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The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils (2022)

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Re: The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils (2022)

#41

Post by WalterBright »

luqtas wrote: post #35
bayindirh wrote: post #3

In the age of digital data storage and keyboards, these writing tools do not get the attention and celebration they deserve. There are tools so unique that really changes how you think and how you write. Some of these tools are so timeless and they are irreplaceable. When you acquire one of these tools, and appreciate all the craftsmanship and engineering went into these things, and notice how all blends and becomes…

one literally can raise the same points about a running text-editor and a keyboard with 'Silent Mode/Do Not Disturb' activated, except the timeless argument as we don't have even 200 years of electronic computers... have you ever tried to be productive by sharing letters in a mailling list when brainstorming ideas? /s and don't come up with research comparing the 2 with biases like participants not even knowing how t…

Taking notes with a keyboard does not work for me.

Re: The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils (2022)

#42

Post by makeitdouble »

linguae wrote: post #22

I love Japanese stationery. I prefer my Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencils to even my Blackwings, which are also great pencils. I also love Kokuyo Campus notebooks, which I first started using 15 years ago when I was a research intern at Fujitsu Labs in Kawasaki, Japan. Every time I travel to Japan, I stock up on stationery. On a related note, I wish there were software companies that put as much attention to their software a…

> I wish there were software companies that put as much attention to their software as companies like Mitsubishi and Kokuyo put into their stationery.

Mitsubishi refined its process by selling the same basic product for half a century. The software equivalent would be closer to the 'cat' command than Omni. We could go with curl or vi, or Notepad if we give more credit to Mitsubishi pencils on keeping up with modern materials.

You'll note that Mitsubishi Pencils isn't producing a highly crafted extremely precise and delightful to use 3D mouse. They stuck to pens and pencils and the day pencil demand will die the company will also die.

Re: The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils (2022)

#44

Post by bayindirh »

luqtas wrote: post #35
bayindirh wrote: post #3

In the age of digital data storage and keyboards, these writing tools do not get the attention and celebration they deserve. There are tools so unique that really changes how you think and how you write. Some of these tools are so timeless and they are irreplaceable. When you acquire one of these tools, and appreciate all the craftsmanship and engineering went into these things, and notice how all blends and becomes…

one literally can raise the same points about a running text-editor and a keyboard with 'Silent Mode/Do Not Disturb' activated, except the timeless argument as we don't have even 200 years of electronic computers... have you ever tried to be productive by sharing letters in a mailling list when brainstorming ideas? /s and don't come up with research comparing the 2 with biases like participants not even knowing how t…

OK. I'll come with another research, the one I'm doing on myself for more than 30 years.

See, I'm both typing and writing for more than 30 years, and I started doing both almost the same time, so there's no inherent bias there. Here's what I found.

- I can type around 75 WPM in a good day, yet writing on paper always brings out clearer ideas.

- I write my blog posts in iA writer, fullscreen and in DnD mode, yet drilling some ideas on paper is still necessary for reflection.

- I have encrypted diary on my personal computer, yet I always prefer to carry a good notebook with a good pen, and find that I can write more sincerely and drill into myself better during reflection sessions.

- I can design programs in my head, brainstorm with mind maps, or draw architecture diagrams with relatively high speeds, yet designing on paper always results in better architectures, less bugs, and better performance.

- I can skirmish in real time like an old IRC person (because I am), or fire salvos of posts with different amount of flame included (because I lived through newsgroups), yet I prefer elaborating ideas on paper or in silence before writing them, because seeing what I want to say, and scribbling them with a good pen always brings different perspectives.

What I found by working on myself is ironically parallel to the research you denounce. Writing is different than typing and is a deeper experience with more connection to self. Having a small notebook around boosts my productivity 5x, while reducing planning overhead and mental load incurred by it to almost zero, and this is while I have a tool which I plan my next three weeks with great detail.

So, maybe you should try writing, and while you're at it, you can even find a pen friend which spends a couple of hours to write you a nice and sincere letter, and you'll do the same and understand why some of us like writing and everything related to that.

Who knows?

Re: The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils (2022)

#45

Post by bayindirh »

internet101010 wrote: post #37
bayindirh wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are very good at higher end paper, pencils and erasers. Their gel and roller pens are mostly unmatched. OTOH, while they're top tier in fountain pens, Germans really equal with them. Lamy, Faber Castell, Diplomat, Kaweco and of course Montblanc make great pens. Pilot & Sailor are not behind them, though. Mitsubishi Pencil bought Lamy so things will get interesting. Inks are the same. Germans and Japanese are hea…

I love my Platinum fountain pens far more than the Lamys or other European fountain pens. No matter how many times I try I always go back to the Platinum PTL-5000A, which has been discontinued (thankfully I got a backup).

It's a matter of taste, and that's OK. Platinum is a great brand, but it doesn't resonate with me much. Sailor's ProGear and Pilot is where my heart is when it comes to Japanese pens.

On the other hand, I find entry level German pens great for everyday carry. They're very rugged, and easy to replace, if you can damage them.

I'm happy that you found your grail pen, because having one is a great feeling.

Re: The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils (2022)

#46

Post by luqtas »

bayindirh wrote: post #44
luqtas wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

one literally can raise the same points about a running text-editor and a keyboard with 'Silent Mode/Do Not Disturb' activated, except the timeless argument as we don't have even 200 years of electronic computers... have you ever tried to be productive by sharing letters in a mailling list when brainstorming ideas? /s and don't come up with research comparing the 2 with biases like participants not even knowing how t…

OK. I'll come with another research, the one I'm doing on myself for more than 30 years. See, I'm both typing and writing for more than 30 years, and I started doing both almost the same time, so there's no inherent bias there. Here's what I found. - I can type around 75 WPM in a good day, yet writing on paper always brings out clearer ideas. - I write my blog posts in iA writer, fullscreen and in DnD mode, yet drill…

i remember burning a pile, like 15 cm thick, of paper notes once. i still have another one but i didn't parsed to the computer yet

you don't know how sacred to me is my scratch (temporary) file on Emacs or my org documents or Gimp files with stuff like studies of games platform level design (quite easy to screenshot views and highlight stuff i want to comment) or digital collages material

for me there isn't anything closer than having a coffee after weeks/months without having one, Android running Emacs on Termux in my pocket and going for a walk with or without a science podcast playing... ironically the last thing i did on paper was the tinker of specific apps layers layouts on my keyboard (now i use an online keyboard editor alongside a text document)

Re: The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils (2022)

#47

Post by jerieljan »

> Masaki had the idea to register a three-diamond trademark, along with the "Mitsubishi" name, which means 'three diamonds.' (It may surprise you to learn that this was ten years before the much better-known Mitsubishi Group of heavy industry companies registered its name and identical mark. Mitsubishi Pencil has no connection to the numerous other Mitsubishi companies in Japan; it is and has always been a manufacturer of writing and drawing supplies.)

Well, I learned something new today. I always thought the pencils were part of the group but apparently they're not.

Seeing the iconic three diamond mark along with the name always made me think the pencils were related to the cars.

Re: The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils (2022)

#48

Post by sevensor »

bayindirh wrote: post #11
nadir_ishiguro wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm from Germany and personally prefer Japanese fountain pens, but also value our local brands. I took for granted that I could go into any small stationary store and buy a LAMY or Pelikan any time I wanted as a child. "Also, a company in my country started making a paper which rivals Yu-Sari and Tomoe River. I write letters with it, and it's great." Is that available internationally?

I keep a stable of inked pens. The set is half Japanese, half German all the time. I find Lamy superior for leak resistance and ruggedness, and they're repairable if you manage to damage them also, their tipping is one of the best and fastest polishing/adapting ones if not the best. Japanese ones tend to stay at my desk at home, since they're more delicate writing instruments (except Pilot Metropolitan.That's a tank)…

Notebook looks good, much less expensive than Rhodia or Yu-Sari for 300 sheets of A5, assuming paper quality is as advertised. Priced in dollars although I’m not sure if they actually ship to to the us.

Re: The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils (2022)

#49

Post by blackeyeblitzar »

WillAdams wrote: post #40
blackeyeblitzar wrote: post #16

It’s interesting seeing all the innovative writing products in Japan - feels like a totally different culture. I have to say though, in the age of phones and laptops, it’s hard to make time to write things physically. It also just seems more painful (like for the hands). Still, I appreciate the design and thought that goes into Japanese pencils and pens.

Have you tried a good-quality, light-weight fountain pen?

I tried a plastic body light one a long time back but haven’t returned to it. I think in part because I found the roller ball point pens to be smoother writing and less ‘scratchy’. But maybe I am not using it properly or didn’t get the right model.

Re: The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils (2022)

#50

Post by gosub100 »

luqtas wrote: post #35
bayindirh wrote: post #3

In the age of digital data storage and keyboards, these writing tools do not get the attention and celebration they deserve. There are tools so unique that really changes how you think and how you write. Some of these tools are so timeless and they are irreplaceable. When you acquire one of these tools, and appreciate all the craftsmanship and engineering went into these things, and notice how all blends and becomes…

one literally can raise the same points about a running text-editor and a keyboard with 'Silent Mode/Do Not Disturb' activated, except the timeless argument as we don't have even 200 years of electronic computers... have you ever tried to be productive by sharing letters in a mailling list when brainstorming ideas? /s and don't come up with research comparing the 2 with biases like participants not even knowing how t…

It's not the same. Hand writing allows infinitely more possibilities for annotations and illustration.
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