The Hollywood Reporter Is Totally In Love With This Fucking Pencil

32.52K

Anonymous

08/09/13 04:51PM

Filed to: Pencils

In a 1,500 word article, titled "Why Is Hollywood Obsessed with This Pencil," we learn why the Eberhard Blackwing 602 wasn't just any old Numero Dos, it was a cult pencil. Favored by writers like Truman Capote and Vladmir Nabokov, animators, and musical legends Quincy Jones and Stephen Sondheim, the pencil was praised for its creamy writing ability and the fact that, thanks to its rectangular eraser, "it never rolled off the page."

The pencil has actually been discontinued since 1998, so THR is only 15 years late to the party on this one. Though California Cedar Company has since purchased the trademark and is manufacturing a very similar pencil, the Palomino Blackwing 602, its $22/box price tag doesn't hold a candle to the $2000/case of original Blackwings on Ebay. (Conversely, you could just hope to befriend Sondheim; he's known to give away boxes as gifts.)

[Image via Etsy]

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Shadyfreude Anonymous 08/09/13 06:17PM

As I get older, I have become increasingly aware that I am one of the few people left who prefer pencils to pens. I often wonder what this means.

Proofer Shadyfreude 08/09/13 06:40PM

I prefer pencils to pens also. It means we can go to Space and take notes.

Fartknocker Shadyfreude 08/09/13 09:20PM

It means you make too many mistakes

crmus Shadyfreude 08/10/13 01:41AM

That you prefer pencils to pens.

Gay Drunk Patriots Fan Shadyfreude 08/10/13 05:55AM

As you get even older still, you might notice you're the only person who prefers having to use a pen or pencil to write something down. Good riddance (to pens & pencils I mean, not you, you're lovely I'm sure.)

rapidpimpsmack Anonymous 08/09/13 04:54PM

you don't get it because you've never used one *shrug*

esalocanegra rapidpimpsmack 08/09/13 06:01PM

Have you — and are they really all that?

rapidpimpsmack esalocanegra 08/09/13 06:03PM

Actually, I have. That wasn't the point of my post though.

EDIT: and it was okay, I almost exclusively use pens.

esalocanegra rapidpimpsmack 08/09/13 06:46PM

I have no doubt I completely missed the "point." (Ha!) But I was genuinely curious because I prefer pencil, except that these days I fear what I write is susceptible to erasure wherein an impostor might replace my writings with lies! So, now it's medium ball-point pens, and it has to be a certain kind, have a certain feel to it; and, I'll write things over and over and over again, until it looks right on the page with no mistakes — okay, that was a bit too much information, my apologies. I'll now go befriend Sondheim, thank you.

rapidpimpsmack esalocanegra 08/09/13 08:52PM

I'd rather cross something out with pen than deal with a pencil.

Suffersfoolsgladly Anonymous 08/11/13 11:13AM

Remember, you are supposed to use these pencils ONLY with your "Moleskine" notebook.

Pompadour1 Anonymous 08/09/13 06:04PM

Palomino Blackwing 602 —- great birthday/Christmas gift for a writer. I wish I still wrote my fiction longhand. Wonder if the quality of the writing has deteriorated or changed simply from using a keyboard. I'm not the only one, I know. I fought the keyboard for a long time. Yeah, I fought it. Got the limp to prove it too............... It must have heard my key in the lock that last day, because it was lying in wait. I could almost hear the impatient tapping from its faded "s" key, its qwerty line grinning at me like fate. I crossed the room with feigned indifference. Can't show fear. Suddenly, a movement in the corner of my eye, smooth, silent. Before I could turn, a hard, swat to the temple, baseball bat style, key side down to prove it meant business. I staggered but kept my feet. It came around again, clicking its space bar at me to goose up the fear. I ducked, but the keyboard was already punching up from under with a hard cross chop to the jaw. Through a haze I saw the word Logitech leering at me before I hit the floor.... But it wasn't done with me yet. No. I heard rather than felt it. The spanking. And I knew this time tomorrow I'd be typing my cheap sellout crap sitting on a pillow. Waiting respectfully while that sticky key came back up in its own sweet time. That was many years and keyboards ago. Oh, I could tell some stories.... But why? Would it make any difference?

SweetTea Pompadour1 08/09/13 06:11PM

TLDR. If you like writing long shit, keyboards are better.

saucisson Pompadour1 08/09/13 09:03PM

Funny, I'm going camping this weekend and bringing a composition book and a bunch of brand-new pens to do some longhand writing. It's going to be a challenge because of how much I now rely on "delete" and "copy/paste" to rearrange words, edit my hastily-banged-out phrases and paragraphs.

We'll see how it goes. There's a non-zero chance I'll give it all up after two hours and spend the rest of my time swimming in the lake and reading pulp novels on the beach.

aaaaaaaaaaaahrealburner Pompadour1 08/09/13 09:08PM

tl;dr