• 
  2010

  Oct 5
  6
  Nikira

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  Near Park Slope. First drew with Palomino pencil 2H, then inked in Holbein sketchbook.
  tags: brooklyn | ink | Ira | sketch
   

Comments

• 

  Uncle Bob 2:10 am on October 6, 2010 | #

  Great to see those pencils working so well. Have you seen the new “Palomino Blackwing” now on sale?

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  Nikira 5:14 am on October 6, 2010 | #

  Yea! I ordered already, can’t wait to get it. So exited. I was looking at old stock long time ago, it was like $68 per pencil on Ebay. I am pencils crazy. Use to have 1939 and 1909 pencils in Russia. Yesterday got red pencil, Koh-I-Noor, dated 1950 or 1970 stock as a present. Thank you for letting me know Palomino.

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  Uncle Bob 9:02 am on October 6, 2010 | #

  You are definitely a pencil nut, Nikira. I too have ordered some of the Blackwings – it was John Stremikis who mentioned them to me a long time ago. Just received an email to say they’ve been dispatched. I wonder if I’ll get mine before yours. It will be interesting to compare them when they arrive.

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  Nikira 9:54 am on October 6, 2010 | #

  @Bob, one of the sites I enjoy is
  http://www.penciltalk.org/
  Sometime ago I got antique 1900 pencils, can’t find clear answer where to find leads for it, it is may be 1.1mm, may be John knows something about it? Or you?

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  Uncle Bob 12:31 pm on October 6, 2010 | #

  After a bit of research I’ve found that some leads are available for “propelling pencils” (the old name for mechanical pencils). The size of 1.1mm seems to have been the norm for these a hundred years ago. This size was known as “thick leads” while “fine leads” were 0.9mm. Try this web site for a modern substitute
  http://autopointinc.com/autopoint/refills-leads-erasers.html
  Watch out, however, that leads for these pencils seems to be on the hard side and not too great for sketching being about grade H (is this a No 3 in the States?). Why not get some old pencils you no longer require. Remove the core (lead) and see if this fits. (Some sandpapering could reduce the diameter) You can do this by shaving off most of the wood then burning the rest off – ask a friend who has a small gas blowtorch. I’ve passed your last message onto John in case he hasn’t seen this – but he seems to be away at the moment.

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  Nikira 3:53 pm on October 6, 2010 | #

  Dear Bob, thank you for the link and clearing out the name of it. I always knew I am a genius, I was able to make it work, I found leads inside, in weird storage compartment, worked on disconnected parts, it is two different mechanisms. So 2 pencils work now. It is Wahl-Eversharp triple silver plated propelling pencils, made in 1920, if not earlier. Width of the lead 1, 18mm. One little ending absent. We have H’s here too. So now running to sketch with it.

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