CW Pencils Futura

11/16/2024

The Futura pencil was originally made by the NY/NJ based Richard Best Pencil company but rebooted Caroline Weaver of CW Pencil Enterprise and produced by Moon Products who previously aquired Richard Best. Moon Products is one of three remaining pencil factories in the US. The other two are the Musgrave and General Pencil companies. The Futura reboot is no longer in production because CW pencils doesn't exist anymore, but Caroline has a new project called the Locavore which you should check out if you like shopping in small NYC shops. If you really want one of these you can ask me nicely and I'll give you one from my box.

The pencil is a #2 HB grade and is labeled "soft". This reminds me of the yellow Dixon Ticonderoga #2 "soft" pencils, but I would describe it as having more tooth than a Ticonderoga, while still being somewhat soft. Even thought it has some tooth to it, it doesn't hold it's tip too well and almost sinks into the page a little bit as you're writing. I really like the scratchy sensation it has. One peculiar thing about this pencil that it shares with its predecessor is the shape. It has what Moon Products calls the "Try-Rex" shape which has three flat edges, and three rounded edges. It's made by taking an initially rounded barrel and cutting down/flattening three sides. This makes for an interesting pattern when you sharpen the pencil (see my picture) where the paint of the flat edges creeps closer to the tip than the rounded edges. I wouldn't say the grip of this pencil is my personal favorite because the mix of round/flat edges feels a little odd, but I think it lends well to the futuristic theme. The paint finish of this pencil is amazing; the pink is even more vibrant in real life, and feels like a thick, shiny coat of paint. The shiny pink ferrule is also cute. The eraser is on the harder side and is nothing special. Overall, this is the perfect pencil for you if you either like the pink/neon asthetic, or you like a bold-leaning HB pencil but prefer a scratchy rather than smooth writefeel. It's definetly well suited for everyday use if you like it.