Coffee in my cup: Starbucks Verona

Paper: Muji A5 Plantation Paper

Sharpener: KUM Magnesium Single

Pencil Cost: Staples: $5 [$1.67/dozen, $.14/pencil]; Amazon: $20

I purchased a pack of 36 Staedtler Norica HB #2 pencils at Staples yesterday for $5. That’s $1.67 per dozen or $.14 per pencil. Quite a deal for a high quality pencil!

The Staedtler Norica HB has a pleasing finish. I’d call the finish “satin.” It’s matte with a touch of gloss. The finish is very pleasant to the touch.

The pencil writes with a pleasing line. It doesn’t lean to the light side like some of my modern pencils.

The eraser is good, as far as pencil top erasers go. The white color sets off the pencil nicely and speaks of quality. It erases better than the standard built-on — but doesn’t match the quality of a decent hand held eraser. Overall, I give the eraser a pass.

I can’t make up my mind about the branding on the pencil. Despite what my photos suggest, the silver of the branding matches the silver of the ferrule perfectly — a classy detail. Yet, the branding is a bit large and calls attention to itself more than I prefer.

This is a quality pencil at a great price. At $5 for 36 pencils, this is cheaper than Prospectors, Golden Bears, Mirados, and Ticonderogas. It’s even approaching the price of cheap store brand pencils.

$1.67 for a dozen pencils of this quality is a steal. I highly recommend these if you can find a pack at this price.

RATING: 4.5 Cups of Coffee [icon name=icon-coffee][icon name=icon-coffee][icon name=icon-coffee][icon name=icon-coffee]1/2

ANALOG BLOG

UPDATE

See the follow up post HB Pencil Lineup for some comparison scribbles.