The Erasable Podcast

Have you ever wondered where those funny pencils with a #2 and a fraction pencils fit into the hardness/softness scale of pencils? These are your #2 1/2s, your F grades. Today, we explore that funny little half-grade that exists between HB and H, between #2 and #3. Plus a Snapchat update from Tim, gifts for Johnny, and a plea to Blackwing from Andy.

Johnny's not with us today, but he has a good excuse. Instead, we're honored to be joined by Caitlin Elgin, a genuine Pencil Lady from Pencils.com. We're just talking about our Fresh Points, including a discussion about the new Blackwing Volume 56 (for our 56th episode — coincidence?!), Write Notepad's edition, an update to the CW Pencil shop and a shipment of bright, shiny Indian pencils.

There have been some great releases from the USA in the last few weeks, and we are waiting to see what Blackwing has cooking up for us. While we wax both critical and hopeful on these and other topics, we are joined tonight by Slate’s June Thomas — back herself from other shores, where the stationery getting is good. Tune in for a Worldwide Pencil Party like no other. Tonight’s episode is sponsored by our friends at Write Notepads & Co., whose summer release, The Kindred Spirit, hits members’ mailboxes this week.

After more than 50 episodes, we finally tackle our namesake: erasers. We're joined by our good friend and Veteran Eraser Destroyer Ana Reinert of The Well Appointed Desk (and now also of the Art Supply Posse podcast!). Listen in as we discuss aspects of erasers that we look for and some running-down of our favorite erasers. This episode is sponsored by CW Pencil Enterprise, purveyors of superior graphite. Now through Monday, June 20, CW Pencils is offering an Erasable Eraser pack, with five erasers curated by Andy, Tim, Johnny, Ana and Caroline. Buy a pack on their site for just $4.50, 25% off retail price for individual erasers.

Get out your Stars and Stripes, and get to wavin’. Tonight, we are presenting the second episode in which we explore pencils made in the Land of the Free. Stay tuned to find out how to save 15% on pencils by a certain American brand we know and love with tonight’s sponsor.

The butt. The tip. The non-business end. In Episode 52, we are discussing the backends of pencils -- those colorful dips, those precise plastic caps, the naked rears, and the eraserless ferrules. Join your most Up Front hosts as we discuss the seemingly meaningless end of the pencil. We also rap about the Pencil of the Episode: a Swiss neon pencil from sponsor CW Pencil Enterprise.

We’ve hinted. We’ve teased. Now we finally get Phat and talk about wide-bodied pencils. What are they good for? What are the best? How old can we be and still use them? Listen in, and find out about all this and more.

Tonight, experience our revamped Pencils 101, with some basic — and not so basic — information and strategies for Your Best Pencil Practices. On the occasion of our fiftieth episode, Andy, Johnny, and Tim are proud to present: What To Look For In a Pencil.

We're delving deep into the world's greatest writing utensil: pens. Later, Brad Dowdy of the vastly superior Pen Addict podcast joins us to give his tips on selecting a pen that is better than whatever janky pencil you're using.

Tis the season of spring quarterly releases! Andy, Tim, and Johnny are back to talk about the newest releases from Field Notes, Blackwing and Write Notepads & Co. Tune in for a uniquely graphitilicious take on some of your favorite limited releases. Plus, international pencil aficionado t-shirts and a fantasy stationery baseball league. This episode is sponsored by Write Notepads & Co, now with a membership program! For $99 a year, you get access to their super limited quarterly releases.

Johnny and Andy help Tim through some issues when he admits he has too many concurrent notebooks going at once. They talk about pocket-notebook-only systems, journaling, using one main notebook or several, and plenty of other directions. Plus, Andy tells the tale of the Aaron Draplin art show in San Francisco and of his upcoming travels to London. This episode is sponsored by MetalShop and the Timber Twist Bullet Pencil, now live on Kickstarter!

Sometimes you buy a piece of stationery, full of high hopes, and it annoys, disappoints or infuriates you. This week, Tim, Johnny and Andy engage in a smear campaign (just in time for Super Tuesday!) and talk about their least favorite pieces of pencil gear. Join in for our least positive episode yet.

Tonight’s guests need no introduction. Caitlin Elgin and Caroline Weaver run CW Pencil Enterprise, the online and real-world Mecca for pencil lovers on the Lower East Side of NYC. After spending some time in Frankfurt, Germany at Paperworld, a huge trade show for stationery shops, they have returned to these shores and have agreed to join us tonight for the entire episode. After the show, go listen to our first-ever After Dark episode where we spent an entire half-hour episode talking about The Gilmore Girls.

The guys have a short episode this week with just some fresh points, with a little baseball talk thrown in at the beginning for good measure. We’re discussing Field Notes — the DDC Dead Prints and the Chicago edition — as well as a glossary of pencil terminology stemming from our show and beyond.

This week, Tim, Johnny and Andy are keeping Musgrave weird with their top five pencils at the moment, to kick off 2016. They (belatedly) explain the Palomino Blackwing 1138 in a bit more detail, including the symbology of “1138” and how George Lucas pays tribute to it. Dive deep with the (Musgrave) Bugle Boys into the land of graphite and wood!