There is stationery I use every day. There is stationery I feel a deep connection to. There is stationery I’ve bought on impulse, and tools I’ve chosen strictly for their practicality. But what about stationery I’m “obsessed” with?

Looking at the articles everyone else has written, everyone seems to have their own reasons: love, excitement, a bit of a mood-lifter, or that special spark of joy. All of them are wonderful. I even find myself getting a little envious. When an author is happy, it makes the reader happy, too.

So, what about me? I searched my pencil case, peered into my drawers at home, and even checked my locker at work, but... hmmm. Everything I’ve bought has its own reason, and while you could say I’m obsessed with them in a way, I felt like there was still some discovered, even more charming stationery out there.

In my search for something irresistable, I visited many stationery shops and, let me show you my new obsession.

Tada!



The Faber-Castell “PITT GRAPHITE” (the barrel is marked with the German “GRAPHIT”). First off, look at it… it’s irresistible, isn’t it? While a normal pencil is encased in a wooden barrel, this pencil is made entirely out of graphite. That lustrous charcoal grey is simply beautiful.

When I first saw it in the shop, I was struck by how incredibly thick it was.I picked it up, wondering how on earth someone would use it. As it turns out, it’s designed for sketching. If you hold it upright, you can draw lines like a regular pencil; if you lay it on its side, you can shade broad areas like a crayon. You can smudge it for a blur effect, and since it’s a pencil, you can even rub it out with an eraser.



Here is the tip. It’s so good. Since it’s 100% graphite, I wonder if the tip will become rounded with use? It’s too thick for a standard pencil sharpener, so I suppose I’ll have to use a utility knife. After a bit of research, it seems people even use sandpaper to hone the point. There’s something undeniably cool about that.



And here is the base. The way the hexagonal cross-section creates that lined pattern is just stylish.

The hardness of this pencil is “6B.” I’ve only ever used up to 4B before, so even just the number “6B” alone got me excited. Perhaps 6B is common for those who do sketches, but isn’t there a sense of romance in owning something "over-spec" that you’d never normally use in daily life?

Like a supercar with a top speed of 300 km/h, a diver’s watch waterproof to 1000 m, or a down jacket that can withstand ?40°C. Pencils are much more common, and at 550 yen, this is an extreme comparison, but I felt a similar kind of thrill. It’s not about asking, “When are you actually going to use that?” That’s beside the point. Just holding it feels amazing.

I don’t sketch in my daily life—in fact, my usual writing instruments are mostly ballpoint or fountain pens—but since I have it here, let’s give it a try.



I spent about 20 minutes drawing, and it felt just like being back in middle school art class. The lines come out dark without needing much pressure, making the drawing experience very effortless. My hands didn’t even get as dirty as I expected. I wonder how a truly skilled artist would utilize this pencil. I think I’ll try this out occasionally and let this “obsession” grow.

Look forward to the next “Obsessed with this Stationery” update!

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