June/July Giveaway

Well, hello Miss Tussy Pink!  I heard that you had joined the staff here at Pens And Pencils!  You are a most welcome addition to our staff!

"Hello, Geezer.  Thank you for that adorable welcome!"

What's you got there, Tussy?

"Well, Geezer, this was supposed to be Junes giveaway but seeing as how June is almost over..."

Awe!  That's right!  I've been out of touch for so long that I'd almost forgotten all about it!  So I guess we'll just have to make it June/July's giveaway, won't we?

"That looks like the only thing you can do, Geezer!"

Well, Tussy, you just stand there looking pretty and I'll tell the readers about the Ohto pencil that your holding!

"Oh, Geezer!  You're so charming!"

OK, readers, up for grabs this time is a gently used out of production Ohto Promecha 1000/07, OP-1007, 0.7 mm drafting pencil.  This pencil features an adjustable length 4 mm lead sleeve, a rubber grip, lead grade indicator and an all black finish.  The pencil is in great condition except in one area.  There is a gouge on the rubber grip as shown in the photo.

I don't know if there is a replacement for the rubber grip available however the thin rubber grip can be removed, if with a little effort.  So, if a replacement can be found or a substitute, such as black heat shrink, used the rubber grip can be removed.  But other than that the pencil is in great shape!  It eve has the original sticker still attached.

The Ohto weights 20.2 grams and is 148.66mm long.  It is 7.56mm in diameter st the body and 10.35mm at the grip.  There is a clean out rod under the eraser however being 0.7mm I doubt that it will ever be needed.

The two photos show the lead sleeve in both the extended and retracted positions.

But that's not all!  The lead reservoir is filled with 12 pieces of grade B lead.  I'm also including three 12 piece tubes of grade B lead as well!  That's 48 pieces of lead!

So, how do you enter the giveaway?  Simple, just leave a comment to this post before midnight July 9th, 2010.  That simple.  Only if you sign in as Anonymous, then please, in the body of your comment, leave some name or handle that you can be ID'd from so, if you win, I can identify you!

That's it.  Check back after midnight July 9th (which is actually the 10th) to see if you've won!

Survey Finds Office Pilfering is Abundant

According to the new OfficeMax Workplace Uncovered Survey, working Americans say missing office supplies are the norm in today’s office environment. In fact, many admit to being “Supply-Jackers” who pilfer supplies from the office to use at home and admit to borrowing supplies from coworkers never to return them. Some keep supplies as revenge because they believe their coworkers have done the same while others confess they simply forgot. Either way, when their favorite supplies go missing, working Americans say their productivity suffers, and many fanatically go to great lengths to protect their supplies – from labeling to hiding items to buying reserves.

Below are some highlights from the survey along with links to the survey report and news release.
· View news release: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/officemax/44541/
· View survey report: http://tiny.cc/WorkplaceSurvey
· Twitter hashtag: #SupplyJackers

HIGHLIGHTS – WORKPLACE UNCOVERED SURVEY

Disappearing Act – There seems to be a lot of dwindling workspaces popping up across the nation. Eighty-one percent of employed Americans who report missing supplies from their work area say that pens, pencils, or highlighters go M.I.A. most often. Other disappearing goods include paper products (35%), paper clips or binder clips (28%), staplers (22%), and scissors (20%).

Coworkers Confess – Perhaps it’s the people working closest to you who are responsible. More than four in ten (42%) confess they’ve borrowed supplies from a colleague and never returned it. The most popular loot 82 percent of them have taken are pens, pencils or highlighters.

Behind the Borrowing – 84 percent of those who come clean as to why they’ve held onto their colleague’s goods confess they simply forgot to return the product. Others (26%) say they just didn’t think their coworker would miss it. Close to a quarter (23%) take revenge on coworkers saying they chose not to return the supplies because their colleague had done the same to them!

Homeward Bound – This obsessive behavior isn’t restricted to the workplace. In fact, employed Americans are so attached to some office products that close to six in ten (56%) have taken products from work to use at home.

Always an Excuse – For those who aren’t afraid to admit why they did this, they sure have their reasons. Three in ten (30%) say they considered it an act of borrowing and planned to bring the supplies back, while 25 percent just didn’t think their employer would miss it. Others admit they pilfered products because it was easier to take the supply from the office then purchase it on their own (27%) or because they didn’t have the time to get it outside of work (24%).

Run and Hide – So it’s not surprising that a majority (68%) of working Americans have taken matters into their own hands by finding ways to ensure their favorite provisions don’t go missing. Some keep their much-loved office paraphernalia in a special designated drawer (59%) or in a secret space in their work area (45%). Others order additional quantities of certain products to make certain they’re never low (51%) or label their supplies with their contact information (31%). More employed women than men (73% vs. 63%) report they’ve taken steps to ensure their office products don’t go missing.

Quality Matters – So why do Americans go to such great lengths to protect their supplies? Perhaps it’s because close to half (46%) think that having quality office equipment plays a critical role in being successful on the job.

Picky Fingers – They are so influenced by their beloved products that 34 percent sometimes bring their own stash to work if what is available doesn’t meet their requirements. And there are plenty of goods they need to have at work to perform efficiently. Seventy percent of employed Americans willing to weigh in say it’s impossible to work without their favorite brand, type, or model of pens, pencils, or highlighters. Others say they can’t work if they aren’t able to get their hands on paper products (41%) or printer ink (40%) in their favorite brand, type or model.

A Few of My Favorite Things. So what makes a product so amazing? Close to seven in ten (69%) say the functionality or performance of an office product can make or break how special they consider it to be. Quality (66%), value (47%), innovation (41%), and aesthetics (25%) also influence why working Americans are so particular about their products.

Can You Identify Me?

Click on pic so see larger image

I am a rotring pencil of unknow era and unknown model.  If you know just what my model name is PLEASE contact The Old Geezer at theoldgeezer@live.com as Geezer has a loyal reader who has the need to know!  He has ask Geezer for help, unfornately Geezer has no idea what model I am but is sure that some loyal reader of Pens And Pencilsa does.  So, can you indedify me. please?

Top 10 Christmas Gift Ideas From The Old Geezer And A JetPens Giveaway

 JetPens has ask me to do a top 10 Christmas Gift Ideas article. I was flattered! Of course I said yes! But there's more! Not only do I get to inform others as to what I think is cool for Christmas but you, my readers, get a chance to win a $10 gift certificate from JetPens! Now, how cool is that? But more on that later. For now, in on particular order, are

My Top 10 Christmas Gift Ideas

The Staedtler 925-85-03 REG Drafting pencil.  This is an elegant drafting/writing pencil for just about everyone who wants a nice, well balance metal drafting pencil.  This pencil has the added adjustment that allows the user to set the amount of amount lead projected with each press of the push button!  This would make an excellent gift for any pencil freak, eh, aficionado.

For my review of the Staedtler 925-85-03 follow this link.

The 925-85 series is available from our friends at JetPens.

Another fine metal drafting pencil is the rotring (red ring) 600.  Due to it's heft and balance it is one of my favorite drafting pencils.  Unfortunately the 600 (and it's related siblings) is no longer in manufacturer.  However there seem to be a goodly number of the popping up on eBay and a few other sites, so it can still be found.  Be prepared to pay a hefty price for one thought!  But for me, it was worth it.

For my review of the rotring 600 follow this link.

I'm rather new to fountain pen use.  I've come to appreciate them very much in the months since I've rediscovered them.  I've gone from owning one old plastic fountain pen to owning over 20 and over 8 bottles of ink in just 6 months!  I especially like extra fine (EF) nib pens as I like very thin line as I often write small.  The Pilot Penmanship is an inexpensive pen with and excellent EF nib and is my favorite fountain pen to date.  It is cartridge fed and comes in clear or black.

For my review of the Pilot Penmanship Follow this link.

The Penmanship can be purchased from our friends at JetPens.  Photo courtesy of JetPens.

 

  What good is a fountain pen with out ink?  And there are fewer inks available for the price better than Noodler's Ink.  Noodler's in made in America of the best ingredients available.  The colors are rich and vibrant, transparent inks transparent and the opaque inks opaque.  They even have "Bulletproof" inks that are resistant to check washing!  And the "Bulletproof" black ink is b-l-a-c-k!

I have not done a review of a bottle of Noodler's Ink, but trust me on this, it's good ink.

 Noodler's ink is available from our friends at JetPens.  Photo courtesy of JetPens

The Platinum Pro Use 03 MSD 1000A is an all metal drafting pencil with good balance and light weight, a rare combo in a metal drafting pencil.  The bulbous grip may look a little funny but the surface is excellent for gripping!  I have fondness for metal drafting pencils but for some time was leery of buying one.  But Platinum came through with one in exchange for a review!  I should not have been so leery!  It is an excellent drafting pencil and a fine addition to my collection!

For my review of the Platinum Pro Use 03 MSD 1000A follow this link.

The Platinum Pro Use 03 MSD is available at our friends at JetPens.

Another drafting pencil that I was leery of was the Pilot S10 03.  Now just why I was so leery I can't remember.  I do know that despite it's funky appearance it is one of the finest dratting pencils I own!  The top half is plastic while the bottom is all metal and makes the pencil pleasingly bottom heavy!  It really is a pleasure to write with and would make an excellent gift for Christmas or any other time!

For my review of the Pilot S10 03 follow this link.

The Pilot S10 03 is available from our friends at JetPens.

Drafting pencil manufactures have been trying to develop a way to keep the lead sleeve from poking users in the chest when the put one in their pocket as well as keeping it from bending and breaking if dropped when not in use.  Mitsubishi uni ball came up with this little beauty, the Shift!   The grip moves up and down to either expose or hide the lead sleeve.  It locks in either position.  Unique!  It is a fine dratting pencil worthy of such a fine company!

For my review of the Mitsubishi uni ball Shift follow this link.

The Mitsubishi uni ball Shift is available from our friends at JetPens.  Photo courtesy of JetPens.

Zebra is a name that I have come to trust for making nice, rugged, inexpensive, nice writing ball point pens.  They also make a fine line of mechanical pencils as well.  An excellent example of both is the F-402 pen and pencil set.  The pen uses Zebra's F refill and the pencil comes in 0.5 mm.  The set comes with some extras such as a tube of lead, an F refill and a blister pack of eraser refills!  All for a very reasonable price!  Both instruments are great and the stainless and black finish make for a very handsome set!  It will look nice in a shirt or jacket pocket.

I have yet to do a review of this set so please keep checking back for the up coming review.

You will have to do a web search for the Zebra F-402 Pen and Pencil Set in order to find the best price.

Still another offering from Zebra is the Tect 2Way and Tect 2Way 1000 drafting pencil.  The former being made of plastic and the latter metal.  This pencil in unusual because it's called a "shaker".  The pencil has a metal weight in the lower half that is used to advance lead by shaking the pencil.  It can also be used in the normal fashion by pressing the push button atop the pencil.  The weight can be locked so only the push button can advance lead.  A very unusual pencil that writes well.  Something for the guy or gal that "has them all"!

I have yet to review this pencil so keep checking back to see the up coming review.

The Zebra Tect 2Way and  Tect 2Way 1000 are available from our friends at JetPens.  Photo courtesy of JetPens.

My last offering is the Pilot Plumix.  The Plumix is actually a music pen, that is the nib is squared off as a calligraphy pen is only it is designed to be pushed as well as pulled, unlike a calligraphy pen nib which will chatter and spit ink if pushed.  Even though originally designed for the musision to write music with the Plumix makes an excellent elegant writing pen if used correctly!

For my review of the Pilot Plumix follow this link.

The Plumix is available from our friends at JetPens.  Photo courtesy of JetPens.

The Givaway

Now for the good part!  In order to have a chance to win a $10.00 gift certificate from JetPens all you need to do is leave a comment to this posting.  One comment per reader, please!  If you leave a comment as "Anonymous" , please leave some other identifier so that I can tell you from the other anonymous commenters.  The comment must be posted no later than midnight December the 11th.  I will pick a winner via the Random Interger Generator at the bottom of the blog.  The winner will be posted here in the comments section so please check back on the 12th to see if you are a winner!  The winner will have until midnight on the 13th to email me thier name and valid email address!  The winner will receive their $10.00 gift certificate by email.  That's all there is too it!

IMPORTANT NEWS

There was a problem with my blog.  A setting was changed.  That setting changed they way that I moderated the comments people left on my blog.  Somehow the setting was changed from the normal never moderate the comments to always moderate the comments.  I don't know how this was changed but it was and apparently for some months.  I apologize for all the trouble this may have caused anyone who left a comment.  The problem has been corrected and the winner of the contest has been listed below.  I have extended the deadline for the winner to get in touch with me.  That deadline is NOON on Friday the 18th.  Once the winner contacts me with their name and email addy I will email them the gift certificate number ASAP.  Again I apologize for any hardships this glitch may have caused anybody!

And the winner is... number 19 which corresponds to the comment left by Christmas Gifts!  Congratulations!  Please send me an email at theoldgeezer@live.com by noon on the 18th to claim your gift certificate!

Since Christmas Gifts seems to be an on-line store, I have disqualified them.  The new winner is gh1.  So will gh1 please send me an e-mail!?  I'll give you until noon on Monday the 21st to reply.  Thank you.

August Giveaway: Pentel Sharp P207 0.7 mm Drafting Pencil

Man, I’m beat!… I’m ready for the ole waterbed!… I sure hope that there’s nothing happening for the next 15 minutes! At top of the hour I can get out of here!…

Zed!?… What are you doing here at this hour!?… You know, it’s almost quitting time and I…

“Ghdye mjhtdff mgjoo…”

Wait!… Sorry, Zed! I had already turned off the Universal Translator! Like I said, it’s almost quitting time…!

“I know, Geezer, but it’s well past the first of the month and you’ve not had the Pens And Pencils August Giveaway, yet!”

That’s right, Zed! I’d almost forgotten all about it! Thanks for reminding me! And if I’m not mistaken, that’s the Pentel Sharp P207 0.7 mm Drafting Pencil that I’m giving away!

“Right you are, Geezer! So why don’t you take a few minutes and get this giveaway off the ground!?”

Well…. OK, Zed!… Sleep’s over rated anyway!

“That’s the spirit, Geezer!”

I have not reviewed this particular pencil, but I have reviewed it’s sibling, the P203, on Associated Content. If you are unfamiliar with the Pentel Sharp P200 series of Drafting Pencils then checkout my review of the P203.

The P207 is a brand new, never used pencil that I purchased especially for this giveaway. I’ve added 10 sticks of HB lead to the reservoir, bringing the total to 12 sticks. I’ve also added a clean out rod, of the proper diameter, to the underside of the eraser as Pentel is living up to their proclamation of discontinuing the practice of including a clean out rod with their pencils.

So, how does one go about entering the Pen And Pencils August Giveaway? Simple! Just post a single comment to this article telling Zed how handsome he is, or isn’t, before midnight, EST, August 30th. If you post anonymously PLEASE include either an email addy in the body of your comment (one that you would not mind others knowing) or include a handle/screen name that you commonly use elsewhere on the Net! I can not giveaway the prize to someone whom I can’t identify! If you wish to make a general comment about the pencil or about my blog or about anything else, then please sign my Guest Book and leave your comment there!

The contest ends a nano second after the clock strikes midnight August 30th and becomes the morning of August 31st! Sometime after midnight August 30th and midnight August 31st I’ll count up the total number of eligible entries, assigning each entry a number in order in which the comments were posted. All comments/entries after midnight August 30th are automatically ineligible.

Once all the eligible entries have been assigned a number I’ll use the Random Integer Generator at the bottom of this blog to generate a random integer between 1 and the total number of eligible entries, inclusive, received. I’ll post the winner in the comments section of the post, so start checking back to see if you’re the winner, around 12:35 AM August 31st. The winner will have 3 days, until midnight, September 3rd, to claim their prize by dropping me an email @: theoldgeezer@live.com identifying themselves and giving me a valid shipping/mailing addy! Once I have an addy I’ll mail the pencil to them ASAP!

So, thanks for reading my blog and for entering my August Giveaway! Please return often as I will be posting more reviews shortly!

Cow Print Pencil Display Box

I have a fondness for old wooden boxes, cigar boxes especially. My favorite thing to do with them is to convert them to pencil boxes. Not just an empty box in which to toss pencils into, but a box with pull out trays that hold the pencils in elastic, separating them and thus keeping them safe. I like to do something similar with nylon covered CD wallets and similar type cases. It's fun to create something, rewarding too, especially when I can do it for a lot less that I can buying similar items from eBay.

Some time ago I was gifted a broken down wooden cigar box. The top was split and the sides had come loose and the bottom was split. Both the hinges and clasp were in bad shape as well. So I glued the box back together intending to make a pencil box out of it. I replaced the clasp, but really wasn't happy with it. But I decided to go ahead and make the inserts that hold the pencils. The first incarnation were 2 panels that fit inside the bottom of the box that held 13 pencils each. They were made of corrugated cardboard, 1 ply thick, black cloth and some black elastic. This is how the box stayed for months. But I was never very happy with it.

The second incarnation came about when I bought some cow print fabric that I intended to use to cover some panels for another project. I used some translucent plastic sticky back shelf lining material as a template and traced out the cow print pattern onto it then cut it out with an X-acto knife. I then painted the box flat white. Once it had dried I placed the template onto the box and spray painted the black patches using flat black paint. Once it had dried I sprayed it with a gloss clear finish. The gloss finish soon was covered by a clear flat finish. I replaced the brass hinges and clasp with stainless steel ones. upgrading both as I did. The inserts remained the same until recently.



The third incarnation of the box occurred a few days go. I decided to remake the panels and cover them with the cow print fabric and to use thin round elastic instead of 3/4" elastic. But for some reason I cut the cardboard just a tad to little leaving the panels a bit loose inside the box. This is on no real consequence because the panels both fit into the bottom of the box. The box holds 24 pencils.

To make removing the panels easier I attached a strip of double folded black satin 1/2" ribbon to act as a pull. The bottom of the top panel is backed by a sheet of craft foam sheeting. This protects the pencils beneath the top tray! The bottom tray is backed by a thin sheet of card stock. Since there is nothing to protect beneath it, this is all that is necessary.

However. I was dissatisfied with the loss of 2 pencil spaces so on the last incarnation I redid the existing panels so now each panel holds 13 pencils for a total of 26. (Not shown).

It was easy converting the cigar box to a pencil display box and a lot of fun to boot! All you need is a wooden box, a few materials, a few tools, time, and enough skill to carry out the project!

If you are interested in making your own pencil display box send me an email asking for the instructions.

Tommy And The Platinum Pro-Use 03 MSD-1000A

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, it's Tommy Turquoise! What have you got there, Tommy!?

"Thank you, Geezer! I have your Platinum Pro-Use 03 MSD-1000A Drafting Pencil! It's time that you reviewed it"

You are so right, Tommy! Thanks for the reminder!

"You're welcome, Geezer!"

The Platinum Pro-Use 03 MSD-1000A is a pencil that I have been looking at for a long time. I own 2 other Platinum 0.3 mm pencils, the Pro-Use MSD-300A , and the Pro-Use MSD-500A. I like both of these pencils a lot but they are either plastic or partially plastic on the exterior. The MSD-1000A is an all metal pencil on the exterior. I find that I have come to like all metal pencils. I'm not sure if it's the silver color that they usually come in or the weight that an all metal pencil has or the feel of the metal surface or a combination of all 3! Maybe it's the luxury of having a more expensive pencil in my hand. Even though most companies, like Platinum, put as much quality into their less expensive pencils as they do their higher end pencils, an all metal pencil just speaks to me of quality and luxury!

The Pro-Use MSD-1000A is a quality pencil. It's designed and built by the Japanese so the engineering and manufacturing are superb. The shape of the 1000A is a little unusual in that it suddenly flares out at the grip, emerging from a slender cylinder. The grip has 9 evenly spaced grooves, concentric the the body of the pencil, giving rise to 7 evenly spaced ridges and 2 unevenly spaced ones. The end cap, which contains the lead sleeve, is flat where it meets the grip but quickly rounds over instead of being angular. It inverse curves to a short straight shaft before tapering to the lead sleeve. The color is a stain chrome. Behind the grip, in line with the body, is the lead grade indicator. The sleeve is a bright chrome with a rectangular window. The characters are silver upon a black background. The straight shaft of the body, like the grip, is a silvery gray with the words "PRO-USE" in hollow, gray outlined, backward slanting letters, the numerals "03" in solid gray and the words "PLATINUM JAPAN" in thin gray letters. The satin silver pocket clip is unadorned but the blade is slightly curved downward at the hilt then again at the end. The push button is of the over-the-shaft mushroom type that is reflective in shape to the grip only with 2 evenly spaced groves. Atop the broad top of the push button is the lead size in the same gray characters as on the side of the pencil. All in all a very lovely pencil to look at.



And now for the stats: The pencil is 143.3 mm long, 9.4 mm in diameter at the grip, weighs 16.1 grams and has a balance point 69.3 mm from the tip of the pencil, making it 2.3 mm top heavy, but you won't notice it! The 1000A feels perfectly balanced in the hand. The lead reservoir is cavernous enough to hold a couple of dozen leads but the eraser does not have a clean out rod, which is typical of Platinum pencils. It only takes two clicks to produce adequate lead to write or draw with. This is very nice in helping to eliminate lead breakage. The 1000A is a ratcheting style pencil with an all brass chuck and chuck ring. Being all metal the end cap is secured from accidental loosening by a rubber O-ring. In order to adjust the lead grade indicator it is necessary to loosen the grip from the body just a tad.

While the pencil body is thin the grip is robust enough to grip comfortably. The satin finish on the grip combined with the grooves make for a nice gripping surface. It's very easy to hold onto and to write with. It feels balanced in the hand and easy to control. The broad head of the push button makes the ratcheting mechanism feel softer than it really is. The ratcheting mechanism has a metallic sound to it but it's quieter than one might expect from an all metal pencil. The lack of a clean out rod is typical of the Platinum pencils. This is a little disturbing. The average person who would buy this pencil may never need the missing clean out rod, but when the need arises, the average person is stuck with a broken pencil as 0.35 mm wire is not a common household item! With the other lead sizes common items can be found that will act as clean out rods.

The bottom line, despite the lack of a clean out rod, Platinum has a winner in the Platinum Pro-Use 03 MSD-1000A. It not only is it an attractive pencil (now tell me, does anyone really want an ugly pencil?) it is an easy pencil to use. Disassembly, should it become necessary, is easy and straight forward, as is reassembly. It is well designed and built pencil, a true quality instrument. If you are on the hunt for a quality 0.3 mm pencil then you should definitely consider the Platinum Pro-Use 03 MSD-1000A.

The Platinum Pro-Use 03 MSD-1000A can be purchased from our friends at JetPens.

I'd like thank the Platinum Pen Co. of Japan, and the Customer Service Department, for the pencil reviewed in this article.