On Thursday, my most recent order from C.W. Pencil Enterprise arrived. As the shop is no longer accepting online orders, I think this is my last "major" pencil purchase for awhile. I love that the team at CWPE are no longer taking online orders out of care + concern for their local postal workers.

[Solidarity with those brave people working for the United States Postal Service and at grocery stores, restaurants, and other necessary businesses during the pandemic. In addition to our medical professionals, y'all are heroes, too.]

Order Contents

• CWPE Perfect Pencil (red) x1
• Kutsuwa Stad Highlighter Pencil (yellow) x1
• Musgrave 600 News x2
• CWPE Pencil Log Book x1

Preliminary Observations with More Substantial Reviews to Come 

• CWPE Perfect Pencil: I've been looking at Faber-Castell's Prefect Pencil for years, but waited to purchase one. I love this collaboration between CWPE and Faber-Castell. The red is striking and I dig the utilitarian cap + sharpener for travel or just throwing in my teaching bag.
• Kusuwa Stad Highlighter Pencil: Again, as with the CWPE Perfect Pencil, I am digging the cap + sharpener combo, but I do not love that the two yellows do not quite match. I plan to use the cap + sharpener with other non-yellow pencils because it really pops. And I will use the yellow highlighter pencil on its own. 
• Musgrave 600 News: I used to write with 2H, H, or HB pencils, but as I age (I'll be 34 in nine days), I've begun to prefer softer graphite—generally B and 2B. I've looked at the Musgrave 600 News for quite some time because I wanted a darker, smoother graphite and am so far quite happy with this purchase. I keep bouncing back-and-forth in preference between pencils with erasers (like my favorite Blackwing 602) or without (like my aesthetically favorite Leuchtturm 1917 HB in royal blue)—and the Musgrave 600 News is a great option without an eraser. 
• CWPE Pencil Log Book: I am incredibly Type-A and am hoping this terrific notebook will help me catalog my growing collection. There are columns for date, brand, pencil name, swatch, notes, and rating. In addition to this information, I plan to discuss core, lacquered or natural finish, eraser, ferrule, shape, and subjective aesthetics when I start reviewing my pencil collection. (I was waiting to begin my reviews until the CWPE Pencil Log Book arrived.)​

Happy + healthy Monday,

​Creight