The Erasable Podcast

We’re a podcast about pencils. It is a digital entity that exists in cyberspace but which centers on pencils and related IRL items. The irony has never been lost on us. Tonight in the most ambitious crossover event in history, Andy and Johnny are joined by Will Fanguy, co-host of Andy’s other podcast, Dot Grid, to talk about analog and digital ways to plan and be productive and where these lines get fuzzy. And, stick around after the musical outro for a fun little reunion.

It’s that time of year again: lists, big packs of pencils, and ten cent composition books. It’s back to school time already! Tonight, Andy and Johnny are joined by none other than Caroline Weaver, to discuss the best pencils and pencil paraphernalia with which to outfit your kids and and even yourself this fall.

Bullet pencils used to be souvenirs of adventures had, marketing items, even electoral tools. Tonight, Andy and Johnny are joined by Randy Ragan for a discussion of all things bullet pencil, including their restoration. Tune into episode 101 as we take aim on these bygone portable pieces of pencilry.

More than four years ago, Tim Wasem, Johnny Gamber, and Andy Welfle were just mild-mannered men, until the day they were stabbed with radioactive graphite  that turned them into… pencil podcast hosts! Hitting the topics harder than a 4H, interviewing guests with the smoothness of a 6B, no stationery is safe from The Erasables! Special guest host Caitlin Elgin interviews the guys about how the heck they pulled off a centenary of episodes about... pencils? To help us celebrate 100 episodes, buy a limited edition custom Erasable Baron Fig Confidant! With a bright yellow fabric color and a special variant of our logo foil-stamped on the front (designed by our friend TJ Cosgrove), all proceeds will go to support the continued operation of this show. But hurry — we'll stop selling it by the time episode 101 airs on July 25!

Ah, the hum of AC units, oscillating fans, and bugs. Before we hit the big 100, we’re here to talk about the latest releases from Field Notes and Blackwing, as well as other interesting pencil items.

Field Notes. Maybe you collect them. Maybe you are even a completist. Maybe you fill them like no one’s business. Tonight, Andy, Johnny, and Tim are joined by prolific Field Notes user Lary Grimaldi. The quartet talk favorite editions, interior pages, pencils, and perhaps suggest some Erasable-specific Suggested Uses.

We’ve received many requests throughout the four years we’ve been making this podcast to talk about mechanical pencils. But it’s not something any of the three of we hosts really know a whole lot about. So tonight, we’re going to talk about mechanical pencils as tools used by a regular wooden pencil user.

If you’re a member of our Facebook Group, you get to enjoy Hackwings on the regular. If not, picture well-matched Blackwing ferrules and erasers stuck atop your favorite non-Blackwing pencils. Our guest this week is artist and pro-level Hackwinger Jason Patterson, and your three hosts will wax PENCILSOPHICAL™ about this and other topics. Plumbago Magazine is looking for a few good illustrators to contribute to Issue 4 (Summer 2018!) Find more information or subscribe to our newsletter at Plumbago.xyz. 

Sometimes it might seem like we talk a lot, but we’re only a bi-weekly show, and there are multiple voices. Tonight, we host another live call-in show! We hear from listeners, and even a non-listener as we struggle with how to hang up on people on Skype.

It’s spring. That means that it’s spring release season from our favorite stationery companies. Join Tim, Andy, and Johnny as they levy their judgements on the latest offerings from Field Notes, Blackwing, Write Notepads, and Baron Fig.

Happy belated International Pencil Day! To celebrate, your fearless (new and improved) hosts are talking all about mechanical pencils — mass market clicky pencils, high-end metal ones, and even leadholders.

Have you ever wanted to know more about the old business you read about on an old piece of advertising? Just married this past fall, Jessica Letkemann and Chris Jones are exploring the history of the businesses featured on vintage advertising pencils. Their new blog is called Graphite Confidential, and we’ve got them both here in The Erasable Skyposphere for a casual grilling. Tune in, as we go back in time a bit...

What attracts the Pen Addict himself to pencils? What pencils does he recommend for pen lovers, and what should Inky Folks look for in graphite-friendly paper? Listen in and find answers to these questions and what everyone’s been wondering for nearly four years: What does Erasable sound like without Andy?

While it rhymes nicely with Erasable, we don’t often like the word irreplaceable. Sometimes pencils stop being made. Sometimes they were limited editions to begin with. We all miss the Blackwing 211. But sometimes there are perfectly good substitutes for the pencil items you miss, and we’re here to help you through it.

Maybe you carry around pens because you’re secretly afraid of falling and stabbing yourself through the chest or neck with a sharp Ticonderoga. Maybe one of Erasable’s hosts has had this fear for over three decades. We’re here to help, as tonight, we dive into point protectors, which will protect not only your fragile body, but also your precious pencil tips.