me off of them on first encounter mumble decades ago. At the time I preferred the BIC disposable mechanicals - black barreled with rainbow eraser holder ends, to me they had the right combination of flex and a good lead to make them my favorite. Sadly, they too have changed - first the original version reformulated the plastic to something that felt more likely to shatter than bend, and now I'm not sure that original edition even exists anymore as instead there's a plethora of colors and such. Luckily, I'm mostly digital these days, with either a keyboard or if it MUST be drawn, my Remarkable 2. It's not perfect - it always feels a bit small, and it's greyscale to name some major flaws - but it's really pretty close. It's nice to be able to scribble on a PDF form.
First, I want to say that your feelings are valid. Next, I would like to say that it feels less about the changes that were made and more that the changes were made in the first place. It's hard to come to grips about changes that are made about things that you find so important. ❤
I bought my alligator forceps after Adam recommended them and ended up getting a job as a jeweller, and I now use them on a daily basis to hold tiny chain links in the laser welder
My mom is an artist and uses a faber castell tk 9400 (a thick mechanical) for drafting on canvas. As a draftsman I'm using Rotrings for drafts but I adopted the tk 9400 too for marking on parts, its so versatile and no more trouble with broken leads.
do you utilize the isograph or rapidograph? and what sizes? i utilize the rotring isograph 0.1mm and a custom 0.03mm ^_^
@@nosidamXlynax I use the tikky pencils (0.5 and 0.35) but have used the isographs before, but you always have to switch out the cartriges if you let them sit for too long. If I want to mark something permanently I started using Mitsubishi uni-ball, not to precise but the ink is very nice.
these were my favorite pencils going through school - didn't realize they had such a fan base! I was the only one I knew that loved them. I'm left handed and have difficulty writing, but these made it relatively easy.
Being somebody that always tries to buy things that last as long as possible I feel the pain. Nothing is made the way it once was, and you have to buy from specialty manufacturers or make it yourself to get products as good as what was on shelves 20 years ago, and 20 years ago you had to do the same thing to buy products as good as what was on shelves 40 years ago. There's an ongoing competition in every industry in every market to see who can make the most affordable product with the cheapest materials to have both the most sales and the highest profit margins. For a bit of positivity I'll mention a product that has not lessened in quality, aside from a very minor practically unnoticeable change a few years ago. LEGO.
Completely understand the feeling! For me it was Skullcandy's cheap $10 JiB wired earbuds, I carried my headphones in my pocket everywhere when traveling, so it didn't matter how fancy they were they would break eventually, these were my solution. The sound quality was amazing for the price, they felt solid, would last a good 1-2 years before the wire would have any issues, I always had a backup pair and would buy a new pair every time my primary broke and i changed to the backup. A few years ago i bought a pair and everything felt wrong, the plastic was cheaper, the earbuds felt slightly lighter and less substantial, the sound quality was lower. I was devastated.
Genuinely, my cheap headphone of choice is the Philips SHE-3595 or 3590 (with and without mic respectively) series. Try those maybe? 6-12$ a pair and sound fantastic. Maybe try those?
Same thing seemed to happen to the Skullcandy Ink'd that I used to buy all the time. The last pair I got sounded terrible, like a cheap pair of Big Lots earbuds. Just tinny and flat sounding.
And now you can't get earbud-only Skullcandys. You *have* to accept having a mike and mute switch... which causes many apps to "skip to next track" when you accidentally bump it. Grrrrr.
@richardseymour7162 I actually like having that control, but I understand some don't want or needed it.
About 20 years ago I bought a ~$25 pair of Sennheiser earbuds that came with a protective case that would take up the cord on a reel. Those things lasted 10 years and in fact they never did break - I somehow lost them. So I bought another pair of Sennheiser earbuds, a ~$15 pair this time, and I keep them in the same case. I think the case might actually make all the difference - what if most of the damage to our earphone wires happens when they're tumbling around in a pocket or bag, and not when we're actually using them?
That’s crazy. These are my favorite pencils too. Back when I was in college I went on a rant to one of my friends about how much a love them. The next day he showed up with a box with perhaps 500+ of them. They were obviously factory seconds but most of them are perfectly fine. It’s been the only pencil I’ve used since then. Still have most of them too.
If a big enough stink is made the revamped model will go away like new coke.
I suggest that you take about 20-50 and set them aside. wrap them up. and pull them out for special projects. things that matter to you. eventually you wont be sad when you use the new pencil, you will just use it and not think about it till you see an old one in the cup. So the nice thing to make a special project even more so will be using your favorite 'ol pencil that you saved just for something in which you are taking special care. idk. just an idea, if you want.
I just found a vintage one because I watched this. I knew immediately what it is and where I saw it. It's now on my desk and I can never use it now.
It seems small. But if you use it every day, it’s not a small thing at all. A lot of the tools that I still enjoy using were my dad’s drafting tools from college. It’s going to be a very long, sad day when I can no longer find the consumables for them.
Its a very calm tantrum 😂 i love it !
A tantric tantrum?
Vindication! This is my absolute favorite pencil too and I've gotten a lot of crap about being so particular about using them. Sad news about the changes...seems like they aren't different enough that I'll need to stop using them. Thanks so much for this video...I really felt seen.
In 2020, my favorite Skilcraft pencil that I had used for ~ 20 years was discontinued. I used to saturate my environment with them because I could never keep track of one. I tried a Pentel Graphgear 1000 0.7 and liked it. I bought several and years later, I'm still using the first one. Amazingly, it never, ever gets lost - I've never been able to hold onto a pencil for more than a couple of days before this one.
"It's fine!" - Such reserved anguish.
He sounded so defeated when he said "it's fine"
Narrator - "It wasn't fine."
this was a big moment in his life and I'm glad I was here for it.
I've been using the same pencils for years, I love them too. Have a whole bunch of them in my D&D bag, keep one on my nightstand and another couple on my workbench.
13:42 oh it just occurred to me that the pigment used could have been one of the many Quinacridones that have been discontinued in recent years (to the bane of many artists, ask us about our struggles to find Quin Gold and Sap Green replacements) because they are no longer used by the automotive industry, which is the largest buyer of pigments and what creates the demands pigment manufacturers base their products availability on. Anyway, there was an orange pigment that was recently (last 4 years) discontinued that reminds me of the old color of those pencils.
OMG yes! You are totally right! Several of the Quiacridones in that color range are extinct or going that way, so maybe that's it (it's affecting the watercolors one can get). PO49 (Quin Gold) is no longer being produced. And PO48 (Quin Burnt Orange) which was then used in mixes (eg with PY150) to approximate new Quin Golds in watercolors has now also been discontinued. And PR206 also has been discontinued... My understanding is that these pigments were developed for car manufacturing/painting (for which a lot was needed), and so when the market dried up for these, smaller volume customers were SOL (please correct me if I'm wrong, any pigment nerds out there).
Pencils are one of the first tools we are given as children, and they are the primary conduit to our creative lives. If you grew up in a family that expected academic success, creativity, or just a lot of writing, I think you grow up with an inexplicable love for pencils. To me, they represent pure creative power. Who knows what is going to come out of this pencil? A great drawing, a brilliant poem, or story, or the idea that will redirect my future? Bless you, pencils.
This is the pencil my grandparents used, and I grew up to love them myself. The spring in them gives it a suspension, especially for heavy handed writers/drawers. These are an icon of what pencils SHOULD be. I'm also pretty sure this pencil is why I hate writing with pens on hard surfaces.
Half a million people spent 16 minutes of their lives to hear Adam Savage say he doesn't like the new look of his favorite pencil. I loved every minute of it.
My girlfriend and I live in different states and hand write letters to each other. A lot of my letters have at least a paragraph about the writing utensil that I'm using. It's a very important topic for me. This video totally spoke to my interests. Thanks Adam.
From just the thumbnail I heard him shouting "PENCIL NERD" from the black wing story.
My dad was an engineer (EE), and he absolutely loved the sharpwriter pencil. He also lost mechanical pencils constantly, so although he did have a very fancy pencil that he kept at the office, he primarily used those yellow sharpwriters. I loved the lead. I loved how it erased. But I HATED those pencils because they were not easy for me to use with arthritis. Once Pilot introduced the Dr. Grip, I was sold. My dad stuck with his favorite plastic yellow pencils, though. 😊
I am now the proud owner of 96 of the original Sharpwriter #2s! Found two 12 packs at a Staples in middle america whilst on a business trip, then two 36 packs at a different Staples on the return trip. All the Walmarts I have stopped at only had the new versions (or the multicolor, which makes me curious as to their performance. Though, in my opinion look even worse than the new yellow) I've seen these used by Adam and others for years. I didn't want to miss the boat and never experience them. I did not realize they are basically disposable - one long lead attached to a shock absorbing spring mechanism. I work with automotive component drawings, and these work very well for me. I'm happy I jumped on this bandwagon!
Yes, Staples in America has them if the store doesn't sell them often, and if they have old stock. Today I just bought a 36 pack of the better old stock. Also, I watched a KZhead video on how to refill the lead. Just take off the eraser, and turn the tip the opposite way till the lead reservoir pops up, pull it out and replace with a new lead. Only holds one lead.
A couple of thoughts on this video. First, as you were talking about trying to get PaperMate to make them in a custom color, I was thinking to myself "they look just like a #2 pencil and that is their brand, of course they won't change the color". Needless to say, I was floored when you broke out the new "model" and they went to that bright yellow. I feel like PaperMate owes you some pencils in white now just for that horrible color. Second, I can't thank you enough for making these videos. As someone who likes to dabble in everything, I see so much of my own thought process in you and it helps to confirm I'm not broken or crazy. I laughed when you noted it took 9 minutes to get to the point, because I can relate to that so much. I feel like I give a 10 minute answer to yes/no questions all the time because you have to give some backstory which then connects to this and so on. I have to stop or I'm going to keep going off on tangents in my comment. In summary, thanks for sharing these real videos and letting those of us with similar mental processes know we are not alone!!
When you held that pencil up to the camera, I had to pause and go dig through a box. Turns out that my grandma exclusively used these exact pencils! I have a box of about 20 from her house that I've been slowly using for marking music. I had no idea they'd become collectors items. 😂