NOTATIO

Here's mine, previously sharpened for the picture :
I use this type of pencil for... hum I don't remember.

I use Palomino Blackwing, but was told the blue Palomino was also good. All are soft (the blue one, less) so always have a sharpener with me if I am at a café but they give a nice black. I prefer Blackwing.

I do not like the Staedtler Tradition as I found the leads keep on breaking when sharpening.
Otherwise a good quality B2 or B3. Unfortunately if I cannot find just the 'right' pencil for the moment, I cannot do anything.

arco wrote:Unfortunately if I cannot find just the 'right' pencil for the moment, I cannot do anything.

COMPLETELY TRUE!!
It is like obsession.

arco wrote:I do not like the Staedtler Tradition as I found the leads keep on breaking when sharpening.
Otherwise a good quality B2 or B3.

I find that on average in each box of 12 Staedtler Tradition 3B there are 2 individual pencils whose leads keep breaking when being sharpened. As soon as this happens for a third time with any individual pencil, I bin it. The others in the same box continue to sharpen without any problem.

That's been my experience to-date (after using some hundreds of these pencils).

I find that on average in each box of 12 Staedtler Tradition 3B there are 2 individual pencils whose leads keep breaking when being sharpened. As soon as this happens for a third time with any individual pencil, I bin it. The others in the same box continue to sharpen without any problem.

Sort of how a clarinetist deals with reeds.

A few things for sketching music on a short trip away.

I LOVE THAT PICTURE!
I see DustFree - do you like it?

OCTO wrote:I see DustFree - do you like it?

Very much, it's a good, clean and efficient pencil eraser - and I also like the Faber-Castell Trio sharpener (the grey triangle-sided object in the picture), which is easy to take with you, just as quick as fancy desk-mounted sharpeners, AND it gives a better result.

Where have you bought this pencil case? It is really great!

OCTO wrote:Where have you bought this pencil case? It is really great!

It's a Derwent pencil wrap. This is it on Amazon UK (does the link work in Sweden?) http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000 ... 1_1&sr=8-1.

I don't possess the slightly more substantial Derwent bag designed for carrying not only numerous pencils, but also a sketchbook and varied accessories http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007 ... 1_2&sr=8-2 but it might be worth investigating.