Staedtler Pencilmaker Set

Woo! Bad lighting!

Back in June, Pencil Talk spoke of a giveaway in which Staedtler had given up 175 pencilmaking kits to readers. I jumped at this opportunity because, uh, free stuff is pretty spectacular. I am just saying.

So I sent them an e-mail (to summarize my essay sent in not-MLA format, my grandma is an amateur artist and has used Staedtler pencils her entire life) and was told I could, in fact, have one of these kits! I was incredibly excited and sent them my address.

I just received the package yesterday. It took a little while, but I don't mind; they said it might take up to eight weeks, and I was very patient (I mean... as patient as you can get. That is, not very patient).

I was cleaning out the garage with my mom when I checked the mailbox. Mail, mail, mail - package! For me!

I pulled it open and found a nice hefty metal box that had been taped shut. There was also a piece of paper inside the package that thanked me for enjoying their products. If only they knew (the only non-mechanical pencil in my drawing kit is a Staedtler pencil).

So I cracked this bad boy open.

It came with instructions in the form of pictures. They're very good instructions! These are not your IKEA picture instructions, people.

The only thing that worries me is step 8. I have no idea how to do that...? I think I'll figure it out if/when I make the pencil.

There's a sentence on the back are in several different languages. But there's no English, which is a little awkward because... I can't actually read any of this. Except for the Spanish.

With my tentative grasp of the Spanish language, it says that there are small pieces in the kit and to either keep the instructions in a safe place or something about embalming. I- don't ask me. I literally do not know.

ETA (8/3): There is English! It's actually the second one. The GB (for Great Britain?) threw me off. A lot. It was late.

(If you want to know, just click through and read. Hopefully the image is big enough!)

ORGANIZATION

Inside the kit, you'll find several different things.

First thing's first: there's a rather nondescript tube of glue inside the kit. There's also a loop of string to tie the pencil together when you've assembled it.

Next, you'll find a wax seal. No, just kidding; it's not actual wax. It's actually a piece of plastic made to look like a wax seal. It doesn't seem flimsy at all. It's quite firm.

I suppose having an actual wax seal would be more... authentic, but that might cause problems in shipping. I'd much rather have a plastic "wax" seal than a fine powder of wax coating everything on my desk.

And then inside of my nose.

Next, the actual pencil. You get two slats of wood with grooves in the middle. There's also a flat piece of lead (graphite! graphite!) that comes sandwiched between the two.

In the case that you were too lazy to read the instructions and would much rather have someone explain in text rather than twelve pictures, you slap some glue on the two slats of wood, put the lead on the glue, and then press the three pieces together. Like a group hug. A nice one. When the glue sets (or when it hasn't, whatever), you use the string to tie the pencil. Or you can give it to your cat. And now you put a dab of glue on the not-wax seal, and put that on. That's it! There you go! You get a pencil! Now you can wipe the sweat off your brow. The damsel in distress waits for you.

Look at this logo! That's quiet the blue right there.

I'm not sure if I want to actually make the pencil. It seems better just sitting there and being pretty. Maybe I'll carefully frame it and put it on my wall for the rest of eternity.

Thank you to Staedtler and Pencil Talk for this opportunity to have this kit!