Pencils

[Karenciavo]

What brand of pencils are you using now? I'm getting tired of the broken leads in my Ticonderoga pencils. :glare:

[H.S. Burrow]

I love our Ticonderoga pencils....but we use the Tri-Write style, maybe that makes a difference?

[~Tara~]

We've been using the Black Warriors...if we can find them. We have an issue with losing pencils here. I need to keep the stash under lock and key and then permanently attach a pencil to each child so that it is there and used until it is but a nub. :p

 

I think I'm going to have a look at those Tri-Writes though. Just 'cause.

[MicheleinMN]

Black Mirado Warriors and the Papermate Classic are both holding up around here, and we are not easy on pencils. (Both are made in the USA too. :) )

 

HTH

[Tammyla]

Love these pencils. We are still using the same package opened up last year and they are going strong. I wonder how long it will take us to go through them and need to open up another package? Ticonderoga leads were always snapping around here too. We liked them, but were spending way to much time at the sharpener and they quickly became to small to deal with.

 

Black Mirado Warriors and the Papermate Classic are both holding up around here, and we are not easy on pencils. (Both are made in the USA too. :) )

 

HTH

[JudoMom]

Love these pencils. We are still using the same package opened up last year and they are going strong. I wonder how long it will take us to go through them and need to open up another package? Ticonderoga leads were always snapping around here too. We liked them, but were spending way to much time at the sharpener and they quickly became to small to deal with.

 

Black Warriors are awesome. I opened 2 packs last year, and we never made it through one pencil. They are all still only about 1/3 sharpened.

[Karenciavo]

Any local type stores carry Black Mirado Warriors?

[Tammyla]

I purchased mine at Target during their school sale last year, but I'm not sure if they are a regularly stocked item.

 

Any local type stores carry Black Mirado Warriors?

[Laura Corin]

Staedtler (sp?) - their most expensive kind.

 

Laura

[Sandy in Indy]

Walgreens carries Black Warrior. I bought mine when they had a wonderful sale.... I really do like them better.

[Jolash]

I'm so glad to hear about places that sell black warriors! We love them here. I switched to Ticonderogas last year when I couldn't find the warriors and have been so frustrated with the breaking leads and need for constant resharpening. I couldn't find them at Walmart or the office supply stores around here (we live in a very. rural. area.) Thanks for starting this thread. I'm off to Walgreens!

[AuntieM]

Wow, I thought it was just us. It only occurred with our latest big pack, and they were frozen while in storage and handled by movers, so we thought that caused the problems. But to hear that they're failing you all surprises me. Man, I am addicted to those pencils! I love the way they erase so cleanly. I can honestly tell you that I have banned every other pencil from my house! I wonder if they have changed anything about the way they're made, because this problem is new for us, and it has been pretty bothersome over the past few months.

 

Shucks, I guess I will have to try the Black Warriors. Or, I would love to hear where y'all are finding the D-T tr-writes, I've only seen them one or two at a time in promotional packaging with the regular number twos.

[Colleen]

What brand of pencils are you using now?

 

Yeah, we gave up on Ticonderoga and, at Ria's suggestion, have been using Black Warrior. They hold up well. I purchase them at a local office supplies shop so I don't know where else they're available.

 

My "pencil gripe" of late has been how fast we go through them. This is just really weird to me. Everyone can start off with a brand new pencil on Monday, and two days later, they're down to one-third of their original length. (The pencils, not the kids, LOL.) For my 8 and 6 year old guys in particular, they just can't use those small stubs; they need more to grip on to while writing. And arguments then ensue as to whose pencil is whose and yada yada yada and...grrr! Such a minor thing ~ pencils ~ but honest to goodness we have some sort of Pencil Issue every single day.:glare:

[Colleen in NS]

Another frustrated Dixon Ticonderoga user here!!! I can't believe this latest box we bought - they used to be so good, but every single pencil lead in this box has broken endlessly. I've been meaning to ask here for other recs - now off to look for warriors. Thanks!

[Country Mouse]

I have used and liked the black warriors but we are using Papermate Choice right now and they are great.

[imeverywoman]

Yep. They will.

[FlockOfSillies]

I, too, have a big stash under lock and key, because they vanish CONSTANTLY. I never have any in my desk cup. I've taken to sticking labels on them with my Brother P-Touch so we know which pencil belongs to which kid. And no eraser lasts long enough in this house, either. :glare:

 

Try Target, Office Depot, Staples. They really are good pencils.

[Colleen in NS]

Yep. They will.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I just called Dixon Ticonderoga here in Canada, and at first the rep said the problem with breaking leads is probably the cutter blades on my pencil sharpener (it's an electric Boston). She said they send reps to schools all the time to show them that the cutting blades need to be sharpened. Has anyone ever tried to fix their pencil sharpener and does it fix the problem? I can sort of picture that, because the blades grind the wood closer to the lead sometimes. But still, the leads seem to break on their own, every cm or so.

 

Then, when I told the lady that I've seen other complaints online about DT pencils, she gave me an e-mail address to write to and explain my situation and they would send me a replacement box.

 

Anyone else know about this blade idea?

 

EDIT: I just tested the blade theory. I sharpened a pencil from a previous box of DT that never had problems, and this pencil sharpened and worked just fine - no broken lead problems. It's the pencil, not the pencil sharpener. I just e-mailed the company.

Edited November 20, 2008 by Colleen in NS

[H.S. Burrow]

Wow, I thought it was just us. It only occurred with our latest big pack, and they were frozen while in storage and handled by movers, so we thought that caused the problems. But to hear that they're failing you all surprises me. Man, I am addicted to those pencils! I love the way they erase so cleanly. I can honestly tell you that I have banned every other pencil from my house! I wonder if they have changed anything about the way they're made, because this problem is new for us, and it has been pretty bothersome over the past few months.

 

Shucks, I guess I will have to try the Black Warriors. Or, I would love to hear where y'all are finding the D-T tr-writes, I've only seen them one or two at a time in promotional packaging with the regular number twos.

 

I get the Ticonderoga Tri-Writes at Staples....that is the ONLY place I have found them.

 

I've never heard of the Black Warrior pencils.....do they come in a triangular style?

[~Tara~]

oh yes, which pencil belongs to whom is a huge issue here as is the eraser problem.

 

I have found Black Warriors at WalMart. Apparently it depends on where you are. At our last location, every nearby walmart carried them. Here, one does, the other doesn't. Maybe just every store at previous location was 'city' and here, though both the super centers, one is in a bigger town, the smaller town one doesn't carry them.

 

Now....where's that sharpeners thread? I need to revisit it!!

[Mamagistra]

I have noticed that D-T moved some of their manufacturing from Mexico to China...not sure if that has any bearing on the issue of breakage, however, I opted for Mirados today (plain) because they were made in Mexico. :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: Oops! I flubbed...the Mirados I got are made in the USA. :)

Edited November 22, 2008 by Mamagistra

[Peek a Boo]

another vote for the TriConderogas and/or Black Warriors.

 

i broke down and got them cuz ds said they make him want to write more :D

 

i find them at WalMart, CVS, and most other stores.

 

Triconderogas were cheaper when i ordered them online...but i forget the site. i charged my guys a deposit of a dollar for each pencil. if they bring back the stub they can get a new pencil for nuthin'. If they lose it they have to deposit another dollar ;)

otherwise they hafta use a cheapy pencil.

 

and yes, we've noticed the difference in quality of pencils, even w/ an electric sharpener.

[orangearrow]

Soooo... what is the difference between the Black Warriors and the classic Mirado pencils? I have a huge unopened package of the classics I bought at Sam's a while back. Am I going to be disappointed? lol

[FlockOfSillies]

I think I have some Mirado Classic lying around here somewhere... I think they're fine, iirc.

[hose]

Another frustrated Dixon Ticonderoga user here!!! I can't believe this latest box we bought - they used to be so good, but every single pencil lead in this box has broken endlessly.

 

I thought it was just me! I've always loved these pencils until this last year. Every.single.one.broke. How frustrating!

 

I appreciate this thread!

[TraceyS/FL]

Thanks for the suggestion. I just called Dixon Ticonderoga here in Canada, and at first the rep said the problem with breaking leads is probably the cutter blades on my pencil sharpener (it's an electric Boston). She said they send reps to schools all the time to show them that the cutting blades need to be sharpened. Has anyone ever tried to fix their pencil sharpener and does it fix the problem? I can sort of picture that, because the blades grind the wood closer to the lead sometimes. But still, the leads seem to break on their own, every cm or so.

 

Then, when I told the lady that I've seen other complaints online about DT pencils, she gave me an e-mail address to write to and explain my situation and they would send me a replacement box.

 

Anyone else know about this blade idea?

 

EDIT: I just tested the blade theory. I sharpened a pencil from a previous box of DT that never had problems, and this pencil sharpened and worked just fine - no broken lead problems. It's the pencil, not the pencil sharpener. I just e-mailed the company.

I was going to say this, the most times i've had lead breaks is when i'm using a cheap pencil sharpener. And once you sharpen a pencil crooked - it is muck up forever unless you work at getting it even (the wood around needs to be even). If there is slope in the sharpener it's going to have the issue of not being a good point too.

 

Not to say that some pencils don't have issues - but when we use the "good" German sharpeners (Staedtler mainly) we have way less issues.