Fans of the Blackwing 602 pencil, or any connoisseur of fine writing utensils, will enjoy Caroline Weavers' book "The Untold Story of a Cultural Icon."
This short book is well researched and full of fun facts about the history of pencils, like, the tale of pencilmaker Faber-Castell, the family run business full of backstabbing, generational disputes, intrigue, and the first wax-core pencil. Or that before the invention of rubber erasers, people smudged out their pencil marks using breadcrumbs. There are scented novelty pencils from Japan, practical joke pencils from Portugal, and a review of exotic sharpeners.
I liked the charming hand-drawn pencil illustrations! I hope future editions of the book will include in its compilation of "Pencil Destinations" a listing for Kenosha's Pencilarium.
Previously:
• First impression of the new Blackwing pencil
• $6,400 for 32 pencils? Sondheim's Blackwing 602 stash big hit at auction
• Fantastic electric guitar built from 1,200 colored pencils
• Hand-making 1,000 pencils from pallet wood
